VietNamNet Bridge – After releasing the inauguration speech on the afternoon of July 25, President Truong Tan Sang talked with the media about sea and island sovereignty, combating corruption and combining the Party Secretary General title and the Presidency.

Q: The government will report to the National Assembly (NA) the situation in the East Sea. What do you think about the proposal that the NA needs to make a resolution on this issue?

President Truong Tan Sang: The NA asked the government to report about the East Sea situation. The NA will make a resolution on the East Sea or not will depend on the actual situation and the aspiration of deputies.

Q: What should Vietnam do to both defend the country’s sea and island sovereignty and maintain Vietnam’s position besides a big country?

President Sang: As I spoke to the NA this afternoon, the marine and island sovereignty is sacred and inviolable for any country, both big and small.

To maintain sea and island sovereignty, I think there are three significant foundations: law, history and actual possession and exploration.

In law, there are international and national laws. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) are the fruits of mankind’s long-term struggle; particularly small countries. Therefore, we have to rely on the UNCLOS, the power of community to defend our sea and island sovereignty, exclusive economic zone.

In addition, based on the UNCLOS, we have to legalize marine and island sovereignty in national law and perform actual possession and exploration. The historical and legal foundations, actual possession and exploration are the three elements to establish sea and island sovereignty.

Q: Fighting corruption is the people’s big concern. As the President, what do you want to tell the people?

President Sang: Corruption is a big concern of constituents. In this term, leaders have to take great responsibility in managing the country, particularly in fighting corruption. I’m sure that many NA deputies promised with constituent to combat corruption. I hope that they will never forget their promises to the people and the people should supervise and inspect us to contribute to promoting this task so that it will be better in the previous term.

Q: In you opinion, corruption is not been rolled back because of the law is not strict enough or owing to other reasons?

President Sang: The Law on Fighting Corruption and Thrift Practice are very clear. The NA has allowed the establishment of the provincial and central steering boards for fighting corruption. Nevertheless, we have not archived the NA’s goal in preventing and step by pushing back corruption.

To realize that goal, we must seriously carry out the Party and the NA’s resolutions. The steering boards for combating corruption must be more active.

Firstly, we need to review our policies and mechanisms to find out gaps for amendment. Secondly, we have to address the apparatus of the steering boards for combating corruption. We have had enough legal documents and now we have to take action.

Q: At this NA session, the NA will consider the amendment of the Constitution 1992. What do you think about the combination of the Presidency and the Party Secretary General title?

President Sang: This issue was discussed at the recent National Party Congresses but the agreement is not high, so at present the two titles are assumed by two persons.

Mr. Truong Tan Sang’s biography

Date of birth: 21/1/1949
Place of birth: My Hanh commune, Duc Hoa district, the southern province of Long An
Current residence: No. 51 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Professional knowledge: bachelor of law
Position: member of the Politburo, permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat
Mr. Sang was presented the third-class Resistance War Medal.
He is a deputy of the NA of 9th, 10th, 11th and 13th terms.

1966-1968: A youth leader
1969-1971: A member of the Party Committee, Secretary of the Youth Union and leader of the secret armed unit of Duc Hoa Town, Long An province
1971-1973: Being detained in the Bien Hoa, Phu Quoc prisons. He was released in 1973 under the Paris Peace Accords.
1973 – April 1975: an official of the Central Unity Committee
April 1975 – October 1978: Gia Dinh trade union official, vice chief of the New Economic Construction committee and Secretary of Youth Union of HCM City’s farms and new economic zones.
1979 – August 1983: Director of Pham Van Hai State Farm, member of the Party Committee of Binh Chanh District, HCM City, alternate member of the HCM City Party Committee
1983 – 1986: Director of the HCM City Forestry Department, a member of the HCM City Party Committee, in charge of the voluntary youth forces and the new economic committee
1986-1988: Member of the HCM City Party Standing Committee, Party Secretary of Binh Chanh district, HCM City
1988-1990: studying at the Nguyen Ai Quoc Party School in Hanoi
1990-1991: Director of HCM City Department of Agriculture, member of the HCM City Party Standing Committee
1991-1992: HCM City’s Vice Party Secretary, a member of the Party Central Committee
1992-1996: HCM City’s Vice Party Secretary, Vice Chairman and Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee
1996-January 2000: HCM City’s Party Secretary, member of the Politburo
January 2000 – 2006: Chief of the Central Economic Committee, member of the Politburo
2006 – present: member of the Politburo, permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat

PV