VNA Favourable conditions created for RoK investors: Deputy PM The Vietnamese government always creates favourable conditions for investors of the Republic of Korea (RoK), considering it a way to contribute to developing the friendly and co-operative relations between the two countries, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said. He received the RoK deputy minister of commerce, industry and energy, Kim Dong Won, on August 14 now on a working visit to Vietnam. Mr Kim informed his host of his working session with officials of the Ministry of Industry with a view to expanding co-operation between the two countries in mining and energy development. He noted that RoK investors' results in exploring oil and gas in Vietnam's continental shelf opened the prospect for development and co-operation between Vietnam and RoK in the industry, adding President Tran Duc Luong's upcoming visit to the Republic of Korea would be an important opportunity to develop the friendly and co-operative ties between Vietnam and the RoK. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deputy PM welcomes Chinese People's Radio director Deputy PM Phan Gia Khiem (middle) with delegation of Chinese People's Central Radio. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem on August 14, welcomed general director of the Chinese People's Central Radio, Yang Bo, now on a working visit to Vietnam. Mr Khiem said he highly appreciated the good results of co-operative ties between the two countries' broadcasting agencies in recent years and expressed hope that they would continue to exchange professional experience, thus contributing to the development of radio broadcasting in the two countries. "The Vietnamese government has always attached importance to broadcasting news and entertainment to people living in remote and mountainous areas, Mr Khiem stressed, adding that this will help raise their awareness about the Party's policies and the State's law. Mr Bo expressed his thanks to the Vietnamese government for having created favourable conditions for the two broadcasting agencies to implement their signed co-operation programmes and expressed his hope that these ties would be further strengthened on the basis of mutual benefit. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vietnam shares concern over Koizumi's visit to shrine Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh on August 14, said that Vietnam shared other countries' concern over Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's controversial visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. "We think that it is of important significance for Japan to take a correct view on the history as well as to consolidate and develop its relations with neighbouring countries," she said. Replying to foreign correspondents' queries about Vietnam's reaction to Mr Koizumi's visit to the Shrine, which is controversial because convicted war criminals are among those being honoured there, the spokeswoman stressed: "It is our wish that Japan will make active contributions to peace, stability and development in the region and elsewhere in the world." Asked about Vietnam's reaction to the take-over of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's East Jerusalem headquarters, known as Orient House, by Israel, Ms Thanh said that the Israeli move is a serious violation of the Oslo peace pact signed by the two sides in 1993. "This is a new dangerous escalation that will complicate the Middle-East situation, which has long been tense, and can bring about unpredictable consequences," She stressed. The spokeswoman also called for the return of the headquarters and other nearby offices to the Palestinians and an immediate end to violent actions that cause tensions in the region. "All parties should return to the negotiating table in order to seek a durable and fundamental solution to the Palestine-Israeli conflict, thus meeting the genuine interest of all parties concerned," Ms Thanh said. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks for support from world youth "We emerged victorious from the American War in Vietnam, due to among other things, the solidarity and support reserved for us by the youth, students and people the world over. Thank you all for that," said Bui The Giang, a Vietnamese delegate to the 15th World Youth and Students Festival currently held in Algeria. He further said: "Between 1964 when the war spread out to all corners of my country to 1975 when the war ended, 14.5 million tonnes of munitions were used, which is 22 times higher than the total tonnage used in the Korean War and seven times higher than the total tonnage used during World War II. As a result, three million Vietnamese died and four million were wounded. Almost all cities and industrial centres were razed to the ground. About 10 million unexploded bombs and landmines left behind by the aggressors have continued to kill thousands of my compatriots, most of them children and farmers. Millions of other people found themselves displaced, unemployed, and without support, while hundreds of thousands of others became prostitutes and drug addicts. "Many of you here present, including American friends, may have heard some groups in the US making big noises about the less than 2,000 Americans missing-in-action (MIAs) in Vietnam. Although my people consider and treat this as an issue of humanitarian nature, I am obliged to remind you that in Vietnam at the moment my people are desperately striving to search for the remains of some 300,000 missing Vietnamese. "And still much more. "Exactly 40 years ago, by an instruction of US President John Kennedy, the American forces brought into Vietnam 100,000 tonnes of assorted toxic chemicals which contained 72 million litres of defoliants and herbicides and 5,700 tonnes of Agent Orange. This deadly chemical cursed the Americans themselves. Many of them were affected by the so-called Vietnam War syndrome. American Admiral Zumwalt who was directly involved in spraying campaigns during the war, also had his son Elmo Zumwalt killed in 1988 by the two related types of cancer. "I do feel sorry for these Americans as human beings. But the more I think of them, the more I feel painful and bitter about my fellow Vietnamese. We have conducted surveys about the situation of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. We have tried very hard, in our still difficult conditions at present, to give some support to them, hoping to somewhat relieve them of their pains. Yet, we know for sure that they are suffering so much, and that life is going on like hell for many of them." Vietnamese delegates at the 15th World Youth Festival also condemned all terrorist and violent activities which cause tension in the Middle East, and called upon concerned parties to exert efforts in approaching a comprehensive, equitable and sustainable solution for the Middle East, thus ensuring the national right and interests of all concerned parties. They affirmed their contributions to the consolidation and development of the friendship between youth and people of Vietnam with those of the Middle East, and to the joint efforts for a peaceful, equitable and developed world. On the Iraqi issue, the Vietnamese delegates said that the friendship, solidarity and co-operation between the Vietnamese and Iraqi people have been strengthened and developed. The Vietnamese people believed that with an undaunted and staunch tradition, the Iraqi people would overcome difficulties and trials. Vietnam asked for an immediate end to the embargo against Iraq, thus ending the Iraqi people's sufferings over the past 11 years. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Finland funds Quang Tri rural project The Finish charge d'affaires, Mrs Hilkka Talsio and the chairman of Quang Tri province People�s Committee, Mr Nguyen Minh Ky, signed an agreement on the Quang Tri rural development programme, phase 2 (2001-2005) at Dong Ha town on August 14. Under the agreement, the programme, phase 2, will be deployed in seven communes of Hai Lang district, 13 communes of Da Krong mountainous district and some poor communes of Cam Lo district, involving the building a sustainable life and construction of rural infrastructure. Phase 2 is capitalised at about US $3.85 million funded by the Finish government. The programme, phase 1, has been implemented in 14 communes of Hai Lang district from 1997 to June 2001. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
