> >President praises public security force > >President Tran Duc Luong praised the public security force for its >contribution to the national revolutionary cause while he made a speech at the >56th meeting of the force held in Hanoi on December 14 and 15. > >The meeting was to review the work of the force in 2000 and prepare for 2001. >Mr Le Minh Huong, member of the Politburo and minister of public security >chaired the meeting. > >Participants reviewed the work they have done in 2000 in providing security >services to activities of the State and in preventing and fighting crimes as >well as fighting with other counter revolutionary forces and the "Peaceful >Evolution" movement. > >The president said the year 2001 will bring a lot of challenges to the public >security force and urged the force to be more vigilant, especially in the >fight against crimes and drug trafficking. He also urged each officer and man >of the force to improve political capacity and professional skills to meet the >increasing demand of the job in the new situation. **** >PM values donors' assistance to Vietnam > >The Vietnamese government highly valued the assistance of international donors >reserved for Vietnam, said Prime Minister Phan Van Khai during a meeting in >Hanoi yesterday with delegates to the Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam >held in Hanoi on December 14 and 15. > >Prime Minister Khai said that since the first Consultative Group Meeting for >Vietnam held in Paris in October, 1993, to date, Vietnam has received US $17 >billion in credit aid from international donors through their eight meetings. > >Thanks to that, Vietnam has seen positive changes in infrastructure, education >and health care. This has also helped to narrow the gap between the rural and >urban areas, eradicate hunger and reduce poverty for people in mountainous >areas as well as create more jobs for labourers. > >Mr Khai expressed his belief that with the coming credit supported from >international donors together with efforts made by the whole nation, Vietnam >would surely fulfil the socio-economic development plan set for the next ten >years, including doubling GDP by 2010. > >The prime minister thanked donors for their successful organisation of this >year's meeting in Vietnam. **** >Donors to support Vietnam US $2.4 billion > >Donor countries and international development organisations have indicated >about US $2.4 billion for Vietnam's hunger eradication and poverty reduction >and development programme at the closing session of the Consultative Group >Meeting for Vietnam in Hanoi on December 15. > >The donors also agreed to meet Vietnamese leaders next year to discuss the >five year plan of the Vietnamese government for the 2001-2005 period and to >set up a joint programme for the plan to provide donations to Vietnam. > >During the two-day meeting, delegates expressed their support for the >Vietnam's programme to continue eradicating hunger and reducing poverty, speed >up economic reform and ensure the improvement of people's living standard in >the 21st century. > >The donors focused their discussions on long-term strategic issues crucial to >Vietnam's future, which were mentioned in the Vietnamese government's report. > >The delegates congratulated Vietnam's achievements in restoring the high >growth rate and supported reforms adopted by the Vietnamese government. They >also welcomed Vietnam's progress in building co-operative relations for the >benefit of the country. > >Prominent among people attending the closing session were permanent Deputy >Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Xuan >Gia, director of the World Bank in Vietnam, Andrew Steer, and representatives >from the Asia Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United >Nations Development Programme and concerned ministries and branches of >Vietnam. **** >Vietnam, China meet on border issues > >Assistant to the Foreign Minister and leader of the Vietnamese government >delegation to the negotiation of the Vietnam-China territorial borders, Le >Cong Phung, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, met in Hanoi from December >12-14. >At the friendly, frank and mutual understanding talks, the two discussed >concrete measures to fulfil the borderline demarcation with a view to the >signing of an agreement on the Tonkin Gulf demarcation within this year, as >agreed by their top leaders. > >Vietnam and China have basically completed the substantial issues relating to >the border demarcation. > >Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien warmly received Assistant to the Foreign >Minister of China Wang Yi on December 15. (VNA) **** >Vice president announces victory in polio fight > >Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh announced that Vietnam had eliminated polio at >a ceremony held in Hanoi on December 15. >The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai; Shigere Omi and San >Tae Han, Director and Honorary Director of the Western Pacific Region of the >World Health Organisation, WHO; Director of the Western Pacific Region of the >United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, Mehr Kha; and the ambassadors of >several countries to Vietnam. > >Vietnam was officially recognised on October 29 to have eliminated polio, >making the Western Pacific a polio-free region. > >The recognition means that Vietnam has reached the WHO target for eliminating >the disease throughout the globe by 2005, five years ahead of schedule. > >The achievement was announced by the President of the National Committtee for >Recognition of Polio Elimination, Prof. Dao Vong Duc; the Chairman of the >National Expanded Immunisation Programme, Prof. Dang Duc Trach; the Head of >the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Prof. Hoang Thuy Long; and the >Director of the Sabin Vaccine Production Centre, Prof. Nguyen Van Man. > >Vietnam has managed to implement the Expanded Immunisation Programme >nationwide since 1985 despite financial difficulties. > >The Government has spent hundreds of billions of Vietnamese dong or tens of >millions of US dollars in providing more than 60 million children with three >doses of the polio vaccines in the last 15 years, including those in remote >mountain areas. > >Although the success has ensured Vietnamese children will be free from polio >in the coming century, the government continues providing the vaccine to >children in the six provinces bordering Cambodia and some localities along the >common border with China and Laos so as to hold any possible infection from >these countries at bay. > >The Public Health Ministry has also devised a strategy to protect the >achievement during 2001-2005, namely to maintain the rate of immunised >children at more than 90%. > >Southeast Asia and the Near and Middle East have yet to be recognised as polio >free. > >At the ceremony, Vice President Binh expressed thanks to foreign donors, >especially Japan, Australia, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, as >well as such international organisations as WHO and UNICEF, for their great >help. > >She presented Prof. Hoang Thuy Nguyen, former Director of the Vietnam >Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, with the title "Hero of Labour" and >the Expanded Immunisation Programme with the Labour Order, first class. > >WHO and UNICEF were awarded certificates of merit by the Public Health >Ministry for their effective and timely help in the national fight against >polio. (VNA) **** >WHO officials awarded Vietnam's 'For People's Healthcare' medals > >Director of the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organisation, WHO, >Dr. Shigeru Omi and WHO Honorary Director Dr. Sang Tee Han have been awarded >Vietnam's "For People's Healthcare" medals. >The medals were presented by Public Health Minister Prof. Do Nguyen Phuong in >Hanoi on December 15. > >The medals were given in recognition of the contribution by the WHO officials >to Vietnam's expanded immunisation and polio eradication programmes. > >Over the past 10 years, Dr. Shigeru Omi and Dr. Sang Tee Han have together >with their colleagues made full use of available budget allocations and >resources, scientific and technological co-operation to accelerate the >expanded immunisation programme and the fight against malaria and polio in >Vietnam, thus contributing to improving the people's health. **** > >Vietnam, China to boost co-operation > >The co-operative relations between Parties, governments of Vietnam and China >in general and between Ho Chi Minh City and Chinese cities and provinces in >particular would record further achievements in the future. > >This was expressed by Mr Nguyen Minh Triet, politburo member and Ho Chi Minh >City�s Party Committee secretary, while receiving at the city�s Party >Committee guest house on December 14 a Chinese Communist Party delegation led >by Mr Zheng Bijian, member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee >and permanent deputy director of the Chinese Central Party School during its >visit to the city. Mr Triet informed the Chinese delegation about the main >features of the city�s socio-economic development and its preparation for the >city�s coming seventh Party congress. > >Mr Zheng Bijian discussed with Mr Triet on theoretical and practical issues of >the Party work and measures to promote co-operation and exchanges on >experiences between the two Parties. Mr Zheng Bijian expressed his good >impression on a dynamic Ho Chi Minh City and wished the city�s Party congress >good success, making contributions to the common success of the coming ninth >Party Congress. > >The Chinese delegation also visited some historical and cultural sites in the >city. **** >Vietnam joins World War Veterans' Federation > >The Vietnam War Veterans' Association together with those of Cuba, Estonia, >Ethiopia, Libya, Palestine and Singapore have become members of the World War >Veterans' Federation (WWVF). >Their membership was announced at the 23rd WWVF congress in Paris, France, >from December 4-8 to mark the federation's 50th establishment anniversary. > >A delegation of the Vietnam War Veterans' Association led by its Vice >President and Secretary General, Lt. General Nguyen Quoc Thuoc, joined about >400 representatives from almost 70 member countries in the congress. > >Addressing the congress, Mr Thuoc spoke of Vietnam and the Vietnam War >Veterans' Association. > >The WWVF was established in Paris in November 1950 with six founding members >and now includes 85 member countries. The federation established relations >with the Vietnam War Veterans' Association in 1993. **** >Heavy rains damage crops in Long An > >Many areas of rice and watermelon plants in Long An southern province were >destroyed by heavy rains from December 11-14. > >The districts of Ben Luc, Thu Thua, Chau Thanh and Tan Tru were reported to >suffer worst losses, including nearly 1,000 hectares of high quality rice and >280 hectares of watermelon plants. The productivity was estimated to reduce by >10-30%. > >Heavy rains also caused flooding in some areas and engendered many paddy >insects. _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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