>
>Army's General Political Department presented with Gold Star Order
>
>The Vietnam People's Army General Political Department was presented with the
>Gold Star Order, the country's highest honour, at its 56th founding
>anniversary (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2000) in Hanoi on December 16.
>
>The presentation of the Order to the general department has shown the Party
>and State's recognition of the significant role of the General Political
>Department in building a transparent and strong Party mechanism in the army
>and the great contribution by its staff to the revolution and the achievements
>of the People's Army, said Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan,
>Politburo member and head of the General Political Department.
>
>With that honour and pride, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan, on
>behalf of the staff of the General Political Department, promised to
>successfully fulfil its assigned functions and tasks, contributing to building
>a strong, modern, regular and crack army.
>
>State President Tran Duc Luong attached the Gold Star Order to the General
>Political Department's 'Resolved-to-Win' military flag.
>
>Addressing the ceremony, Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu praised the
>department and urged its staff to constantly improve their knowledge so as to
>contribute more to their advisory work to the army as well as to better
>implement the Party's political objectives in the new stage of the revolution.
>
>On this occasion, the General Political Department inaugurated its House of
>Traditions.
****
>PM receives Iraqi trade minister
>
>Vietnam-Iraq friendly relations had been tested in war and would be further
>developed, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai told visiting Iraqi Trade Minister
>Mohamed Mehdi Saled in Hanoi on December 16.
>
>During the reception given to the Iraqi minister, who is also Iraqi President
>Sadam Hussein's special envoy, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai said the
>Vietnamese people, who had experienced wars and embargo, deeply sympathised
>with the Iraqi people.
>
>But they also believed that the staunchness of the Iraqi people would help
>them overcome all difficulties and challenges.
>
>Mr Khai briefed his guest about Vietnam's socio-economic achievements in the
>more than 10 years of renovation which, he said, had helped Vietnam to achieve
>surplus farm produce, including rice and tea, that could meet Iraq's
>requirements under the "oil-for-food" programme.
>
>The visiting trade minister replied that implementation of the "oil-for-food"
>programme by the two countries had been satisfactory and their long-term
>strategic relations would be further developed. (VNA)
****
>National Front for the South Liberation 40th anniversary marked
>
>
>
>Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City offer an incense in memory of war martyrs.
>
>The 40th anniversary of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam
>(VFLSVN) was marked in a grand ceremony held in Ben Duoc Temple in Ho Chi Minh
>City�s suburban Cu Chi district on December 16.
>
>Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City�s Fatherland Front, Tran Thanh Long, reviewed
>the path that led to the establishment of the NFLSVN and the Provisional
>Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and highlighted the
>roles and contributions made by the two organisations to the cause of the
>liberation for the South and the country�s reunification.
>
>Private Nguyen Quoc Vinh, on behalf of young soldiers, expressed his
>determination to follow the glorious revolutionary cause of veteran
>revolutionaries for national construction and defence.
>
>Delegates at the meeting held an incense offering ceremony in memory of war
>martyrs.
>
>Among those present at the cerebration were Nguyen Minh Triet, Politburo
>member and secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and other
>municipal leaders.
****
>
>Vietnam, Iraq to strengthen co-operation
>
>Vietnam and Iraq discussed issues on strengthening and expanding co-operation
>at an inter-governmental meeting in Hanoi on December 17.
>
>Vietnamese minister of agriculture and rural development and chairman of the
>Vietnam-Iraq Commission, Le Huy Ngo and Iraqi trade minister, chairman of the
>Iraq-Vietnam Commission and Iraqi President Sadam Hussein's special envoy,
>Mohamed Mehdi Saled co-chaired the meeting.
>
>Minister Le Huy Ngo briefed the meeting about the positive results in the
>implementation of contracts and commitments between Vietnam and Iraq in recent
>time under the leadership of the Vietnam-Iraq Inter-governmental Committee. Mr
>Ngo said he hoped that the co-operative relations between the two countries
>would be further developed.
>
>The two delegations reviewed the implementation of the contents agreed at the
>14th meeting of the Vietnam-Iraq Inter-governmental Committee. They also
>discussed measures to promote the friendship and co-operation between the two
>countries in the coming time.
****
>
>Vietnam-Cambodia youth meeting in Vung Tau
>
>
>
>Vietnamese and Cambodian young people to the meeting.
>
>More than 150 Vietnamese and Cambodian young people gathered at a friendship
>meeting held in Vietnam's southern city of Vung Tau by the Ho Chi Minh
>Communist Youth Union from December 14-16.
>They included 51 Cambodian delegates, led by President of the Cambodian Youth
>Association Men Kuon and general secretary of the FUNCINPEC (the National
>United Front for Co-operative, Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia),
>Kov Vannak.
>
>The Vietnamese delegates were led by First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh
>Communist Youth Union Central Committee Vu Trong Kim.
>
>Speaking to the representatives of the youth organisations of both countries,
>Mr Kim said that Vietnamese youth were joyful at the achievements recorded by
>the Cambodian people in the cause of peace consolidation, national
>reconciliation and the maintenance of political stability and economic
>development.
>
>The leader of the Cambodian youth delegation reminded the meeting of the
>solidarity and friendship between the people and young generations of Cambodia
>and Vietnam, and expressed pleasure at Vietnam's rapid economic development.
>
>At a forum titled "Vietnamese-Cambodian Youth with Solidarity, Friendship and
>Co-operation Enter the 21st Century", speakers noted that the young people of
>both countries should help in national construction so that both could match
>the world's scientific achievements.
>
>Other activities included the planting of a Vietnam-Cambodia friendship tree
>at the monument to fallen combatants in Vung Tau city, and tours of
>VietsovPetro, Vietnam's largest oil and gas joint venture company as well as
>economic and cultural establishments. (VNA)
****
>Symposium on Vietnam's resistance wars and anti-war movement in Europe
>
>A symposium titled "Resistance Wars of Vietnam and Anti-war Movement in
>Northwestern Europe" was held in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from December 15
>and 16.
>The symposium was held by the 21st Century History Association and the History
>Institute of Utrecht University.
>
>Many professors and doctors in history and politics from the US, the UK,
>France and northwest European countries attended the event.
>
>Participants were presented with a report by Prof. Dr. Robert McMahon from the
>US and a report by Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Cuong, director of the Vietnam History
>Institute on the theme of the seminar. Other reports were on the movements for
>Vietnam in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway; the French colonialists and the
>Vietnam war; French intellectuals after the Vietnam war; the movement against
>the Vietnam war in the UK, Germany, and Italy; Dutch aid to Vietnam in
>healthcare; and Vietnam's generations of the 1960s and 1970s.
>
>A number of films on Vietnam during the war by Dutch film maker Joris Ivens
>were screened during the symposium.
>
>At the symposium Vietnamese Ambassador Dinh Hoang Thang praised the
>significance of the symposium and said that he hoped the participants would
>respond to the Netherlands's appeal to continue supporting and assisting
>Vietnam. (VNA)
****
>
>Foreign ministry refutes coffee violations
>
>Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh has refuted report that Vietnam
>is selling coffee despite a commitment to a temporary sales halt.
>Ms Thanh was responding to the Reuters news agency's Hanoi-based
>correspondent.
>
>The correspondent reported Indonesian coffee exporters as saying that Vietnam
>had violated its commitment to a temporary halt of coffee-bean sales.
>
>In reply on December 15, Ms Thanh quoted Vietnam Coffee-Cacao Association
>Chairman Doan Trieu Nhan as saying that a Prime Ministerial Decision had been
>issued on October 27 allowing exporters to speculate with 60,000 tonnes of
>reserve coffee bean from November 15, 2000.
>
>Mr Nhan was quoted as saying that the decision was being strictly followed and
>had contributed to market stability and protected the legitimate interests of
>Vietnam's coffee farmers.
>
>It had been welcomed both by domestic businesses and their foreign partners.
>(VNA)
****
>Five target national programmes in 2001
>
>The government has just approved five-target national programmes in 2001.
>
>They include:
>
>Poverty reduction, hunger elimination and job settlement programme
>
>Rural environmental hygiene and clean water programme
>
>Family planning and population programme
>
>Social diseases and epidemics control programme
>
>Cultural programme
>
>These programmes need the co-ordination between the ministries in charge and
>relevant branches and localities.
>
>Other important programmes on education and training, science and technology,
>environment, tourism and anti-crimes continue to be deployed as planned.
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