VNA Party leader lauds army's achievements Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) General Secretary Nong Duc Manh on August 11, emphasised the need to build Vietnam's army into a loyal and reliable force of the Party and people to ensure the survival and development of Vietnam's socialist state, socio-political stability as well as economic and cultural development. Addressing an all-army conference held in Hanoi to study the Resolution passed by the recent Ninth National CPV Congress, the Party leader also lauded the remarkable achievements the Vietnam People's Army and its Party organisation had recorded in the recent past. Mr Manh, who is also the secretary of the Army's Party Committee, devoted much time to analysing the significance of the study and implementation of the Party resolution, saying that the most important issue was how to translate the viewpoint and guideline adopted by the Ninth Party Congress into reality. The Army's Party Committee must firmly grasp the Party's viewpoint and guidelines while building Vietnam's all-people defence, reinforcing the people's armed forces and the revolutionary army to fulfil the tasks of national construction and defence in the new period, the Party chief said. (VNA) **** Storm Usagi claims three lives At least three people were killed when tropical storm Usagi, the fifth of the year, hit some central coastal provinces on August 11. Nghe An province was heavily affected by the storm. According to initial figures, about 1,500 hectares of rice were submerged under water and a further 17,000 hectares of rice, 6,700 hectares of sesame and 300 hectares of maize were affected. The damage caused to Nghe An province was estimated at about VND 30 billion. The storm, registering nine on the Beaufort scale, lashed Ha Tinh province's Cam Xuyen district, killing two people and leaving behind a vast trail of destruction. The houses of many farmers collapsed. Losses were put at about VND 30 billion. The neighbouring province of Quang Binh also suffered great losses with one person killed. More than 2,300 hectares of rice and 570 hectares of vegetables were waterlogged, 600 fruit trees were pulled down and three fishing boats sunk. Damage was estimated at VND 7 billion. **** Land eroded in Quang Ngai Three hundred places in Ba To district, Quang Ngai central province are in danger of land erosion, threatening lives of 130 households in communes of Ba Chua, Ba Dong and Ba Vinh. These areas are predicted to suffer landslide on a large scale when rains and floodwater come. Ba To district's eight communes in the basins of the Re, Ne and Lien rivers are also in danger of having flash floods. The district authorities have prepared resettlement areas for those in danger. **** Gifts to whirlwind-hit families The Red Cross Society of Tien Giang Mekong river delta province on August 11 visited and presented gifts worth VND 8 million to 36 whirlwind-stricken households in My Trinh A and My Trinh B villages, Cai Be district. The society also provided house frames worth VND 5 million to two families benefiting from priority policy. A downpour along with whirlwind hit these villages during the night of August 3. **** Vietnam praised for supporting information centre in Laos Lao National Assembly president, Samane Viyaket, has praised assistance given by the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) to the building of an information centre for the Lao National Assembly Office. The president was receiving a visiting delegation of the Vietnamese NA Office led by Director Vu Mao, who is also member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, in Vientiane on August 11. Mr Samane, who is a Politburo member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, said the building of the information and data centre and a library would help the Lao NA Office work more efficiently. The same day, the Vietnamese delegation witnessed the launching of an website of the Lao NA. (VNA) **** Vietnamese youth meet others in Algiers The Vietnamese youth delegation met other delegations at the 15th World Youth and Students Festival on August 11 being held in Algiers, Algeria. Representatives of the World Federation of Democratic Youth and the delegations from Venezuela, India, Sudan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Germany and China exchanged experiences in youth-related activities with the Vietnamese delegation. They also praised the achievements recorded by Vietnam in the recent 15 years of renovation. On the occasion, the Vietnamese delegation posthumously conferred the Friendship Medal of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to three members of the students' associations of Bangladesh and Latin America who had laid down their lives for liberation of Vietnam. The same day, the delegation delivered a speech on the role of Vietnamese youth and students in the country's political, economic, cultural and social activities. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Panama boost economic ties Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Dinh Bin on August 10 held talks with Panama's first deputy foreign minister, Armodio Arias, discussing measures to bolster relations between the two countries, especially in economy and commerce ties. Mr Bin, who was making a visit to Panama, also exchanged views with Armodio on regional and international issues of mutual concern. The same day, the deputy foreign minister was received by Panama's first vice president, Arturo Ulises Vallarino, who spoke highly of the important achievements the Vietnamese people have made in socio-economic development to help bring their country to a new stage of dynamic and active development from a state of serious crisis. The vice president also thanked the Vietnamese people for their sympathy with and strong support for the Panamanian people's struggle for national sovereignty and the complete restoration of the Panama canal. Mr Bin also met general secretary of Panama's Legislature, Jose Gomez, and deputy minister of industry and foreign trade, Melito Arocha. He visited Panama canal and some socio-economic establishments in Panama. (VNA) **** Power plant resettlement discussed Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Cong Tan has urged northern Son La province to prepare well for relocation of about 10,000 households, when construction of the projected Son La hydro-electric power plant starts, scheduled for 2003. Mr Tan, who led a government delegation on a working visit to Son La from August 7-12, also inquired into the socio-economic development and defence and security situation in the districts of Moc Chau, Yen Chau, Song Ma, Mai Son and Muong La, where these households will move to. As planned, Song Ma would have about 5,000 households resettled, while Mai Son, Moc Chau, Muong La, Yen Chau and Bac Yen would receive about 1,000 households each. The government would allocate to Son La its budget in advance to build three pilot villages for resettlement in June 2002. The deputy PM asked the local authorities to ensure stable lives for all those who are to move from the site by building necessary public utility works such as schools, roads, electricity supply stations and medical stations. At a working session with the government delegation, Le Thanh Binh, secretary of Son La's Party Committee, asked the government to adopt a resolution on socio-economic development in the northwestern region, give Son La financial and personnel support for the resettlement work and help the province develop areas producing raw materials for industries. (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] __________________________________________________
