VNA PM Phan Van Khai (right) and his Thai counterpart Thaksin Shinawatra. Vietnam's Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his Thai counterpart, Thaksin Shinawatra, expressed satisfaction at the fine development of Vietnam-Thailand relations regarding all bilateral, regional and global scopes while they held talks in Hanoi on April 25. The Prime Ministers noted with pleasure that many problems which had long existed in the two countries' ties were basically solved in the spirit of friendship and co-operation. The two leaders discussed measures to help the Vietnam-Thailand relations to continuously develop, including the deployment of a programme to commemorate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries (August 6) and promotion of their bilateral co-operation in investment, trade, tourism and other sectors. They also informed each other of their respective countries' situation and discussed concrete measures to broaden and strengthen bilateral co-operation as well as co-operation in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and other regional and international forums. The two said they believed the current Vietnam visit by PM Thaksin Shinawatra would lift the Vietnam-Thailand friendship and multifaceted co-operation to a new height, thus meeting the two peoples' aspiration as well as for peace, stability, co-operation and prosperous development in south-east Asia and the world. PM Phan Van Khai welcomed PM Thaksin's Vietnam visit, the first since he took office, which took place immediately after the conclusion of the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. PM Khai believed that under the guidance of the present government headed by PM Thaksin, the Thai people would record more important achievements in national construction for their prosperous and happy lives. The Thai leader highly spoke of Vietnam's policy of renewal as well as its foreign policy of openness and active regional and global integrations, and praised the great achievements Vietnam has made during the 15 years of renovation. He also appreciated Vietnam's important contributions to strengthening peace, stability, co-operation and developement in south-east Asia and said Vietnam's recent economic achievements were of important significance to its development in the 21st century. * Vietnam's Prime Minister Phan Van Khai held a state banquet at the Government's Guest House in Hanoi this evening in honour of the visiting Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. (VNA) **** Thai PM praises Vietnam's role Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told reporters that he had chosen Vietnam to be destination of his first foreign trips after he took office because he appreciated Vietnam's role in its capacity as President of the ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Meeting with the media circle in Hanoi on April 25, Mr Thaksin said the Thai government wished to further promote its ties of multi-faceted co-operation with Vietnam bilaterally and also within the ASEAN framework. He also stressed the need to increase Vietnam-Thailand bilateral co-operation in economy, investment and trade, especially in agriculture and farm produce exports for the benefit of both countries. The visiting Prime Minister also expressed satisfaction at the result of his visit and said both sides had just discussed measures to further their bilateral co-operation in all areas. (VNA) **** German Lower House delegation on visit A six-member delegation of Committee on Development Co-operation of the Bundestag, the German Lower House, headed by its Director Adelheid Troescher, is on a working visit to Vietnam from April 24. The delegation will make assessment of the sustainable management of natural resources in Vietnam and get first hand information of Germany-funded projects in Vietnam. The German delegation had an working session with a delegation of the National Assembly of Vietnam, headed by Do Van Tai, Director of the NA Committee for External Relations on April 25. The two sides reviewed steps of development of relations between the two parliaments and agreed to further boost friendship, bilateral co-operation, and exchanges of experiences in many fields. The delegation was received by NA Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Yeu the same day. Mr Yeu praised German's assistance to Vietnam and expressed his hope that friendship and co-operation between the two legislative bodies and people would be further strengthened. Earlier, the delegation had working sessions with officials of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Health, and the National AIDS Committee and the Committee on Drugs and Social Evils Control. * Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam received the visiting delegation of the German Lower House's Committee on Development Co-operation, headed by its Director Ms Adilheid Troescher, in Hanoi on April 25. (VNA) **** Vietnam hopes for better ties with Japan Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh on April 25, says that she believes the Vietnam-Japan friendship and co-operation will be further developed with a new government in Japan. "Vietnam congratulates Koizumi Junichiro on his election as President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who will become Japan's Prime Minister, and believes that with a new government, the Vietnam-Japan friendly and co-operative relations will be further developed in the long-term interests of the two peoples as well as for peace, stability, co-operation and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large," Mr Thanh says. The spokeswoman was responding to Hanoi-based AFP correspondent's question concerning Koizumi Junichiro's election as the LDP's President. As for Vietnam's reaction to the US sales of weapons to Taiwan, the spokeswoman reiterates Vietnam's position on the Taiwan issue that Vietnam recognises the government of the People's Republic of China as a sole and legitimate government that represents the whole of China. "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China," Phan Thuy Thanh stressed. She also calls for concerned parties to take practical actions to contribute to promoting the trend of peace, co-operation and development and avoiding any moves detrimental to peace and stability in the region. (VNA) **** Science, technology a priority: minister The government of Vietnam has always identified scientific and technological development in parallel with education and training as a national top priority policy and a driving force for the country's development", said Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Chu Tuan Nha. He also highly praised technology co-operation within the framework of APEC at the 20th APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG) Meeting opened in Hanoi on April 25. He told the meeting that, in the first decades of the 21st century, Vietnam will closely combine the contents of research and development in three areas of social sciences and humanities, natural sciences, and science and technology to better serve its national socio-economic development. The country will concentrate efforts on compiling legal documents, concretising provisions in the Law on Science and Technology. It will also attend to establishing a market for technological advances and reforming the management mechanism to encourage the development and application of scientific and technological advances to production, business, management and service activities. Mr Nha added that State budget allocations to science and technology will be increased while efforts will be made to renovate the system of scientific and technological research. In addition, Vietnam advocates enhancing international co-operation in the domain of science and technology. The Lead Shepherd of APEC ISTWG Jeanne Inch presented a number of important issues, particularly working programmes in the years to come, for discussion. APEC Secretariat is scheduled to inform the participants of the recent situation of APEC and issues relating to science and technology operations. The five-day meeting will discuss and evaluate the outcome of scientific and technological projects carried out by APEC members over the past six months and make decisions on projects to be carried out in the future. Plenary sessions will be held on April 25 and 26 to define 2-3 major themes for the Osaka Action Agenda, Part II, in the next five years, focusing on the joint activity/dialogues, study of policies on science, industry, technology and protection of intellectual property rights. Reports at the plenary sessions will deal with the outcome of a preparatory meeting on boosting co-operation in technology and development, transferring the results of scientific research for sustainable development in APEC, creating favourable conditions for basic studies, increasing co-operative ties between enterprises, research institutes and governments as well as strengthening the private sector's capacity of scientific and technological research. The April 25 and 26 meeting will also pass a plan of action for 2001, hear reports on gender issues and science-technology, new infectious diseases, cleaner production, advanced technology for sustainable agricultural development, project management tools, list of priority APEC-funded projects, and appoint representatives to the APEC food system. The meeting was attended by about 120 international guests who are department officials and scientists from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum, and representatives of the APEC Secretariat and regional organisations. Earlier on April 23 and 24, Hanoi hosted preparatory meetings covering the above-said issues. A symposium on technological warning and hi-tech agriculture will be also organised on this occasion. Through activities by the APEC industrial science and technology working group, Vietnam will select and apply new scientific and technological models of advanced countries, take part in APEC projects and sum up the Working Group's opinions to effectively devise its own projects. Vietnam has made a list of projects to be submitted to the ISTWG meeting for approval. APEC is conducting 60 projects, mostly concerning Vietnam's issues. In 2001, the Working Group manages more than 20 projects on training/skills development. Vietnam has joined in 10 projects. (VNA) **** Nhan Dan Online reaches record number of hits The number of people accessing Nhan Dan Online increased during the Ninth National Party Congress from 160,000 people per day (the average number of last month) to 240,000, according to the statistics of the Vietnam Data Communication Company. The number of people accessing to Nhan Dan Online on April 23 was highest so far with more than 298,000 people and on April 24, over 272,000 people. The number of people getting access to Nhan Dan English language Internet edition reached a record on April 24 with nearly 50,000 people. Many readers sent letters to the newspaper, expressing their deep concern to the Ninth National Party Congress as well as their happiness at the success of the congress. One reader who is living in a foreign country wrote "the National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam attracted much attention of the people nationwide, Overseas Vietnamese and also people in the world." **** Most Venerable Kim Cuong Tu passes away Most Venerable Kim Cuong Tu, member of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha Council and permanent Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Executive Council, passed away in Hanoi on April 23, 2001 at the age of 88 after long and serious illness. A memorial service for the Most Venerable will be held at the headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha Central Committee in Hanoi's Quan Su Pagoda from 8am of April 27, 2001. His funeral will be held at 8am the following day. He will be buried at Tran Quoc pagoda on the same day. The Most Venerable was deputy to the National Assembly at its eighth, ninth and tenth legislatures, member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, VFF, Central Committee, Director of the Vietnam Buddhism Study sub-Institute in Hanoi and Director of the Vietnam Buddhism Institute in Hanoi. Kim Cuong Tu was former member of the Hanoi People's Council, former Deputy President of the Hanoi VFF Chapter and former member of the Haiphong VFF Chapter. He also served as permanent deputy head of the Executive Board of the municipal Buddhist Shangha Association in Hanoi and head of Hanoi's Tran Quoc Pagoda. During his 60-year religious life and in any given positions, Most Venerable Kim Cuong Tu always made worthy contributions to national construction in conformity with the Vietnam Buddhism's tradition. In recognition of his great contributions to the religious philosophy of the socialist nation, the great Most Venerable has been awarded an anti-US Order, first class, by the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a medal for the cause of great national unity by the VFF and a number of certificates of merits. (VNA) _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
