VNA Dien Bien Phu victory marked Lai Chau province held a grand meeting to mark 47th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954-May 7, 2001) in Dien Bien Phu town on May 6. Mr Nguyen Thanh Tung, secretary of Dien Bien Phu town�s Party Committee, highlighted the historic significance of Dien Bien Phu victory and great contributions of people of all nationalities in Lai Chau in the battle. After 47 years of liberation, Dien Bien valley has seen rapid developments, becoming one of the economically strong regions of Lai Chau province. Dien Bien Phu town, after nine years of establishment, has become a crowded urban area with an annual economic growth rate of 9%: Per capita income US $360 per year. The poverty rate reduced to 5.4% in 2000 from 30% in 1993. Addressing the meeting, Mr Trinh Long Bien, member of the Communist Party Central Committee and secretary of Lai Chau province�s Party Committee laid emphasis on the tradition of Heroic Dien Bien Phu and spoke highly of the achievements recorded by Dien Bien Phu town. He also stressed the education of Dien Bien Phu locality�s young generations. The representatives of Dien Bien Phu veterans expressed their gratitude to the Party and government and determined to make further contributions to build the town into a more prosperous one. Nearly 4,000 army officers and soldiers and people of Dien Bien Phu town, representing 10 districts and a town of the province, along with hundreds of Dien Bien Phu battle veterans attended the meeting. Also present were delegates from Yunnan province of China and Phongsali province of Laos. Many cultural activities were held in Dien Bien Phu town on May 6 to mark the locality�s liberation day. **** President joins youths in 'Environmental' Saturday President Tran Duc Luong speaks at the launching ceremony. President Tran Duc Luong joined young people in a campaign for protection of environment and water resources launched in northern Thai Nguyen province on May 5. The launching of the campaign, called 'Saturdays for Voluntary Protection of Environment and Water Resources,' involved young people from six provinces along the Cau river, namely Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Hai Duong. Mr Luong, who is also Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, called on the young generation to join people of all walks of life to remove pollution threats to the environment, especially in urban areas, industrial zones and increasingly-polluted rural areas. Those threats have become a barrier to national development and made a health hazard to people, especially the young generation, the State leader said. "Rapid, efficient and sustainable development, and economic growth along with progress, social justice and environmental protection are highlighted in the national socio-economic development strategy for the 2001-2010 period as set by the Ninth Party Congress," emphasised the president. He stressed the necessity to help the whole society fully aware that protecting the environment and water resources is a major task, which should not be done in just a day or a campaign but should be promoted into part of the cultural life of every citizen, especially the young. "Every commune, every street, every office, every factory and every family should emulate each other and pledge to build up a green, clean and beautiful environment," Mr Luong urged. Efforts should be made to "harmonise socio-economic development with environmental protection towards a sustainable development orientation so as to ensure an environment of high-quality air, soil, water and beauty-spots and other natural factors of national standards for all as the tasks set for the 2001-2005 period by the ninth Party Congress," the president said in conclusion. President Luong then joined representatives from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) Central Committee, relevant ministries and agencies and HCMCYU members in a ceremony to kick off a plan to plant trees in northern Thai Nguyen province. The president also met workers at Nam Son rubbish treatment complex in Hanoi's Soc Son district. The president spoke highly of workers' efforts to protect the environment. He asked relevant ministries, local agencies and rubbish managers and workers to cooperate closely to effectively implement a project to build a rubbish treatment complex in Nam Son, thus contributing to keeping the environment clean. (VNA) **** Pakistani chief executive ends visit Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf visits the Museum of Ethnology and the Temple of Literature. Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf concluded a three-day official friendship visit to Vietnam on May 5. The visit was made at the invitation of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. While in Vietnam, General. Musharraf paid a courtesy visit to President Tran Duc Luong, held talks with PM Khai, paid floral tributes to President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum and visited the late President's residence and office in Hanoi. Also in Hanoi, the Pakistani leader laid a wreath at the Monument to Fallen Soldiers, called at the Temple of Literature, the Museum of Ethnology and the Daewoo Hanel Electronics Company in the Sai Dong Industrial Zone. He met with local and international journalists. During the talks, both sides informed each other of their respective countries' political and economic situation and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding. The two countries' leaders noted with pleasure that the bilateral relations have gained new steps of development, particularly in economics and trade, over recent years. They also agreed to set up a joint committee for bilateral co-operation that will meet every two years in order to further promote their bilateral co-operation in each period of time and to better exploit the two countries' potentials. Also on this occasion, Prime Minister Khai and General Musharraf witnessed the signing of a bilateral trade agreement. They affirmed their belief that the agreement would serve as legal basis for further accelerating both countries' trade activities. Chief Executive General Musharraf expressed his thanks to Prime Minister Khai and other Vietnamese leaders and the Vietnamese people as a whole for their warm welcome to the Pakistani delegation. General Musharraf invited President Tran Duc Luong and Prime Minister Khai to visit Pakistan. The invitations were accepted with pleasure and the visits will be arranged through diplomatic channel. (VNA) **** Vice president presents orders and medals to Overseas Vietnamese in France Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh, now on an official visit to France, presented anti-US Resistance for National Salvation Order and Medal, first and second class, to 21 Vietnamese nationals in France at a ceremony held in Paris on May 5. Vice President Binh said the Vietnamese State awarded the noble Order and Medal on the Overseas Vietnamese in France to recognise their valuable contributions to Vietnam's struggle for national independence and construction. She praised contributions of the Association of Vietnamese Nationals in France to Vietnam's struggles, its efforts to encourage the Overseas Vietnamese to support and take part in national construction. She said she believed that the Overseas Vietnamese would continue to develop the traditional solidarity and patriotism to strengthen the Vietnamese community in France and contribute to Vietnam's industrialisation and modernisation. Mr Lam Ba Chau, on behalf of the decorated people, expressed thanks to the Vietnamese State for the noble decoration and pledged to encourage young Vietnamese nationals in France to make more contribution to Vietnam's national construction. (VNA) **** 4,000 visit exhibition on Party, Uncle Ho More than 4,000 people have visited the exhibition, 'The Communist Party of Vietnam - President Ho Chi Minh in the Heart of the Vietnamese People and the International Friends'. The exhibition was held at the Exhibition Centre of Vietnam's Culture and Art in Hanoi, from April 25 to May 2. Over 30 people expressed their deep impression in the visitors' book after visiting the exhibition. They also expressed their pride in the Party and confidence in the Party's renovation line of the Party and also their hope to make more contributions to the revolution. For those unable to attend, Vietnam's Revolutionary Museum in co-ordination with Voice of Vietnam, broadcast an aural version of the show. **** National holidays marked abroad The Vietnamese Embassy and other representative offices in the United States held a meeting on May 5 to celebrate the success of the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and other national festivals: south Vietnam�s liberation day and national reunification, April 30; International Labour Day, May 1; the historic Dien Bien Phu victory, May 7; and 111th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh. Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Le Bang pointed out the success of the Party Congress and the significance of the great festivals. He emphasised the main contents of the Party Congress�s documents which affirm that Vietnam will continue the socialist path and the renovation process, speed up industrialisation and modernisation along with a consistent foreign policy comprising of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multi-lateralisation. Prensa Latina: workers named their farm Cu Chi, after the famous heroic site in Vietnam�s resistance war against the US, on the occasion of the 26th Liberation Day of Southern Vietnam, April 30. A celebration was held in Havana on May 5 to name the farm, where Prensa Latina workers do extra farming work to improve their living standards in the midst of Cuba�s difficult economic situation. Addressing the crowd, Prensa Latina President Margollez Villanueva and Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Thai Van Lung affirmed their determination to enhance the fraternal solidarity between the two nations. The get-together was also attended by representatives from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Other Peoples, the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association, and Prensa Latina workers. **** Japanese MPs seek boost in relations with Vietnam Deputy PM Nguyen Manh Cam (right) receives member of the Japanese Parliament Tadahiro Matsushita. Member of the Japanese Parliament Tadahiro Matsushita said on May 5 that his parliamentarian delegation was in Vietnam to boost co-operation between Japan and Vietnam. Mr Tadahiro Matsushita and the Japanese parliamentarian delegation met with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam as part of the delegation's working visit to Vietnam. At the meeting, Mr Cam highly valued Japanese development assistance to Vietnam. He said Japanese-funded major development projects in poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, healthcare, information technology and human resource development have all met Vietnam's major objectivities. Those projects have brought about good results and considerably contributed to Vietnam's development, Mr Cam stressed. Part of the Japanese MPs' visit this time was to inspect the progress of Japanese-funded development projects. Both host and guest expressed satisfaction at the fine development of the relationship between the two countries in recent years. Mr Tadahiro Matsushita took this occasion to congratulate the successful Ninth Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Congress "has worked out new policies for the development cause in Vietnam" which, Mr Tadahiro Matsushita said, he would like to study thoroughly. (VNA) **** Buddha's 2,545th birthday celebrated Buddha's 2,545th birthday was celebrated in Ba Da Pagoda in Hanoi on May 6 (the 14th day of the fourth lunar month). Most Venerable Thich Tam Tinh, chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), and Buddhist dignitaries and followers attended the celebration. Also present were President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front's Hanoi branch Pham Loi and representatives from the municipal authorities. Most Venerable Thich Thanh Chinh, vice chairman of the Executive Council of the Hanoi Buddhist Sangha, read the VBS chairman's message, calling on Buddhist monks, nuns and believers in and outside the country to practise Buddha's teachings, thus contributing to national development. Hanoi's Buddhist followers reviewed the historical significance of Buddha's birthday. The 2,545th birthday of Buddha was scheduled to be marked at 524 pagodas in the city on the 14th and 15th day of the fourth lunar year (May 6 and 7). (VNA) _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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