VNA NA approves part of Road Traffic Law National Assembly deputies approved Chapter I of the draft Law on Road Traffic with 77.1% votes in favour in the plenary meeting chaired by NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Phuc Thanh yesterday, the tenth working day of the on-going session. The deputies also passed articles 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of Chapter II which are about driving safety, traffic order and traffic signals, with 76.9% votes in favour. Earlier, Minister of Transport and Communications Le Ngoc Hoan read a statement on the explanation and reception of opinions contributed by the deputies. Fifty-three deputies from 46 provinces and cities raised their ideas. During the discussion, deputy minister of Transport and Communications, Pham The Minh gave explanations to issues raised by deputies. NA deputies will meet on June 4 to continue their discussion for the approval of the Road Traffic Bill. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Administrative reform discussed Government members met in Hanoi on May 31 and June 1, to discuss administrative reform programme for the 2001-2010 period.� The two-day monthly meeting which was chaired by PM Phan Van Khai was attended by President Tran Duc Luong, representatives of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam� Confederation of Labour, the Vietnam Farmers' Association, and others. The cabinet members agreed to view points and objectives of the ten-year administrative reform programme, focusing on building a democratic, transparent, firm, professional, and modernised administration which effectively operates along the socialist State of law and under the leadership of the Party. The building of a contingent of qualified public employees to meet the demand for national construction and development was also debated. Other discussions dealt with Internet management, regulations on bidding for exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, foreign investment in the 2001-2005 period, investment in housing construction for sale and lease, and administrative management in urban areas. The cabinet members reviewed the implementation of socio-economic development tasks in May and in the first five months of this year. Addressing the meeting, PM Khai asked ministries and agencies to immediately carry out breakthrough reforms with a view to strengthening State management efficiency. He said that each ministry must reform administrative procedures in the direction of bringing into full play democracy, enhancing law enforcement, maintaining social order, and fighting bureaucracy and corruption. PM Khai also asked the government and ministries to perfect their action programmes to implement the resolution of the ninth National Party Congress. He focused on the importance of taking measures to encourage exports, particularly farm produce. He also mentioned the need to fight and prevent cross-border smuggling and commercial fraud as well as the need to effectively treat illegal labour export cases and drug abuse. The PM urged efforts to accelerate the process of re-arranging enterprises, and renewing technology and production equipment. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PM praises revolutionary veterans Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, spoke highly of the great contribution to the Party, the State and the people by revolutionary veterans. The prime minister affirmed this at a reception on June 1 in Hanoi, to a delegation of revolutionary veterans from Binh Thanh district, in Ho Chi Minh City. The veterans are paying a visit to the capital city and President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The prime minister said the veterans should develop revolutionary traditions, educate younger generations and set bright examples. The revolutionaries thanked the Party, State and government for improving the spiritual and material life of the whole people in general, and of revolutionary veterans in particular. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tran Thanh Van receives Russian honorary doctorate The Scientific Academy of the Russian Federation held a ceremony on May 29 in Moscow to present an honourary doctorate to Vietnamese physicist, Professor Tran Thanh Van. Professor Tran Thanh Van received the certificate from the acting president of the academy amid the applause of hundreds of guests, among them, famous scholars from Russia and the United States. Professor Tran Thanh Van, was born in 1936 in Dong Hoi township, central province of Quang Binh. He went to France in 1953 and won a national doctorate when he was 27 years old. He has published 193 research works on elementary-particle physics in the most famous scientific magazines in Europe and the US. In some works, he is a co-author with other Russian physicists. He has also edited and published over 200 monograph books on physics which have been ordered by many universities. He has also been the initiator of the annual meeting among world famous physicists. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Japan finances rural transport project The Japanese government will provide JPY 3.7 billion (US $31 million) in non-refundable aid to Vietnam for the second phase of a rural transport project. A diplomatic note to this effect was signed in Hanoi on June 1, by Vietnamese Minister of Transport and Communications Le Ngoc Hoan and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ryuichiro Yamazaki. Under the project, 38 bridges with a combined length of 2,185 metres will be built in 17 Mekong Delta provinces. Construction of these bridges will start in the third quarter of this year and be conducted in 29 months. The Japanese government already provided JPY 3.7 billion to upgrade 29 bridges in 16 northern mountainous provinces in the first phase of the project. Procedures for the third phase, expected to be carried out in 18 central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan, are being accelerated for early start. Over the past years, the Japanese government has co-operated with and provided assistance to Vietnam's transport sector in non-refundable aid, technical co-operation, training and expertise. Bilateral co-operation in this field covers research on plans for transport development in northern Vietnam, coastal transport development, planning of sea ports and on a national strategy for transport development till 2020. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tanzanian foreign minister ends visit Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Jakaya Kikwete, left Ho Chi Minh City on June 1, concluding his five-day official friendship visit to Vietnam. While in Vietnam, Minister J. Kikwete was received by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Dy Nien, and had working sessions with the leaders of the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During these meetings, the two sides discussed measures to boost bilateral co-operation, particularly in matters of trade. Minister Kikwete, visited Ho Chi Minh City from May 30-June 1. He was received by Le Thanh Hai, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Chairman of the municipal People's Committee. The host expressed his wish that Vietnam and Tanzania would gain achievements in new co-operation, especially in trade, development investment, science, and technology. He affirmed Ho Chi Minh City's determination to contribute to the strengthening of the Vietnam-Tanzania relationship. Minister Kikwete also visited Saigon Harbour, the Cu Chi Tunnels, and a number of economic and cultural establishments in the city. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Denmark funds solid waste treatment project in Nghe An The Danish government has granted nearly US $2.4 million, as non-refundable aid to a project on solid waste treatment in central Nghe An province. An agreement to this effect was signed in Hanoi on June 1, by deputy minister of Planning and Investment, Vo Hong Phuc and Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Ove Ullerup. The project will improve the sustainable management of solid waste in Vinh city and Cua Lo township. This project should also improve the local people's living conditions as well. Under the framework of the project, an environmentally friendly dumping ground will be built, also serving as a model for other localities in the country. (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] __________________________________________________
