>US President William Jefferson Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton >arrived in Hanoi last night, starting their four-day official visit to Vietnam >at the invitation of State President Tran Duc Luong. > > The president and his wife are accompanied by their daughter, >Chelsea Clinton; Hillary Clinton�s mother, Dorothy Rodham; US Ambassador to >Vietnam Douglas Peterson; Secretary of Commerce Norman Mineta; Trade >Representative Charlene Barshefsky; Director of the White House Office John >Podesta; Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Hershel Gober; Assistant to the >President for National Security Affairs Samuel Berger; and Assistant to the >President for Economic Policy and Director of National Economic Council Gene >Sperling. > NA discusses socio-economy, State budget > > National Assembly (NA) deputies on November 16, the third working >day of the on-going NA session, had group discussions on the socio-economic >situation and the State budget. > > Addressing the session, NA deputies expressed their agreement to >the report delivered by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. According to the report, >major targets outlined in the NA's resolution have been basically achieved. >The decline of the economic growth rate has been stopped and more favourable >conditions have been created for further socio-economic development. > > This year, the gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 6.7%; the >agricultural, forestry and fish-breeding production values grew by 4.9%; >industrial production value climbed by 15.5%; value of service sectors were up >by 6% and export and import turnover, up by 21.3% as compared with those of >last year. > > NA deputies also raised opinions on issues needed to be resolved. >Some held that among the major measures for the implementation of the 2001 >plan set out by the government, the key measure is to further promote internal >strength. Some others said that, a master plan for investment in construction, >should be mapped out to be submitted to the NA for consideration. Meanwhile, >several NA deputies said that although marked achievements and progress >recorded this year were encouraging, a better result could be reached if the >State and localities made full use of investment. > > Regarding social affairs, deputies focused on discussing >educational and training issues. They held that the education and training >sector should make stronger, positive changes. > > They affirmed that the Party and the State have always paid >attention to poor people and created favourable conditions for them to escape >poverty. > > However, they also proposed the government to concretise the >implementation of the programme to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty in each >year, each region and each locality. > > Representatives pay homage to Hung Kings, > visit Nhan Dan > > Nearly 300 representatives of Vietnam�s 54 nationalities, >majorities and Vietnamese living overseas, participating in the meeting to >celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National United Front paid a >homage to the ancestors of Vietnamese people, the Hung Kings, at the temple >for the kings in Phu Tho province on November 16. > > Mr Pham The Duyet, permanent member of the Politburo, Chairman of >the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and Mr Hoang Xuan Cu, >secretary of Phu Tho provincial Party Committee, joined the representatives to >offer incense to the Hung Kings. > > They also visited Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam in Hanoi. > > One hundred and twenty representatives visited Nhan Dan newspaper >on November 15. Mr Tran Van Dang, general secretary of the VFF was among >senior officials in the delegation. > > Many representatives spoke at the meeting during the visit to Nhan >Dan newspaper. Ms Mai Ho, an Overseas Vietnamese living in Australia, said >that Vietnamese living overseas never forget that they are Vietnamese and >always remember that the people in the home country are having to overcome >many difficulties. She said she believed strongly that VFF would be the flag >under which the Vietnamese inside and outside Vietnam will unite to build a >country with a rich people, a powerful country and a civilised, just and >democratic society. > > Mr Trieu Tien Lam, chief of Ban Bang remote commune in Nghia Ta >village, Cho Don district, Bac Can province said all the people in his village >are fro the Dao ethnic minority. There are 31 households in the commune and 10 >of them were awarded certificates by the State as having made special >contributions to the country. He said that before 1967 the village was >extremely poor. Today, average per capita food is 470.4 kilogram of rice per >year. Food production is on the rise while domestic animal farming develops. > > Representatives from religious groups also took the floor. Vicar >Vu Hung Cuong said that speaking of the VFF is speaking of the unity of the >whole people, in which there are religious groups, and speaking of the >national patriotic emulation movement. As a member of VFF, we understand that >VFF means freedom, democracy, equality and humanity. The mutual love among >people is the core and the centre of unity. Unity is needed not only for >people living on this earth but also in conformity with the teaching of God. >Living under the same roof of VFF, all Protestants always unite with other >people, love other people and respect and abide by the laws and regulations of >the country. With the help and attention of VFF and authorities at all levels, >Protestants are fulfilling their tasks of respecting their God and loving the >country. That is the fruit of unity. > > Before saying goodbye, many delegates expressed their opinions, >wishing to express more ideas through the Party�s newspaper to the whole >people. _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
