VNA
President Luong praises HCM Highway Construction workers President Tran Duc Luong expressed his heartfelt gratitude to and highly commended all the workers and engineers on the national Ho Chi Minh Highway in general and on the Ngoc Hoi-Thanh My-Hien belonging to Kon Tum Central Highlands province and Quang Nam central province. This was particularly to recognise their great efforts in overcoming difficulties, both geographical and climatic, at the section now under intensive construction. President Luong made a tour from January 10 to 12 to visit workers and engineers who are building the Ho Chi Minh Highway at the section from Ngoc Hoi at Kon Tum province to Thanh My and Hien districts of Quang Nam province. Talking with workers there, President Luong said he highly appreciated their efforts and creativity to gain initial successes. He also stressed the need to give better care to both material and spiritual life as well as the working and living conditions of the workers. He urged the concerned ministries, branches and Project Management Board to pay more attention to the planning of residential areas and the protection of the ecological environment while carry out this phase as well as the next phases. Members of the construction units vowed to step up a labour emulation campaign to build the Ho Chi Minh Highway with the 'best quality and quickest implementation speed together with ensuring labour safety and financial efficiency. **** PM calls at Trung Ha bridge construction site Prime Minister Phan Van Khai called at the construction site of Trung Ha bridge, the final one linking the Highway 32 from Tay Bac to Hanoi, in Ba Vi, Ha Tay province on January 13. General Director Tran Duc Tru and General Director of Thang Long Construction Corporation (bidder) Chu Quang Van informed the prime minister of the process of constructing Trung Ha bridge on behalf of the management board of Thang Long project. Trung Ha bridge is 743 metres long and belongs to the Highway 32. It links Ha Tay and Phu Tho provinces. The system of the bridge�s foundation has been completed after 24 months under construction. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai praised leaders of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the management board of the project and the bidder. On the occasion of the New Year, the prime minister presented gifts to workers and engineers who are building the bridge and expressed his wish that the bridge will be completed as scheduled. * PM inspects construction work on national sport complex PM Phan Van Khai visits the construction site of national sport complex. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on January 12, made an inspection tour of the national sports complex under construction on the outskirts of Hanoi. The complex will include Vietnam's largest stadium and other sport and infrastructure facilities, that will serve the SEA Games 22 to be hosted by the country in 2003. The construction of the central stadium, boasting 41,500 seats, including 21,000 under roofing, and the first phase of the technical infrastructure for the complex, is underway. "This is an important project to accommodate the 22nd SEA Games to be hosted by Vietnam for the first time in 2003, and also a cultural and sporting venue to make Hanoi more beautiful, Mr Khai told construction bidders and workers." "This is also a project of Vietnamese-Chinese friendship," he added. He urged planners, developers and workers to work harder together to ensure the best quality of each and every construction item, to meet the high standards required of the special construction project. The prime minister was accompanied by Nguyen Danh Thai, Cabinet Minister and Chairman of Vietnam's Physical Training and Sports Committee; and deputy ministers from the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Planning and Investment. (VNA) **** Japan's lower house speaker concludes visit The Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Tamisuke Watanuki, his wife and entourage left Ho Chi Minh City on January 12, concluding their official friendship visit to Vietnam. Earlier, Speaker Watanuki and his entourage visited My Tho in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. While in Vietnam, Speaker Watanuki was received by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, and held talks with Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An. He also held working sessions with leaders of Ho Chi Minh City. The two sides discussed measures to further deepen the friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam and Japan. In Hanoi, Speaker Watanuki and his party paid a floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum, visited his home and office; and toured the Temple of Literature. (VNA) **** Vietnam wants to boost co-operation with OIF "Vietnam wants to promote its co-operative ties with the International Francophonie Organisation (OIF) for socio-economic development," said Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Dinh Bin. Mr Bin made the remarks while addressing the 16th meeting of the foreign ministers of Francophone countries held in Paris on Friday, January 11, as he led the Vietnamese delegation to the meeting. He spoke highly of the OIF's effort to actively build co-operative programmes, in conformity with the priorities affirmed at the seventh Francophone Summit in Hanoi in 1997, as well as the requirements from member countries to strengthen economic co-operation within the Francophone community. Mr Bin also welcomed co-operative programmes initiated by the Inter-governmental Francophone Agency (AIF) and the Francophone University Agency (AUF) in Vietnam. While in Paris, Deputy FM Bin met with OIF Secretary General B Boutros Ghali, the AIF General Director, and head delegates from other member countries to discuss ways and means to enhance co-operative ties. (VNA) **** VFF president meets Chinese counterpart President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Presidium Pham The Duyet received a delegation of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee in Hanoi on January 11, led by its General Secretary Zheng Wantong. The two sides briefed each other on the socio-economic situation in their respective countries and expressed pleasure at the renewed achievements attained by the two peoples. They highlighted their organisations' activities in gathering and uniting people of all walks of life, and bringing into full play the people's right to mastery. They affirmed important contributions made by the VFF and CPPCC to consolidating the people's great unity as well as the two nations' solidarity, friendship and co-operation. The two sides exchanged experiences in their front's work, reviewed their co-operation and implementation of the agreement reached during the Chinese visit of VFF President Pham The Duyet last year, based on the principles "friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive co-operation, long-lasting stability and future-oriented thinking set by the leaders of the two countries". (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] __________________________________________________
