Deputy PM wants friendship activities with China boosted Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam wants the exchange of experience and co-operation between the Vietnamese and Chinese friendship associations furthered. The deputy prime minister was speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) led by its Deputy Chairman Su Kuang in Hanoi yesterday. He said that he hoped the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and CPAFFC would co-operate closely to strengthen and expand relationships with other countries for peace, friendship, co-operation and progress in the world. He said that he highly valued the role and efficiency of friendship organisations, because, together with the two countries' Parties and States, they had contributed to promoting mutual understanding, solidarity, friendship and co-operation between the Vietnamese and Chinese people. CPAFFC Deputy Chairman Su Kuang said that his Vietnam visit was aimed at boosting co-operation between the two friendship associations and sharing experience in friendship activities with the VUFO and the Vietnam-China Friendship Association. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vietnamese ambassador meets Chinese soldiers' families Vietnam's Ambassador to China, Bui Hong Phuc, and Military Attache, Colonel Pham Trong Minh, have met with the representatives of Chinese families of fallen combatants and soldiers who made great contributions to Vietnam's resistance of the US aggressors. The meeting, in Beijing on January 11, was made for the Lunar New Year. Ambassador Phuc thanked the Party, State and people of China for their precious help in the struggle of the Vietnamese people for national liberation and national construction. He also thanked Chinese families whose members gave their lives and strength for Vietnam's victory. He said that he wished to see the traditional friendship and co-operation between the two countries further developed. Chinese Defence Ministry officials and the family representatives expressed their gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their deep concern, which, they described as a vivid manifestation of the close friendship between the two nations. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vietnam helps Laos build television centre Building of a television broadcasting centre started in Vientiane, Laos on January 12. The centre is part of a joint Vietnam Television (VTV) and Lao Information and Culture Ministry co-operation agreement signed between the two countries last year. Construction of the centre will cost an estimated VND 23.4 billion (US $1.6 million) invested by the VTV. The centre, expected to be working by May, will be used to telecast programmes within a 100-km radius around Vientiane by Lao National Television's channel 9 and VTV's channel 2. At the ground-breaking ceremony, VTV General Director Ho Anh Dung and Lao's Information and Culture Minister Sileua Bounkham emphasised that the centre was not only a facility for telecasting by the two countries, but was also a symbol of their friendship and comprehensive co-operation. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spanish PM postpones his visit The Foreign Ministry issued a communique yesterday that Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has postponed his Vietnam visit planned on January 15 and 16 because of his father's death on the morning of January 12. Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has sent a massage of condolences to his Spanish counterpart. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Czech government grants scholarships The Czech government has decided to grant seven scholarships to Vietnamese students in the 2000-2001 school year. This is part of a programme on exchange of students between the two countries, contributing to promoting the Vietnam-Czech relationship. Under the programme, more than 2,500 Vietnamese students have studied in Czech universities. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Efforts to bring Tet to everyone Localities nationwide have been providing assistance for those in need to enjoy the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. The Hanoi People's Committee has presented Tet gifts each worth VND 150,000 to Heroic Mothers; VND 120,000 Tet gifts have been presented to Armed Forces Heroes, Labour Heroes, martyrs' families, revolutionary veterans. The city has also presented Tet gifts to those who rendered good services to the revolution, war invalids, wounded soldiers and retired State employees. The city has paid visits and presented Tet gifts worth VND 45.6 million to 25 war invalids' businesses and 18 social centres and 48 people who have made contributions to the revolution and are now in difficulties. Districts of the city have presented Tet gifts and financial assistance to the disabled people, orphans, poor households, thus to ensure that Tet arrives for every family. The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang has presented 8,100 Tet gifts to Heroic Mothers, Labour Heroes, families of martyrs and war invalids and priority policy beneficiaries. The province has also sent VND 1 million to each of the four centres for war invalids in the provinces of Phu Tho, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh and Ninh Binh where Tuyen Quang's war invalids are being taken care of. The northern province of Hai Duong has spent VND 3.2 billion from the provincial budget as Tet gifts for priority policy beneficiaries and poor families. Binh Duong southern province has organised delegations to pay Tet visits and gifts to families of martyrs and war invalids and those who rendered good service to the revolution. The province has also presented 1,000 Tet gifts each worth VND 100,000 to poor people in the province. More than 1,600 houses of gratitude were built in 2000 in Long An southern province with total costs up to billions of dong. Many families of martyrs, war invalids can now enjoy the Lunar New Year in their new houses. The authority of the central province of Khanh Hoa have instructed its branches to transport Tet goods to the local people in remote mountainous areas, the people and soldiers in Spratly archipelago and areas which were hard hit by floods. Ninh Thuan central province has made preparations for Tet for its people since early January, especially those who are priority policy beneficiaries, ethnic minority people and flood victims. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
