War Invalids and Fallen Combatants� Day marked A delegation of the Party, State, National Assembly, Fatherland Front and relevant agencies on July 26, paid a floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum on the occasion of the 54th War Invalids and Fallen Combatants� Day, July 27. The delegation included Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An, former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh, Fatherland Front General Secretary Tran Van Dang, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and others. The delegation also laid a wreath at the Hanoi War Memorial. The same day, other delegations, from the Defence Ministry, the Public Security Ministry, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, agencies, sectors and mass organisations, paid floral tributes to fallen combatants at the Hanoi War Memorial. Mrs Truong My Hoa, vice chairwoman of National Assembly, visited the Tho Chau Care Centre for War Invalids and the care centre for the State�s contributors in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa province on July 25 on the occasion of the 54th War Invalids and Fallen Combatants� Day. Mr Tran Van Dang, Fatherland Front general secretary, visited the Hanoi care centre for visually-impaired war invalids on July 25. Ninh Binh province called at and gave gifts to seriously wounded soldiers who are being taken care at the care and convalescent homes of Hoang Long, Tam Diep (Ninh Binh province,) Liem Can (Ha Nam province) and Enterprise July 27 in Yen Khanh district and a provincial business where war invalids are working. Binh Duong marked the 54th anniversary of the War Invalids and Fallen Combatants� Day on July 26. 104 agencies in Binh Phuoc province have donated 177 houses of gratitude and 41 savings books worth VND 2.8 billion. Nghe An province held a �When drinking water, remember its source� festival on July 25-27 at the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Cemetery where nearly 10,000 fallen combatants are buried. Quang Tri province paid floral tributes on July 26 to fallen combatants who lie at Truong Son Cemetery and Road 9 Cemetery on July 26. Ho Chi Minh City�s Fatherland Front and Public Health Department provided medical treatment and medicine to nearly 1,000 priority policy beneficiaries and called at and presented gifts, to 10 war invalids and fallen combatants� families in Tan Binh district on July 25. The Department of Culture and Information and the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Hung Yen province are organising �A Film Week to Mark the 54th Anniversary of the War Invalids and Fallen Combatants� Day.� War and revolutionary films have been chosen for the shows. **** Party leader visits �Comrades in Arms� exhibition General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nong Duc Manh called at an exhibition entitled �Comrades in Arms� on July 26. The exhibition is jointly held by the Policy Department of the Ministry of Defence, the Army Museum and Military Zone 4 Museum. Colonel Le Ma Luong, director of the Army Museum, introduced the general secretary with photos and artefacts reflecting activities to search for and collect the remains of fallen combatants who sacrificed their lives for the national liberation, socialism and international solidarity. General Secretary Nong Duc Manh was deeply moved upon seeing the exhibits and said that the artefacts at the exhibition are valuable proof of the glorious fight, the spirit of optimism and simplicity of Uncle Ho�s soldiers in the national struggles against the aggressors. The general secretary emphasised "We sincerely thank the Party, State, people and army of Laos for their close co-ordination and assistance in searching for and collecting the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who died in Laos. This is the manifestation of the special solidarity and unswerving ties of Vietnam-Laos. I hope that you would better perform your tasks to search for and collect the remains of the fallen combatants so that they can rest in peace in their motherland and with their close relatives and colleagues who could be able to come and pay tribute to them more often�. He said that the exhibition would educate all people, especially young people, on the national tradition of �When drinking water, remember its source�. He also wished the Army Museum success in its work and in becoming a unforgettable place of interest for everyone. **** Party leader receives US Secretary of State The Bush administration will continue to promote its relationship with Vietnam and support the US Congress's ratification of the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, said US Secretary of State Colin Powell. Secretary of State Powell, who has been in Hanoi for the 8th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF-8) and the Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) of ASEAN with its dialogue partners, was talking with the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Nong Duc Manh, in Hanoi on the afternoon of July 26. Secretary of State Powell conveyed President Bush's best regards to General Secretary Manh and wished Mr Manh success in his post. He spoke highly of Vietnam's role as chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee and ARF in having successfully prepared for the ARF-8 and the PMC. He informed the host of the results of his talks and working sessions in Vietnam and expressed his delight at the fine development of relations between the two countries' over recent years. Being a diplomat and war veteran, Secretary of State Powell thanked Vietnam for its co-operation with his country in settling issues relating to US servicemen missing in action (MIA). He also expressed his regret about the death of the US-Vietnam MIA joint working group in a plane crash in April. General Secretary Manh welcomed US Secretary of State Powell's visit to Vietnam and his attendance at the ARF and PMC. He exchanged views with Mr Powell on bilateral relations and wished his visit success, thus contributing to accelerating the Vietnam-US relationship. Mr Manh informed the guest of Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-determination, openness, diversification, and multilateralisation in the spirit that Vietnam is ready to be a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the international community, striving for peace, independence and development. He said Vietnam attaches importance to the friendly and co-operative relations with the US and hoped the Bush administration would continue to co-operate in boosting the relations between the two countries on the principles of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and non-interference into each other's internal affairs. The Vietnamese Party leader welcomed the Bush administration's commitment to support the US Congress's efforts to ratify the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement in the near future. He said he hoped that the two countries would strengthen economic and commercial ties as well as enhance co-operation in science, technology, education, and training. He asked the US government to continue contributing to overcoming the consequences of war, including settling the issue of Vietnamese MIA's and helping Agent Orange victims. The Party leader expressed his wish that Mr Powell would make further contributions to boosting the relations between the two countries in conformity with the aspirations and interests of the two peoples. He asked the US secretary of State to convey his best regards to US President Bush and former President Clinton. (VNA) **** President praises war invalid in Ha Nam President Tran Duc Luong sent a letter to Ms Pham Thi Minh Thao, a seriously wounded soldier in the convalescence centre of Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province, praising her significant efforts in the past time. The letter reads: "I was very moved to hear that you're a seriously wounded soldier with two hands lost in the anti-French resistance. Now you are 70 years old and have 40 years of Party membership. With strong determination and courage, you have made great efforts to use your legs and feet instead of the lost hands, to help yourself and family despite numerous difficulties. In addition, you have actively participated in social activities and lived an exemplary life and been elected to the centre's Party committee. I warmly commend you for setting a bright example of a Party member and war wounded soldier, who has done well housework and actively joined the work of the mass organisation." **** President welcomes foreign ministers of ASEAN and dialogue partners President Tran Duc Luong warmly welcomed the foreign ministers of other Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries and dialogue partners of ASEAN attending the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-34), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF-8), and the Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC) being held in Hanoi, who paid a courtesy visit to him on July 26. President Luong highlighted the significance of the meetings for the Asia-Pacific region and the world. He expressed his pleasure at the success of the AMM. President Luong informed his guests of Vietnam's socio-economic situation in the past year. He said that Vietnam will persist with the current renovation process, national industrialisation and modernisation for the goals of a prosperous people, a powerful country and an equitable, democratic and civilised society. President Luong also reiterated Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, sovereignty, and openness to all countries. He said he was delighted at the fine development of the bilateral and multilateral relations between Vietnam and other countries in ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific region and the world. He said he hoped that these meetings would help further promote the co-operation among ASEAN member countries for an ASEAN of peace, unity, integration, that is forward looking, making positive contributions to the promotion of peace, stability, co-operation, development, and prosperity in the region and the world at large. Foreign minister, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei briefed President Luong of the outcome of the AMM, ARF, and PMC in Hanoi. He thanked the Vietnamese government and relevant agencies for their good preparations for the meetings, expressing his appreciation for Vietnam's role as chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee and the ASEAN Regional Forum. He said Vietnam had many initiatives to meet the new requirements of the situation for boosting co-operation within ASEAN, raising ASEAN's role, striving for the targets set forth in the ASEAN Vision 2020, actively bringing into play the outcome of the Hanoi ASEAN Summit on unity and co-operation within ASEAN, promoting the implementation of the Hanoi Plan of Action, thus making ASEAN develop harmoniously and contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability and co-operation in the region and the world. (VNA) **** VNA Prime minister meets UNDP official Prime Minister Phan Van Khai received, in Hanoi on July 26, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) administrator Mark Malloch Brown, who is attending the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference there. Prime Minister Khai welcomed Mr Brown's presence at the conference, which, he said, shows Brown's and the UNDP's interest in Vietnam and other South East Asian countries. Mr Khai expressed his pleasure at the fine development of Vietnam-UNDP relations over recent years. He expressed thanks to the UNDP, the first UN agency to come to Vietnam, for its effective assistance to Vietnam over recent years. He briefed the guest of Vietnam's policy on socio-economic development and asked the UNDP to continue giving priority to Vietnam's poverty reduction programme. Vietnam also needs more assistance to solve problems in education, human resources training, employment, child care, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS control, Mr Khai said. Mr Brown expressed his solidarity with Vietnam and his confidence in the co-operative relations between the UNDP and Vietnam. He said he was delighted to witness Vietnam's achievements in reducing poverty and modernising the economy. He said that the UNDP will give Vietnam more assistance in poverty reduction, education, reform of the private economic sector, information technology, HIV/AIDS control and other fields. He said that the UNDP highly appreciated Vietnam's efforts in reducing poverty, raising the people's incomes and developing human resources. (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] __________________________________________________
