VNA
Public security force must be unceasingly strengthened: Party leader The public security force must be unceasingly strengthened, qualitatively and professionally, to meet our society's newly-arisen requirements, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has said. Speaking in a working session with the People's Police force in Hanoi on October 9, he stressed that the people's security force must raise their political awareness, revolutionary determination, and professional capacity so as to be able to work out by itself appropriate solutions to successfully address national security issues and maintain social order. It is the responsibility of the force to persistently protect the Party and the socialist regime and to fight social evils, Mr Manh noted. The Party leader reminded the entire force to establish close contacts with, offer enthusiastic services to, and rely on the people while carrying out their assignments. He pointed out that security defence and the maintenance of social order is the entire people's cause. He advised the public security force to attach importance to personnel training and improving the quality of its contingent so that it can effectively fulfill assigned tasks. The Party leader pointed out that Party building work is the core of building up the country's proficient and advanced revolutionary people's security force. He told the force to continue carrying out the Party Central Committee's Resolution on Party building to significantly improve not only the political and ideological awareness but also the lifestyle of its members. Also on this occasion, Mr Manh lauded efforts and great triumphs gained by the force in the recent past. He noted that the public security force has played an active role in mobilising the people to join efforts to ensure political security, maintain social order, and form a community-based security disposition. "The public security force has made great contributions to preventing and wiping out dangerous criminal rings, enabling the people to live in peace," Mr Manh said, adding that a major part of the public security force is absolutely loyal to the Party and the people as a number of them had sacrificed their lives while fulfilling their assignment of defending the people. Thousands of these members who died in the line of duty have been honoured by the Party, State, and people. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Spain PMs look for ways to boost ties Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his Spanish counterpart Jose Maria Aznar exchanged notes on a number of key issues in a bid to unceasingly strengthen and develop the bilateral ties between the two countries as well as other issues of mutual concern during talks held on October 8 in Spain. Prime Ministers Khai and Aznar held talks immediately after the official ceremony held at the Moncloa Palace to welcome Vietnam's visiting prime minister. They also discussed measures to enhance co-operation and support to each other in international and regional forums, in the interests of the peoples of both countries, for peace, stability in the region and the world. After the talks, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of a framework agreement on development co-operation between Vietnam and Spain. The signatories were Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and Spain's Minister of State Miguel Angel Cortes. At a joint press briefing held after the talks, both prime ministers spoke highly of agreements and framework agreements on bilateral development co-operation which, they said, would facilitate the promotion of trade, co-operation and investment between the two countries. When being asked to comment on the on-going US attacks against terrorism in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai stressed that Vietnam opposes terrorism and is willing to co-operate to fight against terrorism on the basis of international laws. He also said that Vietnam protests against any abuse of anti-terrorist moves that violate the national sovereignty and independence of sovereign nations, causing casualties and losses to civilians. Vietnam demands an end to, and no recurrence of war, he added. **** Measures sought to stabilise the lives of people in flooded areas Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on October 8 met with leaders of four Cuu Long (Mekong) river delta provinces to discuss measures to stabilise the lives of people in flooded areas. The deputy prime minister asked the four provinces, Dong Thap, Long An, An Giang and Kien Giang to boost flood relief and health care work and to fight hunger, the spread of disease epidemics and the extensive homelessness. He also asked local officials and people to make necessary preparations to get back to work as soon as the floodwaters recede. This year, the government will invest VND 500 billion for these localities to help stabilise the people�s lives. At the meeting, a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development presented a set of draft strategies to cope with the annual floods. An integral part of the project is the ministry�s plan to divert water currents into the Gulf of Thailand to reduce water levels during the flood season. The Long An provincial authorities also presented the deputy PM with their rehabilitation programme for flooded areas which will see the construction of 140 residential areas, 242 public wells and 671 kilometres of road and the dredging of 913 canals. The flood has killed 221 people mostly children as of Monday. Losses and damage are estimated at VND 700 billion. **** US Senate's approval of BTA welcomed The US Senate's approval of the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with an overwhelming majority vote has made a huge leap towards a full normalisation of the two countries' relations, the Vietnam-US Friendship Association has said. In a statement released on October 9, the friendship organisation said that full normalisation of relations would be beneficial to both peoples and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in South East Asia and the rest of the world. The organisation took the opportunity to express thanks to American organisations and individuals who had been active in speeding up the ratification process of the BTA and promoting mutual understanding, friendship, and co-operative ties between the two nations. "We believe that advancing towards a full normalisation of bilateral relations and promoting multi-faceted co-operation will help the two countries improve their ties," said the organisation. However, the Vietnam-US Friendship Association expressed a great concern over the so-called 'Vietnam Human Rights Act' passed by the US House of Representatives on September 6, which is now awaiting the US Senate's vote. Its statement said "We are deeply concerned that the Act's contents are quite different from the reality in Vietnam, and it deeply interferes with Vietnam's internal affairs, violates the United Nations Charter and basic principles of international law, encourages illegal forces to run against the Vietnamese government, and threatens the healthy development of the two countries' relationship." "We propose that the US Senate drop the Act from its agenda in the long-term and basic interest of the two nations," concluded the statement. (VNA) **** Hanoi celebrates liberation day A meeting was organised on October 9 to celebrate the 47th anniversary of Hanoi liberation (October 10,1954 - October 10, 2001) and praise �good people, good deeds� in 2001. Addressing the meeting, Mr Hoang Van Nghien, member of the Party Central Committee and chairman of Hanoi People�s Committee review the history of 47 years ago, when Hanoi was jubilant receiving the triumphant army to liberate the capital. He stressed that the event marked a turning point of great significance, opening a new glorious period in the capital 1,000-year-old history. Developing the revolutionary and the patriotism emulation traditions, in the past many years, Hanoi has always pushed forwards the emulation movement �Good people, good deeds� in all activities in all fields, making it a wide and deep mass movement. In 2001, Hanoi has 96 units and 42 families recognised as exemplary ones and 798 �Good people, good deeds� individuals at municipal level. In his speech, the chairman also expressed Hanoi�s determination to successfully fulfil the 2001 socio-economic objectives and tasks, and making active preparations for the next year�s plan and the 2001-2005 five-year plan. On behalf of �Good people,� Mr Nguyen Cu Tam, director of Hanoi Import-Export- Production Company; Mr Do Lien Hoa, a farmer in Xuan Dinh village on the outskirts; and Mr Luong Tat Dat, a teacher of Hanoi-Amsterdam Junior High School contributed opinions, expressing their honour and pride and promising to do more good deeds. **** Vietnam's land and people introduced on Serbian television A programme on the land and people of Vietnam was shown on the Radio Television of Serbia (RTS-I) on the evening of October 8. The 50-minute programme featured beautiful scenery of the Hanoi capital, the imperial city of Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the Vietnamese people's customs and habits, culture, education, health care, sports, and achievements in the 15 years of the renovation process. The director of the programme said that it aimed to introduce to the Serbian people to Vietnam's tradition of heroic struggle for national defence and industrious labour in national construction. An elderly person who lived in Beograd said that for many years he only knew Vietnam through its struggles against French and American aggressors. He now knows that Vietnam is emerging as an 'Asian dragon.' He expressed his wish that the Vietnamese people would under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, gain more achievements, thus firmly advancing on the path of socialist construction towards the goal of a prosperous people, a strong country, and an equitable, democratic and civilised society. (VNA) **** ASEAN conference on co-operation in Mekong basin held Representatives from the ten ASEAN member countries and from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea attended the third conference on ASEAN Mekong River Basin Development Co-operation (AMBDC) held in Thailand on October 8. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Tuyen Hoang. At the conference, the participants expressed their determination to co-operate in implementing of the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)'s decision on a decade for Mekong development (2000-2009). They assessed the programmes on capital provision for the region's socio-economic development which were worked out in 1996 but have not yet been implemented due to the Asia economic crisis in 1997. AMBDC was set up in 1996 to ensure a steady development of the Mekong river basin, encourage the negotiation process, define co-operation projects, and accelerate economic exchanges between ASEAN and countries stretching along the Mekong river. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Laos border provinces pledge to strengthen common security Central Quang Binh province has agreed with its neighbouring Savannakhet province of Laos to further joint efforts in strengthening security along their common borderline and promote traditional good neighbourliness. The agreement was reached during a Quang Binh province visit from October 7-9 by a delegation from Savannakhet province led by its governor Sinlua Bunkhoum. The two provinces agreed to regularly exchange information and experience in national defence and security, and make joint efforts in safeguarding their national security as well as in cracking down on criminals for a stable common borderline. Authorities of the two provinces also discussed measures to boost bilateral economic co-operation in such fields as agriculture, industry, handicrafts, infrastructure construction, and irrigation. The Lao delegation visited some production establishments and scenic spots in Dong Hoi town and the Bo Trach district in Quang Binh province. (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] __________________________________________________
