VNA Pakistani leader arrives for official visit Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf arrived in Hanoi on May 3, beginning a three-day official friendship visit to Vietnam. The Pakistani leader and his wife and entourage were welcomed at a grand ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in the presence of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his wife and other senior government officials. The military band struck up the national anthems of the two countries. General Musharraf and PM Phan Van Khai reviewed the guard of honour of the Vietnam People's Army. Speaking at a reception, PM Khai welcomed the Vietnam visit by General Musharraf, his wife and entourage, which, he said, would contribute to developing the relations between the two countries, especially in the economic area. The visiting Pakistani leader thanked PM Khai and the Vietnamese government for the hospitality given to him and his entourage. He said that he himself and the Pakistani people have always admired the Vietnamese people's brave struggle against colonialist and imperialist aggression as well as their achievements in economic reform. (VNA) **** Mr Phan Van Khai and Mr Pervez Musharraf hold talks Prime Minister Phan Van Khai held talks with Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf shortly after his arrival here on May 3, for a three-day official visit to Vietnam. PM Phan Van Khai welcomed this first visit to Vietnam by General Musharraf and his entourage and said he believed the visit would be an important landmark in the Vietnam-Pakistan co-operative relations. He also expressed pleasure at the achievements the Pakistani people have made over the past half-decade, especially in reform. General Musharraf spoke highly of the Vietnamese people's great achievements in their renewal process as well as in the implementation of Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, openness, diversification, multilateralisation and international and regional integration. He also appreciated Vietnam's active role in ASEAN as well as its efforts to promote co-operation between ASEAN and SAARC. During the talks, both sides informed each other of their respective countries' socio-economic situation as well as each country's major orientations and policies for 2001 and the following years. The two leaders noted with pleasure that the bilateral relations have gained new steps of development in many areas, particularly in trade, in recent years. However, they said the two countries have a great potential for closer co-operation and agreed to set up a joint committee for bilateral co-operation that will meet every two years in order to further accelerate their bilateral co-operation. They also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern. Also present at the talks were, on the Pakistani side, Prof. Dr Atta Ur Rehman, Minister of Science-Technology; Tariq Ikram, Secretary of State for Trade; Inam Ul Haque, Foreign Ministry Secretary, and other senior officials. The Vietnamese side included Cabinet Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Doan Manh Giao; Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Le Huy Ngo; Science, Technology and Environment Minister Chu Tuan Nha; Deputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung; and Deputy Trade Minister Mai Van Dau. In the evening, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai held a banquet in honour of General Musharraf and his wife and his entourage. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Pakistan sign trade agreement Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and the visiting Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf yesterday witnessed a bilateral trade agreement that was signed in Hanoi. The signatories were Deputy Minister of Trade Mai Van Dau and Pakistani State Minister of the Trade Ministry Tariq Ikram. The Pakistani chief executive is on a three-day official friendship visit to Hanoi at the invitation of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. **** Vice President presented with Cuba's Order Vice State President Nguyen Thi Binh was presented with the Carlos Manuel De Cespedes Order, the high distinction of the Cuban State, in a ceremony in Havana on May 2. Jose Ramon Balaguer, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee (CPC CC) and Director of the CPC CC Commission for External Relations, praised her contributions to promoting solidarity and friendship between the Vietnamese and Cuban people at the presentation ceremony. Vice President Binh said that the Order named after the Cuban Father was for the Vietnamese people, affirming solidarity of the Cuban Party, State and people with Vietnam's revolutionary cause. She promised to do her utmost to constantly consolidate and promote solidarity, friendship and co-operation between Vietnam and Cuba. Earlier, Mr Balaguer welcomed Vice President Binh at the Cuban Communist Party's headquarters. The same day, Vice President Binh received Vilma Espin, CPC CC member and President of the Cuban Women's Federation; and Sergio Corrieri, CPC CC member and President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Other Peoples, ICAP. Mme Binh also called at the Institute of Bio-Technology in Havana. (VNA) **** PM praises efforts in the fight against drugs Prime Minister Phan Van Khai praised the results recorded in the fight against drugs in the past three years and urged for stronger efforts in the 2001-2005 period for national development. The prime minister was speaking at a national conference to review the national programme on drug control in the 1998-2000 period and deploy the 2001-2005 programme. Addressing the conference, Le Minh Huong, Minister of Public Security and deputy chairman of the National Committee for Drug, AIDS and Prostitution Control said that Vietnam now has over 100,000 people reportedly addicted to drugs. Each year, they spend some VND 2,000 billion on drugs. Of the reported 28,000 HIV/AIDS carriers nationwide, 70% got the virus and disease via intraveneous drug use. Related ministries and sectors, as well as local People's Committees have stepped up their role in the fight and expanded their network to more localities. The Ministry of Public Security, in co-ordination with border guard forces, the General Department of Customs has so far investigated 30,366 drug cases, confiscated 163.69 kilograms of heroin, nearly two tonnes of opium and three tonnes of marijuana. As many as 145 big drug trafficking rings operating through border gates and islands have been discovered. As of early this year, the number of reported drug users was reduced by 4% as compared to that of last year. Over the past three years, rehabilitation centres throughout the country have helped nearly 77,000 addicts rehabilitate, a 64% increase over the 1995-1997 period. Opium poppy plants have been almost wiped out. The United Nations and many foreign governments have recognised Vietnam's success in the fight against drugs. The two-day conference which ends today will map out a plan of action for the 2001-2005 period. **** Iraqi Vice President attaches importance of boosting relations with Vietnam Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan has reaffirmed the special close ties between the Iraqi and Vietnamese peoples and spoke of the need to boost these relations. Taha Yassin Ramadan said so on April 30 while receiving a delegation of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), which visited Iraq from April 26-May 1 at the invitation of the Iraqi General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU). The Vietnamese delegation headed by Hoang Van Yen, member of VGCL Presidium, held talks with GFTU officials and participated in the celebrations of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's birthday and May Day. (VNA) **** World Asthma Day marked The Health Ministry and Bach Mai Hospital organised a meeting in Hanoi on May 3 in response to the World Asthma Day (May 3). Addressing the meeting, the first of its kind in Vietnam, Deputy Health Minister Le Ngoc Trong said that Vietnam will strengthen community-based health education on asthma prevention and control, boost personnel training and raise in-depth knowledge on asthma for medical workers to grass roots' levels. The country plans to further invest in researching the disease to help the State build up policy relating to asthma prevention and control. The country's bronchial asthma rate among under-15 children has risen to 11.6%, three times more than the 1985 figure. Vietnamese asthma rates is estimated at 7.41% of the population. The participants also heard a report on main achievements in curing bronchial asthma, surveys on the disease in several schools in Hanoi, and initial results in treatment methods. (VNA) **** Vietnam denounces US Religious Commission's intervention: spokeswoman Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh on May 3, described the recommendations made by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom to the US government as a rude intervention in another country's internal affairs, which is contrary to the United Nations Charter and totally unacceptable. The spokeswoman made the remark while responding to a Hanoi-based Reuters correspondent's question about the Commission's recommendations to the US government, asking the latter to re-consider its policy towards Vietnam for religious reasons. She said; "The Vietnamese government knows what to do to ensure and help meet its people's need for religious practices and beliefs. "The so-called US Commission on International Religious Freedom is doing a useless job with its recommendations which, we think, not only the Vietnamese government but also other governments, including the US government, will reject as inconsonant." Ms Thanh said "The Vietnam-US Trade Agreement (BTA) is the outcome of efforts made by both sides to meet the two countries' interests. The BTA could not and should not be affected by any moves of those who are deliberately sabotaging the Vietnam-US ties. We think that the US government shares this view with us." As for Vietnam's viewpoint on South Korean public opinions' demand for an investigation into South Korean soldiers' killings of Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam war, Ms Thanh said: "We think that the most practical way to get rid of a haunted memory of the past is that those countries which were Vietnam's erstwhile foes should do practical deeds to help settle any war consequences in Vietnam, especially through their effective co-operation with Vietnam." With regard to former US Senator Bob Kerry's admission of the killing of Vietnamese civilians in a raid on the hamlet of Thanh Phong in Ben Tre province during the Vietnam war, she said: "We think that the best way for Mr Kerry and other Americans who participated in the war in Vietnam to have peace of mind is to take concrete and practical actions to contribute to healing the wounds of the war in Vietnam." The spokeswoman also said the US should fulfil its spiritual and moral responsibility by making active contributions to the settling of any war consequences lingering Vietnam. "With its humanitarian tradition, in its relations with the US as well as other countries which were once its foes, Vietnam advocates continuing co-operation, promoting mutual understanding and a strengthening of the Vietnam-US ties. This also aims to settle the aftermath left over from the past." Asked about Vietnam's reaction to US President G. Bush's decision to deploy the national missile defence (NMD) system, she said: "Having fought against aggressive wars and suffered great losses caused by such wars, the Vietnamese people fully share the aspiration of the regional and world peoples for peace, stability and development." She also reaffirmed Vietnam's support for all efforts to achieve all-round and complete disarmament, above all the nuclear disarmament. "Any move to accelerate the arms race, threaten peace, security and stability in the world is running counter to the world people's desire for peace, stability, co-operation and development," the spokeswoman stressed. (VNA) **** Whirlwind damages commune in Yen Bai A whirlwind hit Mai Son commune, Yen Bai northern mountainous province on May 1, causing heavy damage to housing, property and local agriculture. Sixteen houses were completely destroyed while 30 others were severely damaged. The total losses were put at hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
