VNA Halong Bay has been recognised as World Cultural Heritage for the second time. The National Assembly passed Chapters I, II, and III of the Bill on Cultural Heritage with over 80% vote in favour in the plenary meeting chaired by NA Vice Chairman Vu Dinh Cu yesterday, the 17th working day of the NA's on-going session. NA deputies also discussed articles 28 to 31 of the bill. Forty-five deputies from 36 provinces and cities contributed their opinions. During the discussion, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Luu Tran Tieu gave explanations and received opinions raised by deputies. The NA deputies today continue their discussion for the approval of the bill. **** Party leader pledges to strengthen ties with Japan and EU countries Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has reiterated Vietnam's will to strengthen traditional co-operative ties with Japan and countries of the European Union (EU). Mr Manh said Vietnam's Party and government attached importance to consolidating and developing relations with Japan and the EU while receiving the ambassadors of these countries, who made courtesy visits to him on June 12. He also thanked Japan and the EU for their effective help to and co-operation with Vietnam, and asked the ambassadors to convey his regards to their leaders. These diplomats congratulated Nong Duc Manh on his election as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) at the recent Ninth CPV Congress, and wished the Vietnamese people bigger successes in their current renovation process. They also hoped to boost friendly and co-operative ties between Vietnam and their countries as well as the EU. (VNA) **** President calls for better management of foreign loans State President Tran Duc Luong on June 12 urged concerned ministries and agencies to improve management of foreign loans in order to avoid wastefulness. He said that all ministries and agencies should be well-organised in their management of foreign-funded projects and ensure foreign donors' timely disbursement. "All appropriate measures must be taken to avoid losses while implementing these projects," he stressed. The President was being informed of the negotiations on a US $250-million loan for a project to allivate poverty in central provinces and another US $166.34-million loan for a project to revamp the Nhieu Loc and Thi Nghe sections of Ho Chi Minh City. These World Bank-funded projects are designed to build infrastructural facilities to improve the lives of people in 611 communes described as the most difficult in 13 central provinces. The projects are also intended to improve the environment in Nhieu Loc and Thi Nghe, one of the five major water discharge channels of Ho Chi Minh City. President Tran Duc Luong also asked relevant ministries and agencies to spare no efforts to achieve the set targets of meeting the basic demands for safe water supply by 2005 and water drainage for all urban areas across the country by 2010. (VNA) **** Russia-Vietnam relations develop to new plane The recent visit to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin raised Russian-Vietnam relations to a new plane, wrote Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrei Alexeevich Tatarinov. In an article written for Nhan Dan newspaper on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation (June 12), the Russian Ambassador affirmed that documents signed during the Vietnam visit, particularly the Hanoi Declaration of Strategic Co-operation, gave impetus to the development of wide-ranging bilateral co-operation between the two countries. Ambassador Tatarinov stressed that an important point in Russia's foreign policy on Asia is to develop friendly relations with important countries in the region including Vietnam. Russia acknowledged the high dynamism in coordination between Russia and Vietnam in many aspects including oil and gas, electric energy, and military and technical co-operation, he said. "The effective operation of the Vietnam-Russia petroleum joint venture enterprise, Vietsovpetro, is making an important contribution to solving Vietnam's socio-economic matter; and is one of the biggest foreign invested projects in Vietnam," the Ambassador wrote. He went on: "Russia-Vietnam trade has seen increases in quantity over recent months, and Vietnam's investment in Russia has also been going up." Referring to other ties, he wrote: "Regular exchanges of visits between national assemblies of Russia and Vietnam have been arranged with the first Vietnam visit being made last April by a delegation of the Federal Council of the Russian Upper House. "Co-operation between Russian regions and Vietnamese provinces have strongly developed. "Bilateral agreements - legal basis of Russia-Vietnam co-operation - are being completed and expanded. The two sides are preparing a series of agreements including those on co-operation in education, training, labour, and hydro-meteorology. "The two countries' scientific, educational, health care, cultural and sports co-operation have been promoted. "The recent organisation and success of 'Moscow Days in Hanoi' constituted a fine example of the friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples." The Russian Ambassador stressed that talks between Moscow and Hanoi leaders as well as between businessmen of the two countries would accelerate the expansion of their coordination in various fields. "Russia and Vietnam have constantly coordinated their activities in the international arena. An important step in the bilateral coordination is the official visit to Moscow early this month by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, during which the two sides affirmed their similar views on basic international issues. Russia highly valued Vietnam's role as Chairman of the ASEAN's Standing Committee and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) thus considerably contributing to strengthening security, stability and co-operation in the region, and development of relations between ASEAN and its partners, including Russia," Mr Tatarinov concluded. **** Russian ambassador gives reception on National Day Ambassador Andrey Tatarinov of the Russian Federation held a reception in Hanoi on June 12 to mark the 11th anniversary of his country's National Day (June 12). Planning and Investment Minister Tran Xuan Gia and Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Van Nganh, were prominent among his Vietnamese guests. Speaking at the function, Ambassador Tatarinov expressed his pleasure at the constant development of the traditional friendship between the two countries, which was manifested through the recent Vietnam visit by President Vladimir Putin. He added that the joint communique reached during the visit has brought Russia-Vietnam relations to a new plane. Minister Gia said that those relations benefit the two peoples as well as peace, co-operation, and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large. (VNA) **** 90 million hits for Nhan Dan Online Ninety million visitors have accessed Nhan Dan Online as of June 12, according to statistics from the Vietnam Data and Communications Company. About 165,000 people visit Nhan Dan Online everyday on average. Of these, 135,000 read the Vietnamese edition. The remaining 30,000 visitors go to the English edition. Nhan Dan Online made its debut on June 21, 1998. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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