VNA
Party leader attaches importance to national unityCommunist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh said on Thursday that great national unity remains not only a question of the present time but also a basic and long-term issue of Vietnam's revolution as well as its existence and development. The Party leader made the remarks while addressing a workshop entitled 'Great national unity - the main driving force for national industrialisation and modernisation as well as for construction and defence of socialist Vietnam'. Also attending the workshop, which was held in Hanoi on November 15 by the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, were Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and other senior Party and government officials. Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh said: "A major lesson of Vietnam's revolution, which has been summarised in the Communist Party of Vietnam's platform on national construction in the transitional period towards socialism, is that revolution is the cause of the people, by the people, and for the people." In his speech, Mr Manh called on the entire Party and people to strive for great national unity, considering it a responsibility of the entire political system and the whole society. "The strength of the entire nation results from traditional and modern strengths, material and spiritual strengths as well as the strength of natural resources, wealth, and potential - especially the potential of human resources," Mr Manh said. "This is the major internal strength helping the country to fully absorb and effectively use resources from outside in order to generate an aggregate strength for national development in line with the objective of a prosperous people, a strong country, and an equitable, democratic, and civilised society," he stressed. The Party leader viewed the promotion of great national unity and the national united front as a common responsibility not only for the Vietnam Fatherland Front but also for the entire political system. "However," he added, "the Vietnam Fatherland Front plays an important role in building and consolidating Vietnam's national unity for national construction and defence as well as national industrialisation and modernisation." He concluded: "In the years of renovation, the Vietnam Fatherland Front has done all in its capacity to launch a wide range of movements and operations to help actively solve many pressing problems in the community." (VNA) **** President meets leaders of the Philippine legislature President Tran Duc Luong, now on an official visit to the Philippines, received on separate occasions Acting President Manuel Villar of the Senate and Acting Speaker Raul Gonzales of the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Manila on November 15. The two Philippine legislative leaders warmly welcomed President Luong's visit. They briefed the Vietnamese on the activities of the Senate and the House of Representatives to promote co-operative ties with Vietnam's National Assembly, especially the two sides' co-operation within the framework of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO). The two Philippine leaders praised the great achievements of the Vietnamese people in their renovation process and national construction. They expressed their satisfaction over the fine development of the neighbourliness and multifaceted co-operation between the two countries in recent years. They said they hoped that the visit would contribute to further strengthening the relations between the two countries and between the two legislative bodies. President Luong highly valued the role of the Senate of the Philippines in stabilising the situation in the country, thus contributing to the prosperity of the Philippines and raising the country's role in regional and international forums. President Luong informed Acting Senate President Villar and Acting House of Representatives Speaker Gonzales about the results of his talks with President Gloria Arroyo. He said, he highly appreciated the co-operation between the two legislative bodies within the framework of the AIPO. Mr Luong went on to say that he hoped the two sides would further their co-operation and exchange of experiences following the framework of bilateral and multilateral co-operation, contributing to further consolidating and developing Vietnam-Philippines neighbourly and co-operative relations. (VNA) **** President visits Philippine rice research institute President Tran Duc Luong and his entourage visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of the Philippines, about 100 kilometres to the south of Manila, on November 15. IRRI General Director Ronald Cantrell informed President Luong of his institute's successful research on new rice seeds of high quality and productivity over the past 40 years. He also briefed the Vietnamese leader of the co-operation between Vietnam and the IRRI over the past 38 years in the application of bio-technology into creating new rice seeds, producing wet rice, managing and protecting the environment, and training rice experts. The IRRI has so far created 400 new varieties of seeds, 90 of which have been planted on 60% of Vietnam's rice growing area and 90% of its wet rice growing area. President Luong spoke highly of the IRRI's contributions to the selection of rice seeds and poverty reduction in the world. The Vietnamese leader expressed his delight at the development of the co-operation between Vietnam and the Philippines in agriculture, particularly rice research and production, and between the IRRI and Vietnam's agricultural research centres. He expressed his hope that both countries would continue to co-operate and develop in this domain, thus contributing to a sustainable development of both countries' rice production sectors, the prosperity of both peoples and development in the region. While visiting the IRRI, President Luong met with Vietnamese people who are working and studying at the Institute and the Los Banos Agriculture University. He asked them to learn scientific and technological advances and production experiences to serve the country as well as join efforts with their international colleagues to contribute to Vietnam's process of regional and international integration. (VNA) **** Vietnamese, Philippine leaders affirm wish for multi-form co-operation Vietnam and the Philippines have expressed their common wish for multi-form co-operation in the future. The affirmation came during a banquet hosted by Philippine President Gloria Arroyo in honour of her Vietnamese counterpart Tran Duc Luong, who has been in the Philippines for a three-day official visit, in Manila on November 14. President Arroyo pointed to the great significance of the current visit by President Tran Duc Luong as it took place at the time when the two countries celebrate their 25th diplomatic anniversary. She recalled the fact that the Philippines was one of the first countries in South East Asia to have established diplomatic ties with unified Vietnam. The Philippines established diplomatic ties with Vietnam with the belief that regional stability and security can only be ensured when South East Asian nations maintain their friendship and co-operation, President Arroyo told her guest. The Philippine leader held that cultural and historic similarities between the two countries have helped expand bilateral ties to all domains over the past 25 years. After praising Vietnam's renovation gains, President Arroyo wished the Vietnamese people even greater achievements in carrying out national industrialisation and modernisation. President Luong expressed his satisfaction at the fruitful development of relations between Vietnam and the Philippines, bilaterally, within the framework of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and also internationally. The Vietnamese leader said he hoped that Vietnam and the Philippines would stand side by side in the 21st century, striving for the prosperity of their respective countries and contributing to ASEAN unity and co-operation. (VNA) **** Cambodian Sam Rainsy Congressmen's border demand "unrealistic" The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Vietnam on November 15 rejected territorial border demands made by a few Congressmen of Cambodia's Sam Rainsy Party as "unrealistic" and inimical to the current spirit of good neighbourliness shared by the two countries. In reply to a question by the Vietnam News Agency's correspondent on this matter, the spokesperson said: "Vietnam and Cambodia have maintained friendly relations and multi-faceted co-operation on the principle of respect for each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference into each other's internal affairs." "Vietnam has always observed the agreements on the common borderline signed with Cambodia. The governments of Vietnam and Cambodia are actively co-operating with each other to early solve the outstanding problems on the territorial border between the two countries in line with the basic principles of international law and other legal documents, including the 1993 Constitution and official statements of the Kingdom of Cambodia, striving to build a common borderline of peace, friendship, co-operation, and lasting stability," the spokesperson stressed. The spokesperson made it clear that the territorial border demands made by these Sam Rainsy Congressmen are not realistic with regard to the current negotiations about border control between the two countries. They are inimical to the current fine development of friendly and neighbourly relations and multi-form co-operation between the two nations. They also run counter to the will and aspiration of the State and people of Cambodia, the spokesperson concluded. (VNA) **** Results of Vietnam-US scientific and technical co-operation commission praised Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem praised the results of the first session of the Vietnam-US Intergovernmental Commission for Scientific and Technical Co-operation while he received Mr Norman Neureiter, chairman of the US sub-commission to the session and scientific advisor to the US Secretary of State. Deputy Prime Minister Khiem said the session had built the working regulations, created a legal basis for the two countries to begin co-operation in science and technology, and brought about a consensus on the orientation and areas for their co-operation programme in the coming years. The programme will focus on areas such as information technology, energy, environmental protection, research on sea and aquatic products, hydro-meteorology, agriculture, and the training of scientific workers. They are fundamental matters of great significance, helping to pave the way for lasting co-operation between the two countries, Mr Khiem said, adding that the results would also help promote Vietnam-US co-operative ties in various fields. Norman Neureiter thanked the government and relevant agencies of Vietnam for their help to the commission. He said he hoped that after the meeting, members of the US delegation, who represent many ministries and services, would promote co-operation between the US and Vietnam in their fields of activity. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Iran should boost co-operation for development: NA deputy chairman Vietnam and Iran share many similarities and the two countries should strengthen their relationship and co-operation for development, said National Assembly Deputy Chairman Nguyen Phuc Thanh. Mr Thanh told the head of a visiting delegation from the Iran-Vietnam Parliamentarians' Friendship Group, Esmaeel Jabbar Zadeh, in Hanoi on November 15, that the two nations have always stood side-by-side in the struggle for independence and freedom. He expressed his high appreciation for the fine development of the relations between the two countries' legislative bodies, saying that it would contribute to accelerating the implementation of agreements signed between the two governments and promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. Mr Thanh also expressed his joy at the two national assemblies' establishment of the parliamentarians' friendship groups, which have contributed to boosting bilateral co-operation in economic and cultural fields. E J Zadeh said he hoped Iran and Vietnam would develop co-operative ties in all political, economic, cultural, and social domains. The Iranian delegation had working sessions with Chairman of the National Assembly's External Relations Committee, Do Van Tai, and Chairman of the Vietnam-Iran Friendship Parliamentarians Group, Vu Manh Kha, the same day. It called at many economic, historic, and cultural establishments in Hanoi, northern Quang Ninh, and Ha Tay provinces. (VNA) **** Vietnamese, German trade unions promote ties Mr Nguyen Van Dung, director of Vietnam General Confederation of Labour's External Relations Department, and Ms Allewedt Karin Renate, director of German Trade Union Federation's Department for International Affairs agreed, during their talks in Hanoi on November 14, to issues of priority for the two organisations' co-operation in the coming period. Ms Renate is on a working visit to Vietnam as guest of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. She held talks in Hanoi on November 13 with 80 Vietnamese trade union representatives on operations of trade unions in East European countries in the transitional period. She spoke about operations and experiences of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) and its members; international co-operation and financial activities of trade unions; and trade union activities in the context of market mechanisms. She also introduced the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Union (ICFTU) and discussed experiences of trade union organisations in Middle and East European countries in the transitional period. (VNA) _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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