VNA President meets appointed diplomats State President Tran Duc Luong met appointed ambassadors and general consuls, who paid him a visit in Hanoi on Friday, June 29 before leaving the country for overseas missions. President Luong emphasised the responsibility held by overseas ambassadors and general consuls for promoting closer friendship and multi-faceted co-operation between Vietnam and other countries, thus contributing to Vietnam's national construction and defence. The President said he hoped that the newly-appointed ambassadors general consuls would help ministries and agencies as well as localities across the country to boost co-operative ties with foreign countries in investment, trade, international and regional economic integration, technology transfer, education and training, culture, science and other sectors. He also urged the designate chiefs of Vietnam's overseas missions to try their best to increase the efficiency of bilateral and multilateral ties between Vietnam and other countries in conformity with Vietnam's foreign policy of independence and self-reliance, and multilateralising and diversifying co-operative ties with other countries. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PM receives well-known policy advisor Prime Minister Phan Van Khai received Professor Joseph Stiglitz, a well-known policy advisor, at the Government Office on June 29. Professor Stiglitz has been here for a visit under the framework of a UNDP-assisted project to help Vietnam implement its Strategy for Socio-economic Development for the 2001-2010 period. PM Khai expressed thanks to Professor Stiglitz for his fine sentiments towards and his interest in Vietnam. He said that Vietnam's important goals are successful integration into the world economy, continued economic development, and social equality. The Prime Minister said he highly valued Professor Stiglitz's opinions and said he hoped that the Professor himself and UNDP would continue granting their precious assistance to Vietnam. Professor Stiglitz expressed his joy at visiting Vietnam, his second visit so far, and witnessing the country's great achievements in socio-economic development. He said he hoped that through the current visit, he would further study and better understand Vietnam and would share his experiences with Vietnam. Professor Stiglitz advised Vietnam to make the most of its integration into the world economy and to make efforts to reduce risks that may affect the country's socio-economic stability. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PM praises war invalids' relatives and heroes cemetery keepers Prime Minister Phan Van Khai praised families of war invalids and martyrs and the keepers of the heroes' cemeteries who set a good example for the young generation. He also affirmed that the country and people of Vietnam always remember the great contribution made by war heroes, martyrs and those who rendered great services to the country, further hoping that relatives of war martyrs, invalids and veteran revolutionaries would promote the fine tradition of the nation and make more contribution to building the country. Prime Minister Khai, on June 29, was meeting with 120 relatives of war martyrs and heroes cemetery keepers who are in Hanoi to attend a meeting for war martyrs' families and exemplary cemetery keepers. The prime minister was very moved when meeting relatives of many revolutionaries such as Nguyen Van Cu, Ngo Gia Tu, Hoang Van Thu and of heroic martyrs: Cu Chinh Lan, Vo Thi Sau, Nguyen Van Troi and Nguyen Ba Ngoc and cemetery keepers who are poor but have hearts of gold. Prime Minister Khai wished war invalids, families of war martyrs, and contributors to the country the best of health for the forthcoming War Invalids and Martyrs' Day, July 27. He also urged them to continue educating their children to become good citizens of the country. The Ministry of Defence also held a meeting for relatives of the war heroes and martyrs and cemetery keepers on the same day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chinese ambassador holds banquet for CPC anniversary China's Ambassador to Vietnam Qi Jianguo gave a banquet in Hanoi yesterday, June 29, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) (July1). Among those present were Nguyen Van An, Politburo member and secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and National Assembly chairman; Tran Dinh Hoan, Politburo member and Secretary of the CPV Central Committee, and permanent member of the Party Politburo and Secretariat; and Nguyen Phu Trong, Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee. Addressing his guests, Ambassador Qi Jianguo praised China-Vietnam traditional relations, saying that since their Communist Parties were founded, the two peoples have supported each other in their struggles for national independence and socialist construction. He said the two Parties share common ideals and goals, adding that history has proved that the fine China-Vietnam ties is a valuable asset of the communists and people of both countries. In the new situation, the strengthening of solidarity between the two Parties and peoples fully conforms to the common interest and desire of the two nationals, Ambassador Qi stressed. He added that the Chinese Party, government and People pledge to work together with the Vietnamese Party, government, and people for closer solidarity and co-operation between the two sides as well as for a better future of socialism being built in each country, thus contributing to world peace and progress. Taking the floor, Mr Tran Dinh Hoan praised the achievements made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC over the past eighty years and said that the regular meetings between top leaders of the two countries as well as the signing of many important co-operative documents in recent years, have affirmed the two Parties', governments', and peoples' determination to take the Vietnam-China friendly and co-operative relations to a new peak in the 21st century. He also reaffirmed the Vietnamese Communist Party and people's constant policy to attach importance to developing traditional ties of comradeship and brotherhood with the Chinese Communist Party and people. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gifted, poor children get funds A number of 159 talented but underprivileged pupils and children of war invalids and martyrs were granted with scholarships and gifts from the Vietnam Fund for Children and the US Roever Education Assistance Projects (REAP) in Hanoi on June 29. Each gifted and poor pupil receives VND 500,000 and each child of war invalids or martyrs gets VND 900,000. Addressing the scholarship granting ceremony, Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh stressed that the Vietnamese Party and State always paid attention to the educational cause and helping children become talents of the country. She also called on the children to make further efforts to become good citizens, thus deserving the care of the Party, the State and the expectation of the family. In this academic year, Vietnam's Fund for Children has granted 1,896 scholarships worth VND 895 million in total for gifted and poor children and those of war invalids and martyrs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Floods kill five in Quang Ninh Five people were killed and four others were reported missing because of floods that swept through the northern border province of Quang Ninh on June 29. They included one person in Tien Yen district and eight others in Dong Trieu district. In Tien Yen district, floods broke Thac Coi dyke and swept away Ha Trang dam, submerging 180shrimp breeding ponds and 40% of rice fields in Dong Ngu commune. Losses are estimated at more than four billion Vietnamese dong. In addition, 35 houses in Hoanh Bo district were also submerged by heavy rains and six boats in Son Duong commune were swept away. The provincial authorities have been helping the families of victims to overcome the tragic consequences of the floods. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ General praises US Ambassador's contributions to Vietnam-US normalisation Vietnam's War Veterans Association president, Senior Lieutenant General Tran Van Quang has praised US Ambassador Pete Peterson's active contributions to normalising Vietnam-US relations as well as promoting ties between the war veterans associations of the two countries. General Quang made the remark while meeting with the US ambassador, who paid him a farewell visit on June 29. He also expressed his belief that the ambassador would inform the US administration and people about the progress Vietnam has made in its renovation course as well as all difficulties it has encountered after the war, especially dealing with the consequences of Agent Orange. General Quang said he hoped that the US administration would pay more attention to and show its responsibility for seeking effective measures to solve this humanitarian issue as soon as possible. The US ambassador pledged that the US side would further realise its commitments to help search for missing Vietnamese, remove land mines, and promote bilateral co-operation in other humanitarian issues. (VNA) _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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