Interviewed by Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army), UK Ambassador to Vietnam Robert Gordon said he was very interested in the Party Congress, taking news on the event from English-language newspapers and news summaries from his assistants everyday. He also watched the live broadcast of the Congress' opening session on TV.

He said what is happening in the country is very interesting. The campaign to collect people's opinion on the draft political report of the CPC was open and energetic. Many opinions on different issues were reported to the mass media, showing the Party's readiness to listen to the people's ideas.

The Ambassador held that there may be changes in the leadership, but Vietnam will not change its current direction as there is always a high consensus in the CPV. The results of the 10th Party Congress will not influence the UK's policies towards Vietnam and Vietnam will remain a strategic partner of the UK.

First Secretary for Education and Press of the Republic of Korea's Embassy in Vietnam Ahn Tae-Sung said in an interview with Ha Noi Moi newspaper that he focused his interest on indicators of democratisation shown at the10th National Party Congress.

He said he believes that Vietnam, through the Party Congress, will see changes for the better. He expressed his hopes that Vietnam will promote economic development in combination with corruption control.

The Project Management Unit 18 (PMU18) scandal did not reduce foreign investors' belief in Vietnam, he said, adding that they have placed more confidence in Vietnam's determination to combat corruption.

Member of the European Chamber of Commerce's executive board Priben Hooclan, in an interview with Quan Doi Nhan Dan daily, said that he had witnessed three Vietnamese Party Congresses during his 15-year stay in Vietnam. He said that both he and his colleagues are very keen on Vietnam's coming leadership and hope that the newly-elected leaders will pay more attention to private sector development.

*** The Japanese government and people are interested in the current 10^th national congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the media in Japan covered news on the congress, according to Tsutomu Takebe, Secretary General of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

In an interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent, Takebe, who is also President of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentarians Friendship League, said he believes that the current open and democratic congress will be successful and the CPV's new leadership will continue pushing up the renewal process, thus helping Vietnam escape from underdevelopment.

Mr Takebe spoke highly of the achievements in Vietnam's renewal process over the past 20 years, and the high economic growth rate of 8.4 percent in 2005. The country's economy is developing smoothly and the people's living conditions have steadily improved. Although impacted by the 1997-98 financial crisis, the economy still maintains a high and stable growth rate. He said Japan believes that Vietnam will succeed in narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor as well as between its rural and urban populations.

Vietnam will become one of the leading countries with an impact on politics in Asia, Mr Takebe stressed, adding Japan attaches importance to relations with Vietnam, supports the country's renewal process and is willing to cooperate for peace and stability in Asia.

Regarding anti-corruption, Mr Takebe said he hopes that the congress will discuss the issue and take punitive action against the existing cases as well as carry out tough policies to prevent further occurrences, thus contributing to purifying the leadership apparatus and raising the Party's prestige.

Japan and Vietnam have many cultural similarities, Mr Takebe said. Many Japanese people have good opinions about Vietnam. Parallel with the relations between the two countries' leaders, the people's ties have developed. A Japan festival is scheduled to take place in Vietnam in August and a Vietnam festival is expected to be held in Japan later.

Apart from infrastructure construction, Japan will continue expanding its cooperation with Vietnam in healthcare, training, culture and science-technology. The number of Japanese visitors to Vietnam in 2006 is expected to exceed 350,000. Mr Takebe expressed his hope that the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan will be further developed.

VNA