VNA Activities to mark Uncle Ho�s birthday launched Activities to mark the 111th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh�s birthday and welcome the success of the Ninth Party Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam were launched in Hanoi on May 4. This was at a ceremony held by the Central Committee Communist Youth Union, in co-ordination with Central Party Committee�s Commission for Ideology and Culture, the Culture and Information ministry, the Education and Training ministry and Ho Chi Minh Museum. This is an opportunity for young people to understand more about Ho Chi Minh Thought and the Resolution of the Ninth Party Congress. The activities will last until May 19. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pakistani chief executive's visit to boost co-operative ties: president President Luong welcomed Musharraf's visit which, he said, would contribute to further developing the friendly and co-operative relations between the two countries. At a reception extended to the visiting Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on May 4., the president thanked General Musharraf for his fine sentiments to the Vietnamese country and people and said he believed that the friendship and co-operation, especially economic co-operation, between the two countries would further develop. He held that the Vietnam-Pakistan commercial ties have over recent years not been commensurate with the two countries' potentials. President Luong hoped that the visit would help usher a new prospect for bilateral co-operation in socio-economic and scientific-technological fields for the interest of each people and for peace, stability, co-operation and development in each region. General Musharraf expressed admiration for the heroic Vietnamese country and people in the past struggle for national independence and their achievements in the process of national renewal, construction and defence at present. He said he wished that the friendly and co-operative ties between the two countries would see new steps of development. General Musharraf, his wife and entourage toured Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature), the National Ethnology Museum and the Hanoi Electronics Company, in Hanoi on May 4, the second day of their three-day official visit to Vietnam. During the visit, Pakistani Minister of Science-Technology Professor Doctor Atta Ur Rehman had a working session with Vietnamese Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Chu Tuan Nha. Foreign Ministry Secretary Inam Ul Haque met Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Dinh Bin; Secretary of State for Trade Rariq Ikram with Vietnam's Deputy Trade Minister Mai Van Dau and Deputy Industry Minister Bui Xuan Khu. At these meetings, the two sides exchanged views on how to boost co-operative relations between the two countries. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vietnam has every reason to ask US government to help solve consequences of war: Cuban president Vietnam has every reason to ask the US government to help solve the consequences of the war in the country, said Cuban President Fidel Castro. President Castro expressed his concern about the victims of war in Vietnam, especially the victims of Agent Orange while receiving Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh in Havana, Cuba, on May 3. President Fidel expressed his pleasure with the achievements recorded by the Vietnamese people in national socialist construction and defence. Vice President Binh expressed her admiration for the Cuban people's unshakeable revolutionary spirit and their successes in economic restoration and development. She thanked the Cuban Party, State, government and people for their support to and solidarity with the Vietnamese people in the past national liberation struggle and the present socialist construction. On the same day, the last day of her Cuban visit, Mme Binh visited the Vo Thi Thang primary school in Havana and the Latin American Medical College. Mme Binh left Havana on May 3 for France, concluding a week-long visit to Cuba. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PM wants veteran revolutionaries to join social work PM Phan Van Khai with veteran revolutionaries from Ho Chi Minh City. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai said he hoped that veteran revolutionaries from District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, would take a more active part in social work in their localities, educate children to become good citizens and contribute their experiences to the constructing of an equal country. Speaking with veteran revolutionaries of District 7 in Hanoi on May 4, Prime Minister Khai expressed his happiness to see that veteran revolutionaries, who have devoted their whole life towards national independence and freedom, are enjoying a stable and comfortable life and are given constant care by the local administration. The prime minister also briefed them about the socio-economic situation of the country in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seminar on Karl Marx Thought held Karl Marx. A seminar entitled �Karl Marx Thought on Ownership and Renovation Process in Vietnam� was held on May 4 in Hanoi the Research Institute of Marxist Classics under by the Ho Chi Minh National Political Institute. This was to celebrate the 183rd birthday of Karl Marx. Speeches delivered at the seminar analysed the role and position of ownership in Marx�s doctrine and the Communist Party of Vietnam�s turning of Marxist-Leninist viewpoints on ownership into reality. The Party has laid down policy to develop multi-sectoral economy with different forms of ownership under the socialist-oriented market mechanism. Reviewing the results of 15 years of renovation, at the Ninth National Party Congress in mid-April, the Party affirmed its continuity of multi-sectoral economy. All economic sectors operating in conformity with the law are important componential parts of the socialist-oriented market economy. Professor Nguyen Duc Binh, president of the Central Council of Theory and director of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Institute attended the seminar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Two new decrees made public The State Presidential Office held a press briefing on May 4 to make public two new decrees: Decree on Exploration and Protection of Water Conservancy and Decree on National Archives. The two decrees were approved by the National Assembly�s Standing Committee on April 4. State President Tran Duc Luong on April 15 signed a decision to make public the two decrees. The Decree on Exploration and Protection of Water Conservancy consists of 7 chapters and 39 articles. It aims to strengthen the effectiveness of State management, the responsibility of State agencies; economic, political, social, vocational organisations, people�s armed forces and every individual in the exploration and protection of water conservancy works for production and socio-economic development, contributing to social order and national security. The Decree on National Archives consists of five chapters and 31 articles. It affirms that nation's archives are the country�s heritage which are of special value to national reconstruction and defence. The decree aims to protect and use effectively national document archives, enhancing the responsibility of relevant agencies and organisations and every citizen concerning protection, management and use of national document archives. The two decrees will come into effect from July 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ US loss of seat on UN Human Rights Commission reflects its human rights issues: spokeswoman The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)'s voting the United States off the seat on the UN Human Rights Commission reflected common assessment on the US human rights issues by ECOSOC members, said Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh in Hanoi yesterday May 4. Ms Thanh was responding to Hanoi-based Reuters and DPA correspondents wanting to know Vietnam's reaction to the news that the US had been voted off the United Nation's Human Rights Commission. "We think that the event should make the US think of and re-consider policies relating to human rights issues in the country itself," the spokeswoman added. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 71 units get awards for drug control The National Committee for Drug, AIDS and Prostitution Control has awarded certificates of commendation to 71 units across the country for their achievements recorded in controlling drugs, including Nhan Dan newspaper's Socio-Politics Department. In a conference held in Hanoi on May 4 to review the national programme on drug control in the 1998-2000 period and deploy the 2001-2005 programme, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem asked the people to raise awareness and responsibility in the fight against drugs in a bid to successfully implement the plan of action in the coming period. Deputy Prime Minister Khiem also heard a good example on drug control made by Mr Nguyen, a member of the Veteran Revolutionaries' Association of Thai Nguyen province. Mr Nguyen has succeeded in helping his three sons rehabilitate after two years. Now three of them have become good labourers. Mr Khiem then praised Mr Nguyen and asked Major General Ngo Tai, who told _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
