The Lao State presented friendship orders to local authorities and experts of Vietnam’s northern Lai Chau Province.
The distinctions were Laos’s recognition of Lai Chau authorities and people’s assistance to Laos’s Phongsaly Province in fields of socio-economic development, national defence and security, health care services and human training.
The provincial People’s Committee and Military Command of Lai Chau were presented with the Friendship Order, while local healthcare and agricultural sectors and nine former authorities were given with the Labour Order, third class.
Five Vietnamese experts, who used to work in Laos, were pinned with the Labour Medal.
Laos said their work contributed to the development of the special friendship and cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples.
A delegation from the Vietnam People’s Army led by Director of the General Political Department Gen. Le Van Dung left Hanoi on June 25 for official visits to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
The visits are made at the invitation of Gen. Nikolai Alexandrovich Pankov, State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, and Major-General Alexander Nikolayevich Gura, Assistant Defence Minister on Ideological Work and Head of the Directorate on Ideological Work of the Belarusian Ministry of Defence.
The National Defence Institute on June 25 opened a training course in Hanoi for 30 senior officers of the Lao People’s Army.
During the course, the second of its kind so far, the Lao officers will study national defence and security strategies of Laos and some countries in the region.
They will also discuss the people-based national defence in the new world context, military art and Vietnam’s experience in conducting Party-building and political work in the a army.
During the course, learners will visit some military units in Vietnam.
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said she will do her utmost to further boost bilateral cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in economics, trade and investment.
Talking with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Washington on June 24, the Philippines President expressed her wish to receive assistance from Vietnam in the fast-changing price hike in the world and four-fold increase in inflation in the Philippines, which have badly influenced the Philippine people’s life.
President Arroyo thanked the Vietnamese Government for supporting and supplying rice to the Philippines, saying that Vietnam’s assistance is precious to her country as it is facing difficulties in ensuring food security.
PM Dung said Vietnam exported 2.2 million tonnes of rice in the first six months of this year and the figure is expected to reach 4.5 million tonnes in 2008.
He told his guest that his government is taking comprehensive measures to curb inflation, such as tightening monetary policy and slashing budget spending along with boosting production and export.
The Vietnamese government leader extended condolences to President Arroyo over her country’s losses caused by the recent typhoon and proposed that the two nations early deploy their joint patrols to ensure security and order at sea.
(Source: VNA) | 
