VNA Hung Kings¹ anniversary marked An incense offering ceremony in memory of Hung Kings has recently been held in Nghia Linh mountain, Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province. People across the country and overseas Vietnamese flocked to the ceremony. The People¹s Committee chairman of Lam Thao district, Dao Thanh Long, delivered a speech, highlighting achievements recorded by the local people over the past years. Chairman Long also reiterated the Uncle Ho¹s words, "The Hung Kings contributed to constructing the country, so that we all must defend the country." Also at the ceremony, people of Phu Tho province promised to better preserve and restore the historical site of the Hung Temple. **** Ho Chi Minh CD-ROM disc completed A CD-ROM disc containing all works of late President Ho Chi Minh has just completed. The disc, with a capacity of 517 MB, contains the whole 8,034 pages of Ho Chi Minh's complete works including 12 volumes published by the National Political Publishing House in 1998. The disc also includes 29 minutes of video, 220 minutes of sound and 750 documentary photos. All are carefully selected in a bid to make clearer the various and creative revolutionary life of President Ho Chi Minh. The disc is closed by four minutes of film taped image and a speech delivered by General Secretary Le Kha Phieu at the 110th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh on May 18, 2000. Disc holders can read the whole 8,034 pages of Ho Chi Minh complete works on the computer with an automatic page turning system of three minutes for each page. The main content of the disc is reserved for looking up and searching under subjects. There are 28 subjects in the disc. Each subject is divided into smaller items. Each subject introduces comprehensively and systematically an issue of Ho Chi Minh Thought. The disc is to welcome the upcoming Ninth Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. **** Vietnamese leaders receive Russian ambassador Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu and State President Tran Duc Luong received Russian Ambassador Victor Ivanov on April 2. The diplomat was making farewell visits before ending his term in Vietnam. In praising his work, the General Secretary said this year's visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin had marked a new step in the development of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia. He also lauded efforts by Russia to strengthen the traditional and multi-sided cooperation between the two countries. Russian Ambassador V Ivanov expressed his sincere thanks to the Vietnamese Party, government and people for having created favourable conditions for his tenure in Vietnam. He expressed joy at the fine development of the traditional friendship and co-operation between his country and Vietnam. (VNA) **** Deputy PM wishes more software co-operation with India Vietnam and India should further their mutual help and co-operation in software, particularly in personnel training and the marketing of software products, says Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem. Mr Khiem told visiting Microsoft India President Rajiv Nair in Hanoi on April 2 that his arrival was of great significance to Vietnam's plans for matching advanced software industry countries. The Microsoft India president's experience in information-technology co-operation with Vietnam would contribute to it industrialisation and modernisation, the Deputy Prime Minister said. The Microsoft India president, who is also senior advisor on Microsoft Asia strategy and a permanent member of the Indian Software and Microsoft Service Association, said that Vietnam should enforce the Software Protection Law, build infrastructure and pursue policies that encourage information-technology programmers so that it can export more software by 2005. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Laos boost exchange visits * A delegation from Vietnam's National Administration Institute led by its Deputy Director, Professor Dinh Van Mau, made a working visit to Laos between March 25-31. The delegation exchanged views about professional issues with senior officials of Laos's National Politics and Administration Institute. They visited a number of localities and the School of Politics in Champassak province. They were received by Politburo member and Chairman of the Propaganda and Training Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee Osakan Thammatheva. * Hanoi's Confederation of Labour officials visited Vientiane, capital of Laos, from March 25-31. The trade unionists held working sessions with their colleagues in Vientiane, toured some enterprises and localities and discussed how to further strengthen the friendship between the two capital cities and their trade union organisations. They were received by Vientiane Mayor Bunhuong Duongphachan. (VNA) **** EU helps Vietnam with economic integration A European Union-Vietnam Government multi-trade assistance policy (MUTRAP) project was officially launched at its office, No 1, Vong Duc Street, Hanoi. The common-initiative project is to support and strengthen Vietnam's shift to a market-oriented socialist economy and help Vietnam integrate with regional and international commerce. It will focus on raising Vietnamese officials' capacity and knowledge of multi-trade issues; provide expertise such as technical consultancy for planning policy; and organise investment, farm-produce, industry, services and information systems seminars and research. Vietnam's Deputy Trade Minister and President of the project executive board Luong Van Tu and Ambassador and EU head delegate in Vietnam Frederic Baron attended the opening ceremony. (VNA) **** Report: Vietnam's economy sustainable Vietnam has obtained sustainable economic achievements, according to a report on the socio-economic situation of Asia and the Pacific in 2001 of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) released on April 3. Vietnam is the only country in south-east Asia that has seen deflation with the consumer price index (CPI) dropped 1.5% as a result of the sharp decrease of the rice price. However, the CPI in 2001 is estimated to rise due to the higher price of oil and bigger budget deficit over 2000. As viewed by the ESCAP, to achieve greater economic development, Vietnam should restructure its economy by increasing spending on education and information technology to diversify the economyand develop the financial sector. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
