VNA
Britain praises economic reform
Britain highly regards Vietnam's success in economic reform and is
determined to boost co-operation with the country.
British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who is on a three-day visit to
Vietnam from December 8, made the remarks to General Secretary Nong Duc Manh
of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai while
being separately received by them in Hanoi on December 10.
He also spoke highly of the traditional cultural values of Vietnam, which,
he said, was a peace-loving nation of clever, industrious and eager-to-learn
people.
The British government attaches importance to its friendship with Vietnam
and will do all it can to boost co-operation with the country in economy,
culture, science-technology, and education-training, Mr Prescott said.
Speaking to the British deputy prime minister, the Party leader affirmed
that the Vietnamese Party, State and people will continue to attach
importance to consolidating and strengthening relations with the United
Kingdom and other European Union member countries.
Mr Manh expressed Vietnam's belief that the two countries will further
expand and develop bilateral relations in the coming period in the interests
of both peoples and for peace, co-operation, and development in the world.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Khai expressed thanks to the British government
for having supported and assisted the Vietnamese people in national
construction and defence.
He noted that Britain is leading EU countries in investment in Vietnam and
British assistance has helped Vietnam implement its poverty reduction
programme and English training project.
He said he believed that the British deputy prime minister's visit would
boost the comprehensive co-operation between the two countries, create
favourable conditions for British investors to do business in Vietnam, and
facilitate Vietnam's goods into the UK market.
He also hoped that the British government would provide continued assistance
to Vietnam in training officials in the English language and economic
management.
Prime Minister Khai asked the deputy prime minister to convey an invitation
to Prime Minister Tony Blair to pay an official visit to Vietnam.
The same day, the British deputy prime minister met with Minister of
Science, Technology and Environment Chu Tuan Nha, to discuss issues relating
to bilateral co-operation in science, technology, and the environment. They
also dealt with global environmental issues in preparation for the World
Summit on Sustainable Development, which is scheduled for Johannesburg in
September of 2002. (VNA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diplomacy should serve economic tasks: PM
A key task of the diplomatic service is to serve economic activities in the
country, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai told participants at a diplomatic
service conference, which opened in Hanoi on December 10.
Prime Minister Khai stressed that the diplomatic service should make more
efforts to assist localities and local businesses with external economic
activities, especially in seeking and expanding outlets.
He pointed to the need to expand markets to every region, focusing on
developing potential markets, and actively lobbying donors and countries to
maintain their ODA grants and pour more investment into the country.
There is a need to broaden the diplomatic service's bilateral and
multilateral co-operation, the prime minister stated, stressing that
co-operation has raised Vietnam's position and prestige in the international
arena, handled disadvantages, won support and assistance from governments
and people of other countries, and further expanded the country's economic,
commercial, and tourism ties.
The prime minister said this is very important at a time when the country
has established relations with 167 nations all over the world and become a
member of many international organisations. There are currently 3,200
foreign-invested projects from 70 countries and territories in Vietnam.
In this context, it is extremely important to maintain an environment of
peace, co-operation, and development, emphasised Prime Minister Khai.
He praised efforts by the service to shift operations to suit the new
situation and its important contributions to expanding external relations
and foreign trade, creating a favourable environment for national
industrialisation and modernisation and raising Vietnam's role and prestige
in the international arena.
Prime Minister Khai stressed the country's success in socio-political
stability, successful implementation of the renovation policy, and on-going
national industrialisation and modernisation.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam, Deputy Chairman of the Party Central
Committee's Commission for External Relations Nguyen Van Son, and Chairman
of the National Assembly's Committee for External Relations Do Van Tai were
among those present at the conference.
The conference was held for diplomats to study the resolution of the Ninth
National Party Congress and to acquaint them with diplomatic tasks in the
next stage of national industrialisation and modernisation. (VNA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government members continue answering deputies' questions
Government members and heads of the State agencies continued answering
questions raised by deputies during a plenary meeting under the chairmanship
of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An on December 10, the 17th working
day of the NA's session.
Minister Hoan also answered questions by nine deputies at the hall on
relevant issues.
Chief justice of the Supreme People's Court Trinh Hong Duong answered
deputies' questions on the crimes caused by adolescents over the past three
years and measures to deal with the problem; the management of the local
people's courts on organisation; the court sector's responsibility to
postponement of serious cases which attracted much public attention and
several cases judged by the Supreme People's Court.
Chief Justice Duong also gave explanations to other issues raised by seven
deputies at the meeting.
General Procurator Ha Manh Tri answered deputies' questions on issues
relating to the procuracy work concerning the arrest and detention; the
suspension of investigations of the cases and the accused and the
criminalisation of civilian and economic cases. He also briefed the deputies
about the cases that the Procuracy and Court declared as having not
committed a crime and the compensation for those prosecuted and accused
unjustly and wrongly.
General procurator Tri also answered questions raised by 18 deputies.
After three days of hearing interpellations, NA Chairman Nguyen Van An
addressed the session, highlighting several important issues that NA
deputies and people nationwide asked in order to realise commitments by
cabinet members and heads of State agencies.
The NA continued its work at the hall today, December 11 to discuss for
approval of a resolution on amendment of and supplement to several articles
of the 1992 Constitution.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measures against traffic violations outlined for NA
Transport and Communications Minister Le Ngoc Hoan on December 10, admitted
his Ministry's slowness in issuing decrees and circulars guiding the
implementation of the Land Traffic Law.
Minister Hoan, who took his turn in the hearing session of the National
Assembly, promised that the Ministry will complete four decrees and 22
circulars before December 30 for nationwide application.
He said that measures to prevent violations of traffic regulations are to
help raise awareness of the need to observe traffic rules, punish
violations, and improve State management by enhancing co-ordination among
ministries and sectors, particularly among local administrations at all
levels.
The minister attributed increasing traffic accidents in the first ten months
of this year to poor enforcement of laws by vehicle drivers, an increasing
number of vehicles, especially Chinese motorbikes, poor traffic facilities
and State management in the field.
Mr Hoan said that unplanned repair of underground projects is not a cause of
increasing traffic accidents, but traffic jams.
The number of traffic accidents in the first ten months of the year
increased 14.6% year-on-year and fatalities, 33.4%.
The Transport Minister also answered questions raised by National Assembly
deputies on compulsory helmet wearing. (VNA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cambodian authority visits Vietnamese fire victims
Phnom Penh government representatives and representatives of the Cambodian
National Committee for Natural Disaster Management have visited and
distributed food and other essential relief items to overseas Vietnamese
fire victims.
Two fires, destroyed houses of overseas Vietnamese in Phnom Penh on November
26 and 28.
A representative of Prime Minister Hun Sen also visited the victims and sent
them presents. These families had to move to a new place.
Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia and overseas Vietnamese living in other areas
in Cambodia also visited the victims and presented them gifts, including ten
tonnes of rice, medicines and clothes.
The first fire was started when children played with matches and the second
one was from a gas tanker inside the kitchen of a overseas Vietnamese family
living in Phnom Penh, according to the city's police chief.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conditions for religious practice ensured:
protestant dignitaries
Dignitaries of Protestant churches in the Central Highlands provinces have
expressed thanks to the Party and State for creating favourable conditions
for religious activities, including those of their sect.
The dignitaries were speaking to Truong Quang Duoc, Politburo member of the
Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPV CC) and Director of the
CPV CC Commission for Mass Mobilisation, in a reception in Hanoi on December
10.
They condemned hostile forces for sowing seeds of division among ethnic
groups and the religious community in Central Highlands region recently.
The dignitaries pledged that they will mobilise Protestant followers to
follow the orientation put forth by the Vietnam Protestant Church of living
the gospel amidst the nation.
The Party leader briefed his guests on the country's socio-economic
development, national unity, and religious policies. He said he hoped that
Protestant dignitaries will actively mobilise local religious believers to
engage in socio-economic development activities and the fight against
poverty and hunger.
Mr Duoc also asked the Protestant dignitaries to call on local believers to
join efforts with the entire population to carry out national renovation and
development, safeguard the nation and maintain political security and social
order. (VNA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vietnam attends Sao Paulo Forum
A Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) delegation attended the 10th meeting of
the Sao Paulo Forum held in Havana, Cuba, from December 4-7.
The delegation was led by Mai Van Nam, member of the CPV Central Committee
and Vice-Chairman of its Inspection Commission.
The meeting drew delegations from 112 communist, workers', and leftist
parties, progressive and revolutionary movements in Latin America and the
Carribean, and more than 100 delegations from other parts of the world.
The Vietnamese delegation met some other delegations, and had a working
session with a delegation from the Communist Party of Cuba Central
Committee's Inspection Commission.
It also visited the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Other Peoples (ICAP)
and the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association headquarters. They attended a
meeting of the Permanent Secretariat of the Organisation for Solidarity with
Asian, African and Latin American People. (VNA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remains of US MIAs repatriated
The remains of two American servicemen listed as missing in action were
handed over to the US Full Accounting Joint Task Force (JTF-FA) by a
representative of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) in
Hanoi on December 10.
The remains were found during the 67th Vietnam-US search, which lasted for
one month and began October 4. They went through primary forensic tests in
Hanoi.
This is the 84th time Vietnam has repatriated the remains of US servicemen
to the US government since 1973. The remains of 791 US servicemen who died
in action during the Vietnam war have been found.
The US government representative highly valued the humanitarian policy and
co-operation of the government and people of Vietnam in the search for MIAs.
(VNA)
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