VNA National Assembly opens 10th session The 10th session of the 10th National Assembly (NA) opened today, November 20 at the Ba Dinh Hall, Hanoi. Before coming to attend the session, NA deputies held meetings with voters to receive their opinions and proposals so that the deputies can reflect voters' issues of concern to the NA. Deputies also held a meeting to discuss the contents of the agenda of the session. Over the recent past, the NA's Standing Committee and the government have asked relevant agencies to complete all preparations for the session. The NA held a preparatory meeting on November 19 to approve the session's agenda and debate other issues of concern. **** Activities mark Teachers� Day Many activities were held nationwide to mark the Vietnamese Teachers� Day, November 20. The Ministry of Education and Training held a meeting with 141 outstanding teachers in remote areas of 21 provinces. At the meeting, the ministry authorities praised the efforts and achievements of teachers in remote areas, promising that the ministry would create most favourable conditions for teachers in these areas. The Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City held a meeting to praise units and individuals of the 2000-2001 school year. Also on this occasion, the city trade union for education and training, with the city�s study encouraging fund, has donated teachers in five poor districts of Binh Chanh, Can Gio, Cu Chi, Nha Be and Hoc Mon. On November 19, the organisers of the Vo Truong Toan Prize present awards to 22 excellent teachers. An exhibition on education and training was opened by the city Department of Education and Training and the Department of Culture and Information. Marking the Teachers� Day, the Party Committee held a meeting with excellent teachers. A meeting of outstanding teachers was held in the southern province of Vinh Long. One hundred and twelve teachers in the province were presented with certificates of merit from the Ministry of Education and Training. The Department of Education and Training of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau visited and presented gifts to poor teachers in the province. The department also presented televisions to eight primary schools in the province�s remote areas. The University of Natural Science, under the Hanoi National University, held a solemn meeting to the mark the Teachers� Day and the university�s 45th anniversary on November 19. Over the past 45 years, the university, as the leading university, has trained thousands of researchers, cadres and teachers, making a great contribution to the cause of national development. Many graduates of the university are now leading researchers at home and abroad. **** Ambassadors present credentials to Mozambique President, Norwegian King Mozambique's President Joaquim Alberto Chissano expressed his wish for further enhancement of comprehensive co-operation with Vietnam, particularly in agricultural production, exchange of commodities, investment, health, education and natural calamity control experience. President Joaquim Alberto Chissano was speaking in Maputo on November 14 when Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Huu Dung who recently presented his credentials to the President. Mozambique and Vietnam share many similarities and traditional political ties, the president said, adding that this is a firm foundation for accelerating economic and commercial co-operation in the interests of the two peoples in coming years. While speaking to Vietnamese Ambassador to Norway, Vu Quang Diem, in Oslo on November 14, Norwegian King Harald V highly praised the relations between his country and Vietnam and expressed his wish that these ties be further developed. Ambassador Vu Quang Diem expressed thanks to the Norwegian government and people for their support and assistance to the Vietnamese people in their historical struggle for national liberation and in the current phase of national development. He conveyed greetings from President Tran Duc Luong to Norwegian King Harald V and invited him to visit Vietnam soon. The Norwegian King accepted the invitation with pleasure and said that the visit will be arranged at a convenient time. (VNA) **** Thua Thien-Hue praised for efforts to overcome flood aftermath Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh praised the provincial Party Committee and the people of the central Thua Thien-Hue province for their great effort to overcome the consequences of the floods and gain more socio-economic achievements over the past two years. She also said that Thua Thien-Hue paid much attention to economic development and social affairs so that it has successfully built a sound social environment and preserved the national cultural identity. Vice President Binh asked the province to pay more attention to resolve social problems, particularly the child protection and care work. The Vice president paid a working visit to the province on November 18 and 19. She called on and presented gifts to disabled children at the Rehabilitation Centre in Hoa Binh village and people in Hai Duong commune, Huong Tra district which was heavily eroded during the floods. **** Vietnam wishes to develop ties with Argentina Vietnam wants to bolster multi-faceted relations with Argentina in particular and Latin American countries in general, permanent Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dinh Bin told the visiting First Vice Foreign Minister of the Republic of Argentina Horacio A Chighizola in their talks in Hanoi on November 19. At the talks, Vice Foreign Minister Bin welcomed Horacio A Chighizola on his three-day visit starting on November 18. He recognised the visit as a contribution to accelerating relations between the two countries, particularly in economic and trade development. Mr Bin introduced potential areas for investment in Vietnam to his guests after briefing them on the country's socio-economic development and foreign relations activities in recent times. The two parties discussed practical measures to further boost their economic and commercial ties and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern. They also prepared the contents of the second meeting of the joint inter-governmental commission for economic co-operation, scheduled for March, 2002, in Argentina. Also today, the visiting Argentinean Vice Foreign Minister was received by Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, Trade Minister Vu Khoan and Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Chu Tuan Nha. At these functions, Chighizola expressed his pleasure at visiting Vietnam and witnessing some of the significant achievements the Vietnamese people have made in the development process. He informed the Vietnamese leaders of Argentina's socio-economic situation as well as the measures and efforts by his government to take the country out of the current economic crisis. Vice Foreign Minister Chighizola asserted that Argentina has attached importance and attention to developing co-operation and friendship with Vietnam, both politically and economically. He expressed the opinion that the two countries have good potential for co-operation, especially in trade and economy. During the visit, the Argentinean Vice Foreign Minister signed a co-operative agreement with Vice Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Hoang Van Huay on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes between the two governments. (VNA) **** Northern region sees early cold spell The temperature of the northern region is expected to drop and that of the high mountainous areas may be below zero Celsius degree and there may be frost and hoarfrost on November 20. This is the earliest cold spell since 1983. In the past days, the temperature of the north has been low. In the high mountainous areas of Sin Ho of Lai Chau, Sapa of Lao Cai, the temperature was only 1-4 degrees Celsius. There will be rains in central coastal areas and it will be cold in the north south. **** Flood and storm victims receive more help Flood and storm victims are receiving more money and other necessities from individuals and organisations nationwide. To date, more than 220,000 households in the Cuu Long (Mekong) river delta are in great need of relief aid. The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs has asked the government to provide 3,000 tonnes of rice and VND 28 billion to help these flood victims stabilise their lives. Vinh Long province has proposed the government to provide VND 49.430 billion to help the locals restore their production and build anti-flood residential areas. Hanoi city has sent VND 800 million as a relief aid to five flood-hit provinces in Mekong river delta, including Can Tho, Long An, Kien Giang, An Giang and Dong Thap and three central provinces recently hit by Lingling typhoon, including Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen. Each will receive VND 100 million. As of November 18, Binh Dinh province's authorities had transferred to the storm-hit victims 36 tonnes of rice, 1,100 boxes of instant noodles, 2,370 square metres of canvas, 2,400 notebooks and 1,000 litres of kerosene. The city administration has built four temporary residential areas for 100 households whose houses were pulled down during the storm. The provincial People's Committee has provided preferential loans worth VND 4.5 billion to fishermen. The city's Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has set up a plan to provide low-interest loans to fishermen to repair and build new fishing boats. The Saigon Trade Corporation has sold at lower price necessities including clothes, sugar, and milk worth VND 700 million for flood victims in Cai Be and Cai Lay districts, Tien Giang province. Businesspeople in Cho Hom-Duc Vien market, Hanoi have collected VND 16 million for natural calamity-affected people. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
