VNA President concludes regional tour President Tran Duc Luong and his entourage returned from the Philippines on November 16, concluding their official friendship visits to three ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. During his visit to the Philippines, President Luong held talks with President Gloria Arroyo and received Acting President Manuel Villar of the Senate, and Acting President Raul Gonzales of the House of Representatives. In addition to meeting with Vietnamese and Philippine business people, President Luong also visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and some relic sites. Speaking to Vietnamese and Philippine business people, Luong praised the great efforts made by businesses, agencies, and associations of the two countries' business communities in overcoming difficulties, maintaining and expanding operations of effective projects, and raising two-way trade turnover between the two countries to US $540 million in 2000 from US $460 million in 1999. The president noted with satisfaction the effective way in which business people have used trade markets between the two countries. He asked them to further strengthen the bilateral co-operation in agriculture, investment, trade, and education. Mr Luong assured the latter of the Vietnamese government's intention to create the most favourable conditions possible for foreign investors, including the Philippines. Vietnam will continue to expand areas for investment and boost commercial activities to match up with the political relations, the potential and aspirations of each country. Strong Vietnam-Philippines relations will contribute to peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the Asian-Pacific region and the world as a whole. The Vietnamese president stressed that promoting relations between the two countries, and within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has become more vital to regional countries in the present situation of complicated changes in the world. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bold measures to promote co-operation with Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines State President Tran Duc Luong said on November 16 that he and leaders of Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines had agreed to seek bold measures to form a framework for long-term co-operation and closer friendship between their countries in the 21st century. "Immediately, importance will be attached to measures to broaden their bilateral co-operation in many areas as well as to help each other in surmounting difficulties and challenges caused by regional and global economic recession," the president said in an interview with reporters who accompanied him on the freshly-concluded South East Asia tour. He added "This will help effectively tap each country's potential in economics, trade, and investment as well as ensure growth in the two-way trade between Vietnam and the three South East Asian countries in line with the new forms of co-operation suitable to the new situation." "New directions for labour co-operation between Vietnam and Brunei have been opened," President Luong said, stressing that "Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and cabinet ministers of Brunei agreed that Brunei is willing to receive Vietnamese workers in the health care, fisheries, and construction industries." During the visits lasting from November 10-16, Vietnam and these countries also agreed to promote co-operation between them in economics, trade and investment and to broaden multilateral co-operation in the regional and international arena as well. He further said that his South East Asia trip was made to continue carrying out Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and openness set forth by the Ninth National Party Congress, promoting friendship and co-operation not only between Vietnam and these countries but also within the ASEAN framework. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NA's 10th session to start on November 20 The 10th session of the 10th National Assembly (NA) will open on November 20 at Ba Dinh Hall, Hanoi and is expected to last for one month. At a press conference held on November 16 to brief about the tenth session of the 10th NA, Mr Vu Mao, member of the NA's Standing Committee, said that the NA will consider and give opinions on the implementation of tasks in 2001 and orientations for 2002; on socio-economic development in the 2001-2005 period; budget revenue and expenditure of this year, estimated budget for next year and the balance of payments of the State budget of last year. Other issues concerning socio-economy, national defence, security, foreign affairs and the ratification of the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement will also come up for discussions. NA deputies will also debate the prime minister's report; reports of the NA's Standing Committee, the Council of Nationalities and committees of NA, the People's Supreme Court, the People's Supreme Procuracy; reports on law enforcement and the meeting of voters' petitions. The NA will also answer questions raised by deputies. The NA plans to approve a Resolution on the amendment to and supplement of the 1992 Constitution and the draft Law on revised NA's Organisation and the draft Law on the Government's Organisation, amendment to the Law on Election to the NA and the legislative agenda for 2002. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PM urges security force to be vigilant Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has called on the entire security force to remain vigilant against hostile forces to ensure national security and social order. "We must never neglect, even for a minute, our duty to defend the nation in order to firmly safeguard Vietnam's national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," Prime Minister Khai said in an address he gave to a meeting held in Hanoi on� November 16, by the Institute of People's Security (of the Ministry of Public Security) to mark its 55th anniversary. Prime Minister Khai stressed, "The struggle to defend national security, social order and public safety has become a common duty of the entire Party and people with the security force as the centrepiece." The prime minister also lauded the relentless efforts made by the Institute over the past 55 years, saying, "the institute has trained a great number of security officers and leading officials for the Ministry of Public Security. All are loyal to the Party and government and prepared to sacrifice their lives for national security, enabling the people of Vietnam to live in peace." Since it was founded, the Institute of People's Security has trained more than 70,000 security men and officers, including over 10,000 university graduates and hundreds of post-graduates. On this occasion, the Institute was awarded the title of Hero of the Armed Forces by the State in recognition of its achievements over the past decades. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Relief aid provided to storm victims Money and consignments are being sent to victims of the Lingling tropical storm which hit central Vietnam early this week. Binh Dinh province has spent VND 15 billion to buy food, medicine, clothes and repair damaged houses for storm-affected households. The provincial administration has provided ten kilograms of rice for six months to each person of households whose fishing boats were sunk or damaged during the storm and gave VND 2.5 billion to repair each damaged ship. The local authorities also granted preferential loans to the locals to repair and build new ships and VND 20 billion in loans for businesses to restore their production. VND 300 million has been collected for storm victims as of November 16. The provincial Red Cross Society gave 600 packages of gift worth VND 77 million to affected families. The Military Zone 5 Command has sent 3,700 soldiers to storm-hit communes to help the local people overcome the aftermath of the natural calamity. The Command has also spent VND 94 million to buy necessities for the locals. To date, the Fatherland Front and districts of Hanoi have collected VND 1.2 billion for natural calamity-hit victims in the Mekong river delta and in the centre. Ninh Thuan province has sent VND 10 million to Quang Ngai storm-ravaged province. Earlier, theprovince donated VND 40 million to Binh Dinh and Phu Yen provinces. Vinh Phuc province has collected VND 240 million from a donation campaign for storm victims. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vietnam joins FAO's food programmes for Laos, Congo Vietnam's Ambassador to Italy Le Vinh Thu has signed an agreement on behalf of the prime minister on tripartite co-operation between the Vietnamese and Lao governments and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for developing a special programme on food security in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR). Speaking at the signing ceremony, Henry Karsalade, assistant to the FAO director general, said, "This is the fifth agreement Vietnam has signed, making it one of the biggest participants in such programmes." He also praised Vietnam's close co-operation with FAO in implementing FAO-initiated food security programmes in developing countries through south-south co-operation. Ambassador Thu said: "The signing of the Vietnam-Laos-FAO tripartite agreement affirms Vietnam's increasing participation in FAO's action programmes for helping low income countries which are not food-sufficient." He also thanked FAO for giving Vietnam opportunities and favourable conditions to take part in food security programmes in developing countries within the framework of south-south co-operation. Mr Thu also affirmed Vietnam's commitment to work closely with FAO and other concerned parties in making these programmes a success. Earlier in Hanoi, empowered by the Prime Minister, Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Cao Duc Phat signed another agreement on tripartite co-operation between Vietnam, the Congo and FAO in implementing a special food security programme in the Republic of Congo. The agreement was signed at the FAO headquarters in Italy on November12 by the _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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