The Party and State of Vietnam always pay attention to promoting socialwelfare, gender equality and women’s rights, said the State leader.

President Nguyen Minh Triet stated this on October 15 while receivingMichelle Bachelet, the Under-Secretary-General for the UN’s Women Agencyand Chair of the UN Social Protection Floor Advisory Group.

Vietnam advocates stepping up economic development must be combinedwith enhancing social equality and improving peoples living conditions,especially those in remote and mountainous areas and social policybeneficiaries, said Triet.

The president urgedBachelet to put forward suggestions to help Vietnam carry out programmesand policies on social welfare and gender equality.

Triet congratulated Bachelet, who is a former President of Chile, onher new appointment to the UN and applauded her for choosing Vietnam asher first visit, believing that her trip will be a milestone incooperative ties between Vietnam and the UN.

TheState leader said he was delighted at the developments in Vietnam-UNrelations in recent years and thanked all the UN’s agencies forsupporting and assisting the country during its process of nationalconstruction and development.

The UN hascontributed greatly to Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements,particularly in hunger eradication and poverty reduction, he stressed.

On the Vietnam - Chile relationship, Triet said thatboth nations should complete their negotiations for a Free TradeAgreement (FTA) as soon as possible, to facilitate bilateral economicand trade ties.

President Triet also congratulatedthe Chilean government and people on the successful rescue of 33 minerswho had been trapped for 69 days in the San Jose gold and copper minenear Copiapo City.

Bachelet praised Vietnam’sefforts and successes in promoting peace, socio-economic development andwomen’s rights and position in society. These achievements convincedBachelet to visit Vietnam first, after she was appointed to the UN, sheadded.

She went on to say that Vietnam’s successescould be applied to other nations and that the UN Initiative on a SocialProtection Floor, co-initiated and introduced by the InternationalLabour Organisation (ILO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), aimsto enhance countries’ capacity in ensuring people’s basic social welfareand ensuring a more equal society.

Vietnam hasshown its commitment and political determination to social welfare andseveral UN bodies have pledged to back the country’s socialprogrammes and policies, she said.

While sharingPresident Triet’s views on relationship between Vietnam and Chile,Bachelet said that she believed both governments would soon sign theplanned FTA as it is in the interests of both peoples./.