VNA
Party leader Nong Duc Manh visits Haiphong Leather and Footwear Company. Party leader Nong Duc Manh talks with people in Vinh Bao commune, Ly Moc district. The northern port city of Haiphong should mainly rely on its internal strength while promoting international co-operation to accelerate its growth rate, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh during his working visit to the city on October 30 and 31. He told the municipal authorities that Haiphong should speed up its development on the basis of its detailed plans and close co-ordination with ministries and central sectors, including a proper capital allocation to localities. He asked the city to tap its potentials, overcome difficulties, and choose strategic targets in development. Apart from boosting economic development, Haiphong should pay due attention to the Party building work, the key task at present, Mr Manh stressed. He reminded the Haiphong Party Committee to build, perfect and raise the quality of the political system, particularly at grassroots level, and fight localism and individualism, thus making more contributions to building and defending the country. During his two-day working visit to Haiphong, General Secretary Manh called at Haiphong port, the Ha Long Confectionery Factory, and the Dinh Vang limited liability company under the Haiphong Leather and Footwear Association. He also visited Dinh Vu economic zone, Ly Hoc commune of Vinh Bao district, and had working sessions with the Command of the Military Zone III and the Haiphong naval force. (VNA) **** President commends province for effectively mitigating flood losses President Tran Duc Luong has spoken highly of efforts by Vinh Long province in mitigating human and material losses caused by recent flooding. The comment came during President Luong's two-day tour of the province from October 31 to inspect the efficiency of measures being carried out in the flood control programme and socio-economic development in the province over the past ten months. Mr Luong heard reports that by effectively carrying out a dyke embankment programme, the province was able to protect 7,573 hectares of orchard and ensure sufficient irrigation for 54,424 hectares of annual and subsidiary crops. The province lies in the lower part of the Mekong delta, therefore it always suffers longer flooding days than other localities in the delta. Being aware of that fact, Vinh Long has provided loans to local people to raise their house foundation and form residential clusters along flood discharging canals. The province has organised child-care groups in flood-hit areas to protect children from accidental drowning. During his working session with key provincial officials, President Luong heard reports that Vinh Long has made adjustment to its master socio-economic development plan, focusing on the restructuring of cultivation and animal husbandry. "To boost socio-economic development in frequently flood-stricken areas in the Mekong delta in general and in Vinh Long province in particular, it is necessary to devise proper measures and solutions to control floods," Mr Luong said. He pointed out that this year saw adverse weather and natural calamities that have caused great losses to the delta. Therefore, experiences should be drawn from the implementation of the flood control programme and the project to help locals ensure safety and stability in seasonal flooding this year to find out more reasonable and feasible solutions to overcome floods in the future, Mr Luong recommended. The formation of residential clusters to overcome floods in Vinh Long province as well as in the Mekong delta requires further study to make it more suitable to ecological conditions of the province as well as local practices, Mr Luong said. He also pointed to the need to promptly devise measures to curb landslide along the Tien and Hau rivers. President Luong reminded concerned ministries and local authorities to effectively utilise advantages brought in by floods to serve local people's production activities while mapping out solutions to mitigate losses caused by floods. President Luong visited many beneficiaries of social allowances in remote areas, the provincial dyke embankment network to protect orchard areas and VINCANCAP - a joint venture factory between Vietnam and Canada to produce empty capsules for the pharmacy service. (VNA) **** National United Front's activities reviewed The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC), on October 31, held a press briefing on the celebration of the upcoming 71st founding anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front which falls on November 18. VFFCC¹s secretary general reviewed activities of the fronts at all levels in the past and briefed celebration participants on the Front's 71st founding anniversary. The Front, in co-ordination with local Party committees and administrations, has called on people of all social strata to promote the strength of great unity and socio-economic development in localities and the implement the Resolution of the Ninth Party Congress. In the meantime, the Front has strengthened the campaign to call for the whole people to build a new lifestyle in their residential areas, help each other eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, contribute donations for flood victims and poor people and for the 'Gratitude Fund.' The Front has also praised people setting good examples on doing business and drug crime control in residential areas and areas of ethnic minority groups. Also on the occasion, the VFFCC will organise a symposium entitled 'Great unity - a main incentive for national development.¹ **** Mekong River Commission meets A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vice President of the Vietnam National Mekong Committee Nguyen Dinh Thinh is attending the eighth meeting of the Mekong River Commission, which opened in Bangkok, Thailand on November 1. The delegation also includes representatives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and members of the National Mekong Committee Office. At the meeting, the Mekong River Commission will approve the budget for the Commission's activities in 2002, procedures to exchange and share data, the regional strategy on flood control and loss reduction at the lower Mekong Basin, and a programme of action for the commission in 2002. (VNA) **** Cuban Party delegation visits A delegation of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee led by Ms Caridad Diego Bello, member of the Party Central Committee, has been on a working visit to Vietnam since October 28. Ms Bello who is also a member of the State Council and Director of the Party Central Committee's Office for Religious Affairs, and her delegation held working sessions with officials of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Mass Mobilisation and the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. Both sides discussed issues relating to mass mobilisation and religious affairs. The Cuban delegation visited the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Ninh Binh and toured a number of social and cultural establishments in Hanoi. They were received in Hanoi on November 1 by Tong Thi Phong, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee. The two sides informed each other of the situation in their respective parties and countries. They reaffirmed mutual support in the cause of national construction and defence, for peace, stability, co-operation, and development in their respective regions and the world. (VNA) **** Iodised salt using day marked Vietnam has brought down the rate of iodine deficiencies in the community to 40% from 94% registered in 1993, according to a report delivered at a meeting held in Hanoi on November 1, to mark the day for buying and using iodised salt on November 2. The day is earmarked as the centrepiece of a community awareness campaign launched nationwide under the government's decision to encourage people to use iodised salt in order to prevent goitre and other iodine deficiency diseases. "As many as 87% of the households have switched to iodised salt since the government made its decision to this effect seven years ago," the report said. "Iodine deficiencies have been pushed back and the rate of children suffering from goitre aged between eight and 12 has been reduced by half," the report noted, adding "However, more efforts should be made to lower the rate of goitre sufferers among children to 5% in the next five years." Vietnam is considered to be one of the leading countries in the South East Asian region with regard to the fight against iodine deficiencies. Vietnam plans to wipe out iodine deficiencies by 2005 with 90% of its households using iodised salt. The meeting was organised by Vietnam's Ministry of Health and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (VNA) **** Get-together with former Russian experts held Contributions by former Russian military experts and advisors to the Vietnamese people's struggle against foreign aggressors and the valuable and effective assistance by the Soviet people were highly praised by Vietnamese senior officials. Minister Consellor Vu Xuan Ninh and Military Attache Colonel Nguyen Manh Kinh of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia were among the Vietnamese guests at a get-together held in Moscow on October 30 by the Association of Russian Military Experts and Advisors who had worked in Vietnam during the anti-US resistance war for national salvation. The Association President Nicola Kolevsnic recalled his deep impressions of the time he was in Vietnam. He highlighted the Vietnamese people's struggle for national independence and freedom. He expressed sincere thanks to the Vietnamese Party, government, and people for having helped Russian military experts and advisors fulfil their international mission, thus strengthening the solidarity between the two countries. (VNA) **** Indian naval ships visit Ho Chi Minh City Two naval ships of India commanded by Colonel Saneev Bhasin, Captain of the rocket destroyer Mumbai, paid a goodwill visit to Ho Chi Minh City from October 29 to November 1. During their stay in Ho Chi Minh City, the crew members laid a wreath at the Statue of President Ho Chi Minh and paid courtesy visits to leaders of the city, the Command of Military Zone 7, and the Vietnam People's Navy in the south. They also toured cultural and historical sites and played friendly sports matches with the staff and students of the Naval Technical High School. (VNA) **** Vietnam supports increase in UN security council membership Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Chau, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, has expressed the country's strong support to the increase in the membership of the UN Security Council. Ambassador Chau was addressing the 55th session of the UN General Assembly on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters in New York on October 31. He reiterated Vietnam's strong support for the increase in the membership of the Security Council, in both permanent and non-permanent categories. Ambassador Chau told the session that as regards the new permanent members, Vietnam shares the view that developing countries must have appropriate representation at the Council, taking into account the fact that most of the issues under the authority of the Council today take place in the developing world or of vital interests to the developing countries. Developing countries from the three continents of Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean must have permanent representatives on the Council, the Vietnamese representative noted. He added that on the other hand, it is reasonable that new permanent seats should be allocated to industrialised countries that are willing to undertake greater commitments to the work of the United Nations. Vietnam supports the aspirations of countries such as India, Japan and Germany to have permanent seats in the Council, Mr Chau said. He further noted that given the fact that there are quite a number of countries which may be eligible to become new permanent members of a reformed and expanded Security Council, Vietnam is willing to support the proposal to work out rotation arrangements that will allow more countries to serve on the Council. On veto power, the Vietnamese representative pointed out that any formula of reform will fail to be satisfactory if the present veto power is to be left intact. In this respect, the Vietnamese delegation wishes to reaffirm that this power should only be used with greatest restraint and only on issues that fall under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Pending the total elimination of the veto power, Vietnam shares the view that new permanent members of the Council should enjoy this right in accordance with the principle of sovereign equality. This will also help to redress the inherent imbalance of power between the developed and the developing countries in the Council, Ambassador Chau also said. He concluded his speech by affirming that with reforms taken along these lines, Vietnam is confident that the United Nations, including the Security Council, will make further positive contributions to realising mankind's shared aspirations of peace, independence, justice and prosperity. (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] __________________________________________________
