VNA Earthquakes in Lai Chau and Son La Earthquakes strongly shook the Dien Bien Phu basin, northwestern Lai Chau province, from 10.51 pm on February 19 to 5 am on February 20, injuring dozens of people. Offices, particularly headquarters of the provincial Party Committee, People's Committee, schools, and hospitals, in the region were heavily damaged by the quakes with the strongest measuring 5 on the Richter scale. People were injured as they sought ways to run away from their trembling houses. According to an initial report, material losses were estimated to reach thousands of billion dong while no death was reported. The provincial People's Committee has worked out and taken measures to overcome the aftermath. Schools are closed for fear of other earthquakes. Lai Chau's Son La neighbouring province saw two slight earthquakes at 11 pm on February 19 and 3 am on February 20. The quakes, measured at 1.5 on the Richter scale, were part of earthquakes which ran from the Vietnam - Laos border area through Dien Bien, Muong Lay and Tuan Giao districts in Lai Chau province, to Muong La, Bac Yen, Thuan Chau districts and Son La township in Son La province. These quakes were the strongest of their kind recorded in Son La province since 1993. (VNA) **** Vietnam, German legislatures co-operate with auditing Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Mai Thuc Lan received a delegation from the German Parliament's Auditing Committee led by its Director Uta Titze Stecher, in Hanoi on February 20. The guests began their working visit to Vietnam from February 18. The Deputy National Assembly Chairman described their visit as an active act to strengthen Vietnam-Germany relations, particularly the ties between the two legislatures. He praised Germany's effective help to Vietnam and expressed his belief that the two parliaments would further boost co-operation not only in auditing but also in other fields. The same day, the German delegation had a working session with a delegation of the National Assembly's Economy and Budget Committee led by its Chairman Ly Tai Luan. The delegations briefed each other about the socio-economic situation in their countries and their activities while sharing the wish to boost bilateral co-operation and exchange experiences to enhance the workings of their legislatures. (VNA) **** International seminar discusses patent co-operation Measures to help Vietnam and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN, countries better use the protection offered by the association's Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT) are being discussed at a three-day seminar that began in Hanoi yesterday. PCT's patent-protection system is designed to promote technological innovation among ASEAN countries as well as help them attract foreign investment. It is crucial to developing countries like Vietnam that have just started industrialisation and modernisation. Vietnam has increased its patent application five-fold since becoming a PCT member in 1993 and sent patent applications to other countries. This has laid the ground for technological transfer to Vietnam through PCT. Among those attending the seminar are Science, Technology and Environment Deputy Minister Hoang Van Huay, PCT-WIPO Director Wang Zhengfa, representatives from Japan, the Republic of Korea and China and about 100 ASEAN-country lecturers and trainees. (VNA) **** Book on draft Political Report published The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam has discussed and finalised the draft Political Report to the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the 11th conference. The draft report was published on mass media and the committee have been listening to the ideas contributed by the whole Party and people. On this occasion, the National Political Publishing House published a book entitled Developing the whole Nation¹s Strength, Continuing Renovation Process, Accelerating Industrialisation and Modernisation, Constructing and Defending the Socialist Homeland of Vietnam¹ (the draft Political Report to the ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam of the Central Committee of the eighth Congress). The content of the book is as follows: - Vietnam in the 20th century and development prospects in the 21st, - The country¹s situation over the past five years and after 15 years of doi moi (renovation), - Vietnam¹s path to the socialism, - Economic line and development strategies, - Development of culture, education, science, technology and environment, - Strengthening of national defence and security, - Expansion of external relations and active integration into international economy, - Development of the strength of national unity, - Acceleration of reform and development of democracy as well as enforcement of the legal systems, and - Building and streamlining the Party and raising leading capacities and fighting capacities of the Party. **** Statistics sector marks 45th year The General Department of Statistics (GDS) held a ceremony in Hanoi yesterday to celebrate its 45th founding anniversary. The GDS's acting head, Le Manh Hung, outlined the orientations for development of the whole sector after highlighting contributions as well as shortcomings and innumerable problems of the sector in the renovation process. The orientation include the concretisation of the policies and lines of the Party and State with a system of statistic norms, the renewal of statistic standard regulations in accordance with international statistical rule but in conformity with the reality in Vietnam, the increase of quality of figure information and the correspondence between statistical information publications and users. Outstanding individuals and collectives of the sector were presented with 17 Labour Orders, first, second and third classes from the Party and State on the occasion and 22 Certificates of Commendation from the prime minister. Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu sent a letter of congratulations to the sector and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem attended the ceremony. The Government's Office has recently issued an official document to redefine the founding day of the Statistics sector. Under this, the Statistics sector's founding day falls on May 6, 1946. That was when President Ho Chi Minh signed a Decree on the founding of Statistics Department under the Ministry of National Economy of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. **** Culture and Information Department awarded Labour Order The Hanoi's Department of Culture and Information was awarded with a Labour Order, first class, and an Emulation Standard by the government yesterday. In a report delivered at the ceremony, the director of the Hanoi's Department of Culture and Information, Doctor Nguyen Viet Chuc, spoke briefly about the sector's achievements last year and this year's plan, including the dissemination of information on the policies and lines of the Party and State, the building of a cultural lifestyle, preservation of cultural heritage and the enhancement of State management on cultural and information activities. Representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Party's Commission for Ideology and Culture and relevant agencies attended the ceremony. **** People's Doctor, Doctor of Merit titles awarded The State president has decided to present 567 titles of 'People's Doctor' and 'Doctor of Merit' to staff of the Health sector in recognition of their contributions to the construction and development of the national health cause. This is on the occasion of the Vietnam Doctors' Day which falls on February 27. Of these, 18 people were awarded with the 'People's Doctor' titles. They are the leading scientists of the sector in many fields such as intensive care, traditional medicine, environmental and epidemic hygiene and odonto stomatology and maxillo-facial surgery. **** Section of Ho Chi Minh Highway under construction Construction is underway for the Ho Chi Minh Highway (first phase) section linking Dac Don to Dac Po Ko in Kon Tum province with more than half of the foundation being completed. The corporation for transport facilities construction No 6 (Cienco 6), in charge of the building of the section, has mobilised 500 engineers and workers and 119 heavy vehicles to work on the 20.8 kilometre section with technical design ready for construction. The corporation has built more than 57% of the foundation. Cienco 6 is expected to complete the building of the foundation of the road for the section by the end of the second quarter this year. The Project Management Unit of the Ho Chi Minh Highway for the section is completing technical design for the remaining three kilometres, which runs through the Lo Xo Pass and the Ngoc Linh national Nature Reserve, to send to Cienco 6 for starting work. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
