VNA
President inspects socio-economic development in Ninh Thuan President Tran Duc Luong made an inspection tour of the southern coastal province of Ninh Thuan from October 2-4. President Luong inspected how the province is implementing the Party Resolution passed at its Ninth National Congress. Ninh Thuan, a poor province inhabited by a number of ethnic minority groups and frequently striken by natural calamities, is considered underdeveloped. Visiting Phuoc Chien highland, an extremely poor commune having a larger population of Rac Lay minority people, President Luong praised the great contributions by the local people, officials and armed forces during the past struggle for national independence and the present national construction and renovation. He hailed the province for overcoming economic difficulties to achieve primary education universalisation. During his working session with key officials of the province, President Luong affirmed the Party and State's efforts in finding proper measures to boost socio-economic development in Ninh Thuan, thus helping the local people improve their living conditions. He added that the Party and the State advocated bringing national renovation fruit to every Vietnamese people, particularly those living in remote and highland areas and former revolutionary bases. The implementation of development projects in the province should achieve high efficiency and help solve social issues in the locality, President Luong told officials. He asked the province to co-ordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to put the existing 80,000 hectares of waste land under the growing of forest, cotton, maize, sugar and cashew nuts, and fruit trees in addition to cattle raising and developing farm economy. The locality should also pour capital in its available 3,500 hectares suitable for salt making, Mr Luong noted. He added that the province will certainly obtain higher economic efficiency once it carries out economic restructuring by fully tapping available resources in terms of cultivation, forestry and salt making. The president reminded local officials to unceasingly strengthen the role of local administration and ensure State management efficiency at the grassroots level, thus raising people's confidence in local administrative agencies. (VNA) **** Social scientists urged to contribute to policy making Social scientists should actively participate in the process of policy making by the Party, said Prime Minister Phan Van Khai during his working visit to the National Centre for Social Science and Humanities in Hanoi on October 4. He said that Vietnam needs its social scientists to not only study issues relating to theories and viewpoints but also work out synchronous solutions on mechanism and policies. "Each social scientist must be a scientist of the people," he stressed. The prime minister also asked the National Centre for Social Science and Humanities and the National Centre for Natural Science and Technology to establish close relations in the conducting of research to solve problems arising from social realities. He assured the scientists of the government's due attention to and effective use of scientific force. "The government will order scientists to study concrete matters such as the ways to successfully construct socialism and to make the country an industrial one by 2020," Prime Minister Khai said. He urged social scientists to make practical contributions to the national construction, as well as the country's prosperity. Founded nearly 50 years ago, the National Centre for Social Science and Humanities's staff now numbers 1,336, including 900 scholars and 476 holders of masters and doctoral degrees. The centre has successfully conducted three State-level projects on Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, and Vietnam's path to socialism; directions, objectives, process and solutions for national industrialisation and modernisation; and issues of modern capitalism, during the 1996-2000 period. (VNA) **** Vietnam welcomes US Senate's approval of trade agreement Vietnam welcomed the US Senate's passage of the Vietnam-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) as an encouraging move in the process of normalising the relations between the two countries. At a regular press conference in Hanoi on October 4, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry Phan Thuy Thanh described the US Senate's taking no vote on the so-called 'Vietnam Human Rights Act' as a positive step. "We hope that this wrongful Act will not be approved because it grossly interferes in Vietnam's internal affairs, violates the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international law, and runs counter to the interest of the Vietnamese and American people," Ms Thanh said. The BTA is the result of the two countries' efforts, she stressed, adding that it was signed on the basis of respecting independence, sovereignty, and equality, meeting both sides' desire for mutual benefit. "Vietnam will consider the Vietnam-US bilateral trade agreement for ratification soon, following the regulations of Vietnamese laws," Ms Thanh said. (VNA) **** Indonesia president extends sympathy to flood victims Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has extended her sympathy to victims of the floods that have been ravaging Vietnam's Mekong delta for the last few months. She sent a message to President Tran Duc Luong on October 1 to express her deep sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Vietnam, especially the families of victims in the flood-stricken areas. (VNA) **** More American servicemen's remains repatriated Remains of five American servicemen listed as missing in action (MIA) were handed over to the US Full Accounting Joint Task Force by representatives of the Vietnam Office Seeking Missing Persons in Hanoi on October 4. The remains were found by joint Vietnamese-US teams during the 66th joint search for MIAs from July 9-August 8, 2001 and by local people. Those remains have gone through primary tests for identification in Hanoi by forensic doctors from both countries. Vietnam has since 1973 on 83 separate occasions returned the remains of 789 American servicemen who were killed during the American war to the US government. The US government representative once again thanked Vietnam and praised its humanitarian policy and effective co-operation in the search for American MIAs. (VNA) **** Buddhist Sangha Council member passes away Most Venerable Thich Thien Sieu, member of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Council and Permanent Deputy Chairman of the VBS Executive Council, passed away on October 3 at the age of 81. The Most Venerable served as head of the VBS Central Committee's Education Board, director of the Vietnam Buddhism Study Institute in Hue, and head of Tu Dam and Thuyen Ton Pagodas in central Hue city. He was also deputy to the National Assembly at its eighth, ninth and tenth legislatures, and presented with the Independence Order, second class, and the Medal for the Cause of Great Unity, by the State. A homage ceremony for Thich Thien Sieu will start at Tu Dam Pagoda, Hue, on October 5. Memorial services for him will be held in Hue's Tu Dam Pagoda and Hanoi's Quan Su Pagoda on October 10. A funeral service will be held in Hue on the same day. (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] __________________________________________________
