Leaders praise Japan's help PM Phan Van Khai and Mr Masahiko Komura.President Tran Duc Luong said Vietnam highly valued help from Japan's government as well as its co-operation with Vietnam in economics, trade, investment, justice, culture, education and training. Japan's help and co-operation had actively contributed to Vietnam's socio-economic development, said the President while meeting with visiting Japanese Justice Minister Masahiko Komura in Hanoi on January 11. Mr Luong also expressed his pleasure at the new development of co-operative ties between Vietnam's and Japan's Justice ministries. Mr Luong said he hoped that the bilateral co-operation would be boosted by Mr Komura's Vietnam visit. Mr Komura spoke highly of Vietnam's position and role in the region and said he was pleased to witness the inspiring achievements Vietnam had made in socio-economic development and renovation. While meeting with the Japanese justice minister on January 11, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai said that he appreciated Japan's experiences and potential in the legal sector as well as its capabilities in economic management and technological development. Mr Khai expressed his belief that Vietnam would receive more help from the Japanese government and people in all areas, including its official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam's infrastructure construction, poverty alleviation and hunger elimination. (VNA) Deputy PM meets Philippines generalDeputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received General A T Reyes, chief of General Staff of the Philippines Army in Hanoi on January 11. General Reyes is on an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Lieutenant General Le Van Dung, deputy defence minister and chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. Deputy Prime Minister Dung said that he believed the visit would contribute to boosting friendship and co-operation between the two peoples and armies. He said Vietnam and the Philippines should strengthen co-operation not only in socio-economic development but also in national security and defence for the benefits of the two countries as well as the region as both of them being members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Mr Dung praised the success of the two armies in maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea and expressed his hope that the two would further boost co-operation, particularly in the exchange of information about national security and defence. Earlier, General Reyes had a working session with Lieutenant General Le Van Dung on issues of mutual concern and paid a courtesy visit to Senior Lieutenant General Pham Van Tra, who is Vietnam's Defence Minister. (VNA) Vietnam, Russia boost fisheries co-operation Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam and Mr I P Sinelnik.Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam received visiting Chairman of the Fisheries Committee of the Russian Federation I P Sinelnik yesterday in Hanoi, and described the visit as a contribution to boosting co-operation in fisheries between the two countries. He highly valued Russia's strength in research and exploitation of aquatic resources and personnel training, and expressed his hope that Russia would continue to help and co-operate with Vietnam in fisheries. He said that it was necessary to improve the efficiency of co-operation between the two countries' fisheries enterprises in the future. Mr Sinelnik expressed his wish for Russia and Vietnam to further boost co-operation and share experiences in fisheries development. Earlier the same day, Mr Sinelnik held talks with Fisheries Minister Ta Quang Ngoc. The two parties agreed to boost commercial ties between the two sectors, to create co-operative opportunities and to co-operate in fishing in some sea areas. They exchanged experiences in management, science and technology. Vietnam praised Russia's effective help and co-operation in developing fisheries over the recent past. Russia intended to develop aqua-culture in the future and hoped to learn lessons from Vietnam's aqua-culture. Vietnam and Russia's co-operation in fisheries started in 1954. The two countries signed an agreement on fisheries co-operation on December 27, 1978 and another agreement on June 16, 1994. (VNA) Efforts to bring Tet to everyone The Hanoi Red Cross Society presents 100 Tet gifts worth VND 150,000 each to Agent Orange victims and 200 others each worth VND 100,000 to poor families in the 12 districts of the city. The society has also paid visits and presented Tet gifts to the city Centre for the Elderly and Disabled Children, the Soc Son Leprosy Centre, the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for Visually Impaired Children, centres for disabled children in the districts of Dong Anh, Soc Son and Thanh Tri and other centres for orphans. The northern Ninh Binh province has spent VND 100 million from the provincial budget to buy Tet gifts for centres of war invalids and social sponsoring centres and priority policy beneficiaries. The northern province of Thai Nguyen has organised delegations to pay visits and presented Tet gifts to those who have rendered good services to the revolution and Thai Nguyen¹s war invalids who are now being taken care of at the centres for war invalids in Ninh Binh, Ha Nam and Bac Ninh provinces. The southern province of Binh Dinh has reserved VND 886 million to provide to poor families and priority policy beneficiaries. Ho Chi Minh City¹s Charity Fund has spent VND 100 million to buy Tet gifts to 1,000 poor families in the city¹s suburban districts. The fund has also provided VND 65 million to social centres and VND 50 million to organise a New Year¹s Eve for street children. Two hundred Agent Orange victims have also been helped with VND 50 million to prepare for Tet. The central province of Quang Tri¹s Committee for Protection and Care of Children has presented VND 338 million worth of scholarships and new clothes for 3,061 children in difficulties, especially those in the remote areas. Quang Ngai central province has spent VND 3.3 billion from the provincial budget to buy Tet gifts for priority policy beneficiaries and armed forces. Vinh Long southern province¹s Committee for Protection and Care of Children, in co-ordination with the provincial Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Fund for Children, has bought clothes and sweets worth VND 50 million for 700 children in special difficulties. Thai director presented medal for agriculture cause The general director of the Pokphand company of CP Group from Thailand was presented 'For the Cause of Vietnam's Agriculture and Rural Development' Medal on January 11 in Hanoi. Since 1992, Mr Pokphand, together with his company, has invested in livestock and poultry breeding with advanced industrial methods, thus, bringing high economic efficiency to Vietnam. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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