VNA Anniversary of south resistance marked A meeting was held on September 23 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum to commemorate the 56th anniversary of the South Vietnam's Resistance War Day (September 23, 1945 - September 23, 2001). Prominent among those attending the meeting were Politburo member and Secretary of the city's Party Committee Nguyen Minh Triet, Party Central Committee member and chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Thanh Hai and former president of the Committee of Southern Region's Resistance War, Professor Tran Van Giau. Mr Tran Thanh Long, president of the city's Fatherland Front Committee and Mr Nguyen Van Thuyen, head of the Resistance War Tradition Club reviewed the history of the resistance war of south Vietnam. They expressed their belief that the Ho Chi Minh City people would continue promoting the spirit of unity and patriotism of south Vietnam's resistance war in order to build a more prosperous and beautiful city. During the ceremony, taekwondo athlete and gold medallist at the recent 21st SEA Games, Nguyen Thi Huyen Dieu, on behalf of the city's young people, expressed her determination to make more efforts to build a more civilised and modern city. On the occasion, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum opened four new exhibition rooms entitled 'Nature - Archaeology'; 'Saigon people - Ho Chi Minh City'; 'Saigon foundation and development - Ho Chi Minh City' and 'Archives of Resistance War' with 123 pictures and 338 documents. Also joining the celebration of the South Vietnam's Resistance War Day, Ho Chi Minh City's administration, on September 22, started the erection of statue of Nguyen Tat Thanh, name of late President Ho Chi Minh when he was young, and decorated the Rong (Dragon) House at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. The statue is made of bronze with a height of 2.48 metres. The 1.4 metre high statue pedestal is made of reinforced concrete covered with granite. The statue, placed in front of the Rong House, faces the river. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commercial counsellors urged to expand overseas markets Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has asked Vietnamese commercial counsellors abroad to further expand overseas markets. During his meeting with 41 counsellors in Hanoi on September 22, Prime Minister Khai encouraged the counsellors to find ways to boost external economic activities in line with Vietnam's foreign policy of being friends with all nations, diversification, multilateralisation, mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and mutual benefit for the interest of each country, the region, and the world. The counsellors, who returned from Japan, China, Russia, the United States, the European Union, South Africa and Belgium, are attending a trade counsellors conference being held in Hanoi from September 20-24 by the Ministry of Trade. Mr Khai said he was pleased with the counsellors' contributions to Vietnam's socio-economic development in the recent past. The prime minister asked the Ministry of Trade to establish a trade promotion fund to help Vietnamese commercial counsellors abroad boost their activities. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Politburo member attends new school year opening Politburo member and secretary of the Party Central Committee, Tran Dinh Hoan, joined many of the more than 7,000 students and lecturers of the Hanoi Teachers' Training College to kick off their new academic year on September 22. They heard a letter of President Tran Duc Luong sent to teachers, students and pupils across the country on the new school year. After the opening ceremony, Mr Hoan had a working session with the college leaders. He pointed out solutions for strengthening the teaching staff, which, he said, is a key factor to decide the training quality so that the college could develop more, deserving to be a key teachers' training college of the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fidel Castro praises Vietnam's economic development Cuban President Fidel Castro spoke highly of Vietnam's achievements in economic development, particularly agriculture, while receiving Vietnam's Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien in Havana on September 22. President Castro informed Foreign Minister Nien of the Cuban people's on-going ideological struggle in order to build a comprehensive culture and raise the people's political awareness through mass meetings, discussions, televised teaching and opening of various courses to train teachers for educational development. Mr Nien conveyed best regards from Vietnamese leaders to Fidel Castro and presented him with an embroidered painting depicting himself while holding up the flag of the Southern Vietnam National Liberation Front during his visit to Vietnam's central Quang Tri province in 1973. The painting was a gift from the Vietnamese leaders for Fidel Castro on his 75th birthday. Mr Nien, who began his visit to Cuba on September 21, also briefed the Cuban president on Vietnam's socio-economic development in recent years, especially the implementation of the Ninth National Party Congress Resolution as well as Vietnam's industrialisation and modernisation. He also thanked the Cuban government and people for their generous and wholehearted support and assistance to Vietnam now as before. Also on September 22, Mr Nien met with Jose Ramon Balaguer, Party Central Committee's Politburo member in charge of External and Ideological Affairs; Carlos Lage, vice president of the State Council and permanent secretary of the Council of Ministers; and Ricardo Cabrisas, cabinet minister. * Both Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien and his Cuban counterpart Felipe Perez Roque affirmed their determination to bring the two countries' relationship to a new height during their talks in Havana, Cuba, on September 21. At the talks, Ministers Nien and Roque signed a new plan for co-operation between the two foreign ministries to further develop the fraternal relationship between the Parties, States and people of the two countries. The two ministers briefed each other of their respective countries' socio-economic development, discussed measures to strengthen and boost bilateral relations, and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern. Mr Nien congratulated Cuba on its great achievements defending its national independence and sovereignty and socialist construction. He said he highly valued Cuba's important results in its diplomatic ties, which have helped the country to foil the embargo imposed on it by the US. He expressed his belief that the Cuban people would overcome all challenges and gain more victories, thus contributing to the revolutionary movements of nations around the world. Mr Nien thanked the Cuban Party, State, and people for their fraternal solidarity with, strong support for and effective assistance to the Vietnamese people in their past struggle for national re-unification and their present efforts in socialist construction. He also re-affirmed the unswerving solidarity and support of the Party, State, and people of Vietnam to Cuba. For his part, Foreign Minister Roque expressed his admiration for the great efforts and achievements the Vietnamese people have made during the past 15 years of renovation and expansion of international co-operation. He expressed Cuba's gratitude to the Vietnamese people for their strong solidarity with and support to Cuba's national defence and construction. He said the Cuban people were determined to defend their national independence and sovereignty and to successfully conduct the socialist construction despite the embargo imposed by imperialist forces and complicated situation in the world. In the afternoon, Mr Nien, on behalf of the Vietnamese State, presented the Golden Star Order, the highest distinction of Vietnam, to Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee (CPC CC), first vice president of the State Council and the Council of Ministers, and minister of Revolutionary Armed Forces. He also pinned the Ho Chi Minh Order on Melba Hernandez, member of the CPC CC, on this occasion. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Belgium wants to broaden ties: visiting minister Belgian Minister Patrick Dewael has expressed his country's wish to broaden the co-operative relations with Vietnam in economy, culture, science and technology during his working visit to Vietnam from September 19-22. The minister, who is also president of the government of Flanders region, and his party called on Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem. They had working sessions with Planning and Investment Minister Tran Xuan Gia, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Van Nganh, and leaders of the People'sCommittees of Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City. They also toured a number of projects with Flanders' companies being foreign partners. They were briefed on Vietnam's socio-economic achievements, external relations, policies for development in the coming years as well as its policy to strengthen the friendship and co-operation with the European Union in general and Belgium in particular. Minister Dewael spoke highly of Vietnam's achievements in the process of renovation, and the policy of openness, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, and regional and international integration. Both sides wished to clarify new areas for bilateral co-operation in the near future in conformity with the two countries' potential and requirements. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NA delegation visits Australia A delegation of the National Assembly's Economic and Budget Committee led by Vice Chairman Tao Huu Phung paid a visit to Australia from September 17-22. The delegation had working sessions with Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Neil Andrew, and officials of the Economic-Budget Committee of the Australian Federal Parliament, the Ministry of the Treasury, and the Ministry of Finance on the role, functions and tasks of the parliament as well as of the treasury and financial agencies. It also paid working visits to the Budget, Economic Development, and Auditing Committees of the Parliaments of Australian states Victoria and New South Wales. During these meetings, the leaders of the Parliament and government of the Commonwealth and the states welcomed the Vietnamese delegation's visit, considering it as a practical activity to contribute to boosting the friendship and co-operation between the legislative bodies and people of Vietnam and Australia. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Protests against Vietnam Human Rights Act * More than 1,000 students and Hanoi young people gathered at the Hanoi National University on September 22, for a meeting of protest against the so-called �Vietnam Human Rights Act� passed by the US House of Representatives earlier this month. They issued a statement denouncing the act and requesting the US Senate to abolish it. Hanoi young people also called upon US people and young people to condemn the act and prevent it being passed. * Over 1,000 members of the Health Centre for the Elderly and the Elderly� Association of Ho Chi Minh City held a meeting to reject the US House of Representatives' passing of the Vietnam Human Rights Act. * Haiphong city�s Union of Friendship Organisations recently issued a statement to protest against the US House's 'Vietnam Human Rights Act'. The statement affirmed that the Union condemned the US House of Representatives for its approval of the so-called Vietnam Human Rights Act and strongly rejected the act. The Union also called upon the US friendship organisations and peace and friendship organisations in the world to voice their protest against the act. * Nam Dinh province War Veterans� Association, representing over 60,000 provincial war veterans protested against the US House of Representatives for its approval of the so-called Vietnam Human Rights Act. The statement said that, along with people in the whole country, cadres and members of Nam Dinh province War Veterans� Association, who fought to protect the independence, freedom and national sovereignty and for genuine values of human rights, requested the US House of Senate to abrogate the so-called Vietnam Human Rights Act passed by the US House of Representatives. * All strata of people in southern Can Tho province have also raised their voice in protest against the Act. They called on peace-loving people all over the world and progressive people in the United States to support Vietnam in preventing the US Senate and president from passing the Act. * Earlier on September 21, the War Veteran's Association in southern Soc Trang province held a meeting to reject the US House of Representatives' passing of the so-called Vietnam Human Rights Act. They said that the United States violated human rights when it dropped millions of tonnes of bombs on Vietnam, killing many Vietnamese civilians. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
