The Party and State will continue introducing policies to increase thenumber of women holding leadership and management positions.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan made the statement in Paris on June 7while meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community inFrance. She was in the city to attend the 24 th Global Summit ofWomen (GSW), which wrapped up the same day.

Doanbriefed about Vietnam ’s achievements, especially in creatingpolitical and macroeconomic stability, comprehensive renovation andintensive international integration.

Gender equality is among the six Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that Vietnam has achieved, she said.

Regarding China ’s illegal placement of its oil rig HaiyangShiyou-981 in Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf,the Vice President affirmed that this act seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty and has been strongly condemned by the global community.

She asked overseas Vietnamese in France join theembassy in making French agencies, organisations and people aware of thenature of the issue, winning their support in the struggle to safeguardVietnam ’s national sea and island sovereignty.

On June 5, Vice President Doan delivered a speech at the openingceremony of the GSW, in which she stressed that diffidence is one of themain challenges women have to overcome to reach real gender equality.

The next summit will be held in Brazil in 2015.-VNA