VNA NA Chairman Nong Duc Manh addresses the opening ceremony. In his opening speech, at the tenth National Assembly which began its ninth session in Hanoi on May 22, National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh said that the month-long session would discuss and pass six draft laws such as the Law on the Amendment and Supplementation to the Land Law; the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting; the Law on Cultural Heritage; the Law on Customs; the Law on Land Traffic; and the Law on Amendment and Supplementation to the Criminal Litigation Code. The session would also discuss the amendment and supplementation to the 1992 Constitution's articles on the organisation of the State apparatus and decide the formation of a committee for revising the Constitution; and discuss the draft Law on Social Insurance and the draft Law on Amendment and Supplementation to the Labour Code. According to Mr Manh, the National Assembly will review a supplementary report on the implementation of socio-economic tasks and the State budget in 2000 as well as the deployment of socio-economic tasks and the State budget for 2001. It will also hear reports from the National Assembly's Standing Committee, the Council for Nationalities, and other committees. National Assembly deputies will hear reports from the directors of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy. The National Assembly will hear a report on the handling of voters' petitions and answers by cabinet ministers during a hearing session in order to decide a number of important issues. Deputy PM Nguyen Tan Dung delivers a report at the session. Also on May 22, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung presented a supplementary report on the implementation of socio-economic tasks and the State budget last year and the deployment of socio-economic tasks and the State budget for 2001. The report said that progress was made in last year's socio-economic development, thus helping to halt the slow-down of economic growth and register a higher growth rate. All major economic targets were fulfilled or surpassed, with better results than those announced at the last National Assembly session. Last year's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was 6.75% instead of 6.7% as reported at the last session and between 5.5-6% as planned, the Deputy PM said. The growth rate recorded in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries was 5.64% instead of 4.9% as announced at the last session and 3.5-4% as planned, while that of industrial production was 15.7% instead of 15.5% as reported at the last session and 10.5-11% as planned. Last year, Vietnam produced 35.7 million tonnes of food (in rice equivalent) as against 33.5-34 million tonnes as planned. The service sector obtained a growth of 6% compared to 5.0-5.5% as planned, while last year's export value rose by 25% instead of 21.3% as announce at the last session and 11-12% as planned. The budget deficit was 4.95%, or 0.05% higher than that announced at the last National Assembly session and 0.05% less than planned. Meanwhile, last year's price index was minus 0.6% instead of 1.0% as reported earlier and 6% as planned. The poverty rate was 10% instead of 11% as announced at the last National Assembly session and 10-11% as planned. About 1.3 million people were provided with jobs and 792,000 others with vocational training last year, the same figures as reported earlier. Birth rate reduction met the target of 0.05% last year, the report says. On socio-economic development in the first four months of this year, the report says that agricultural production continued developing comprehensively. Industrial production value saw an increase of 14.4% over the same period last year while the domestic market remained stable. Total retail sales and services in the past four months rose 7.5% as compared to the corresponding period last year. Export turnover in the reviewed period increased 17.7% or 29.2% of the yearly plan. The foreign-invested sector (excluding oil and gas enterprises) saw an export growth of 10.4%. On foreign investment, the report notes that official development assistance (ODA) through signed agreements reached US $710 million in the January-April period, representing 60% of the same period last year. Of the total sum, US $442 million were disbursed. A total of 112 foreign invested projects worth US $415 million were licensed in the above-mentioned period, or year-on-year increases of 18% and 14%, respectively. Meanwhile, the price index in the first four months of 2001 dropped 0.5% as against December 2000, the report adds. It points out the government's six major goals for 2001: the boosting of production, product consumption, and export; the tapping of internal social resources; the spurring of demand and an increase in investment; the strengthening of the financial-monetary system; the implementation of social policies; and the continuation of political and social security. (VNA) **** PM receives Chinese information industry minister At the reception.Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai received China's Information Industry Minister, Wu Jichuan and his delegation, in Hanoi on May 22. Minister Wu, now on a working visit to Vietnam, informed the Vietnamese leader about achievements of China's information industry in 2000 and 2001, its development plan for 2010, and its foreign investment in the industry. He also spoke about the results of his talks with Vietnamese general director of the General Department of Post and Telecommunications, Mai Liem Truc. He expressed his hope to promote effective co-operation in research, training, and trade. PM Khai, congratulated China for its achievements in posts, telecommunications and information, saying that the country had done well to meet the demands of its rapid socio-economic development. The PM highly valued China's experiences in developing information technology and welcomed Chinese businessmen's involvement in Vietnam's markets. He said he hoped that the Chinese information industry would help Vietnam to train personnel and conduct scientific research so that it may complete an information system that will strengthen the economic and commercial ties between the two countries. (VNA) **** Vietnam, China sign MoU on postal co-operationVietnam and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on post and telecommunications co-operation on May 22. Signatories were Vietnam's General Department of Post and Telecommunications general director, Mai Liem Truc, and China's Information Industry Minister, Wu Jichuan. Under the MoU, Vietnam and China will exchange information and boost co-operation in the management of post and telecommunications markets. The two countries will also co-operate in areas of information technology, telecommunication charges, e-commerce development, frequency control, and across-border frequency co-ordination. In addition to this, the two sides will enhance co-operation in personnel training, boost exchange of visits by telecom experts, and encourage businesses to expand co-operation in tapping markets and providing post and telecommunications services. (VNA) **** Deputy PM welcomes Japanese delegation Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem welcomed a delegation from Takarazuka, Japan, in Hanoi on May 22. The delegation, led by its Mayor Shoji Taiichiro, was accompanied by Teraura Makoto, president of the Takarazuka-Vietnam Friendship Association. Deputy PM Khiem, welcomed the delegation's visit and its gift - a terracotta picture of President Ho on the occasion of the president's 111th birthday. He said he was glad to learn that Mr Takarazuka had established co-operative relations with many localities of Vietnam, including Hanoi, Haiphong city and Quang Ninh province. "The Vietnamese government always wishes to develop co-operation between Vietnam and Japan in general and between localities in particular," Mr Khiem stressed. Mayor Taiichiro, said he was impressed by the dynamic development of Vietnam in recent years and that his visit aimed to enhance the relations between his city with Vietnam and its localities. (VNA) **** Deputy PM meets Cambodian delegation Deputy PM Nguyen Tan Dung (right) and General Pol Sarroeun.Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, received a delegation of the Cambodian government's Commission in charge of Fallen Vietnamese Voluntary Soldiers in Hanoi on May 22. General Pol Sarroeun, vice commander and chief of General Staff of the Cambodian Royal Army and head of the delegation informed Deputy PM Dung about the results of his delegation's working visit to Vietnam. He discussed efforts by the Cambodian government to search for and return home the remains of Vietnamese volunteers who died during the wars in Cambodia. This is in accordance with an agreement signed by the two governments in August of 2000 to promote the resolution of this issue. The deputy PM affirmed that the Vietnamese government would create favourable conditions for the two missions to solve concrete problems while implementing the agreement, meeting the desire of the Vietnamese Party, State and people, thus contributing to strengthening and developing the two countries' traditional friendly ties. Earlier, Defence Minister Pham Van Tra warmly received General Sarroeun and his delegation. The Cambodian visitors had working session with Deputy Defence Minister Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh and signed a plan of action for the two countries' commissions. (VNA) **** Vietnam worries about Israel's bombing against PalestineVietnam is concerned about Israel's attacks on a number of Palestine-controlled territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, using warplanes, missiles, and other heavy weapons, says Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh on May 22. "These attacks", she stresses, "have caused great loss of life and property to the Palestinian civilians, worsening the local situation and seriously threatening the peace process and stability in the Middle East." The spokesperson was answering an AFP correspondent's question about Vietnam's reaction to Israel's bombing of areas in Palestinian territories. "We vehemently condemn and require an immediate end to the said actions," Ms Thanh emphasised. "Vietnam attributes the increasing violence in the region to the absence of a solution to the Palestinian question as well as the lack of a solution to the Middle East issue," she said. "The above-mentioned situation requires all concerned parties to stop the violence, return to the negotiating table, and discuss the United Nations Security Council's Resolutions 242 and 338, as well as the "land for peace" principle in order to hammer out a fair and sustainable solution to the Middle East issue, thus ensuring the Palestinian people's inalienable national rights and interests of all concerned parties," she said in conclusion. (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] __________________________________________________
