Vietnam's National Assembly Convenes for Special Session on Key Legislation

Vietnam's National Assembly convened for a special session in Hanoi, engaging in focused deliberations on several key legislative proposals. In the morning session, the "Law on Prevention and Control of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Draft)" was a primary focus. Fifteen deputies spoke, largely agreeing on the necessity of the law and the contents of the Government's submission and the National Assembly's Committee for Defense and Security's verification report. Discussions centered on application scope, definitions, prevention principles, prohibited acts, special management and control measures, national risk assessment criteria, controlled lists, controlled entities, end-user and end-use controls, emergency response, corporate internal compliance programs, WMD financing control, suspicious transactions, asset freezing, third-party protection, state management, and preferential treatment for compliant organizations. Following this, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Phan Văn Giang provided clarifications. The "Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of 9 Laws on Military and Defense" was also debated, with 12 deputies offering opinions. Key points included the mandate and authority of the Ministry of National Defense, the roles and responsibilities of the Border Guard, local defense zones, political officers at the commune level, conditions for reservists to be discharged, and regulations concerning unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other aircraft, including registration, operation permits, and licensing. Discussions also touched upon the authority of provincial military commands and funding for local military units. The afternoon session saw deliberations on the "Law on Petroleum (Revised)". Sixteen deputies participated, with many commending the proactive and responsible approach of the drafting and verification committees. The debate covered the law's scope, applicability, definitions, international petroleum industry practices, state policies, principles for petroleum exploration and production, safety requirements, prohibited acts, national security implications, approval authority for onshore oil and gas field development projects, value chain development, contract types and durations, dispute resolution, resource extraction policies, incentives for enhanced oil recovery, and the transfer of fields upon contract expiry. The role of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) and proposals for leveraging high-tech human resources in the sector were also discussed. Minister of Industry and Trade Lê Mạnh Hùng addressed the deputies' concerns. Furthermore, the National Assembly held a closed-door discussion on a draft resolution concerning special mechanisms to address difficulties and obstacles for wind and solar power projects. On August 9th, the Assembly was scheduled to discuss amendments to laws concerning the State Bank of Vietnam, anti-money laundering, credit institutions, and the publishing law, as well as a revised law on education popularization. Source: Nhan Dan