VNA NA standing committee calls for legal drafts' completion The National Assembly's Standing Committee has called for completion of draft laws on cultural heritage and the customs service before its ninth session, which is scheduled for the second quarter of the year. Members of the Standing Committee, who ended a five-day meeting on February 19 in preparation for the ninth session of the National Assembly, agreed that the next session would focus on building the nation's legal system. In reviewing the draft law on cultural heritage, Standing Committee members said the law would help protect the nation's traditional culture and meet people's increasing demand for more useful and interesting cultural activities. Meanwhile, the body described finalising the customs bill as an urgent task. The new customs law would create a legal framework to readjust relations between socio-economic activities relating to the customs service, it said. The law would also be expected to make positive changes to the import-export sector and domestic goods production and circulation, and further the nation's administrative reform process. All this would contribute to maintaining political stability amidst social demand for a fast and sustainable economic growth, said a communique released by the National Assembly's Standing Committee. The meeting chaired by Nong Duc Manh also previewed legal documents to be revised on new penalties for administrative violations, and an ordinance on the national archives. Another highlight on the ninth session's agenda, according to the Standing Committee members, will be a review by NA delegates of the government's supplementary reports on last year's State budget and plans for this year's budget. (VNA) **** Russian president to visit Vietnam The president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, will pay a three-day official visit to Vietnam from February 28. The visit is being made at the invitation of President Tran Duc Luong. This was announced in a communique released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 21. **** Trade agreement to be ratified: US congressman A US congressman has said he believes the US Congress will ratify the Vietnam-US Trade Agreement soon. Chairman of the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, James Sensenbrenner emphasised the ratification would be made soon. This was during a reception given in his honour by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam in Hanoi on February 21, Mr Sensenbrenner added that the US House of Representatives and the President would support the Agreement. The US parliamentarian exchanged views with the Deputy Prime Minister about such issues as ownership of intellectual property and Vietnam's laws concerning the implementation of the agreement. The deputy prime minister welcomed the visit by the Judiciary Committee chairman, saying that the co-operation between the two legislatures had helped boost the relationship between the two countries. He also said he believed that the chairman would continue his support for the bilateral Trade Agreement so that it would soon be ratified by the US Congress as well as Vietnam's National Assembly. Earlier the same day, Mr Sensenbrenner had working sessions with the National Assembly's Law Committee Chairman Vu Duc Khien and Deputy Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong. They exchanged views about issues relating to laws, justice and others issues of common concern. During his stay in Vietnam until February 24, Mr Sensenbrenner will meet with leading officials of the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy and the Science, Technology and Environment and the Culture and Information Ministries. He will also visit Ho Chi Minh City. (VNA) **** Australia helps Mekong flood victims Representatives of the governments of Australia and Vietnam signed an agreement yesterday on a project of Post-flood Reconstruction and Recovery for the Mekong delta.¹ The AU $4 million project concentrates on the reconstruction and recovery of schools and health stations for the five Mekong delta provinces of An Giang, Dong Thap, Kien Giang, Long An and Tien Giang which were hit hard by floods last year. **** Lai Chau overcoming earthquake aftermath People in the northwestern mountainous province of Lai Chau are now pooling efforts to mitigate the aftermath caused by an earthquake which hit western Dien Bien Phu valley on Monday night, February 19. The quake, the biggest in Dien Bien Phu township for a decade, measured 5.3 on the Richter scale. Immediately after the quake, local leaders instructed the local administration to seal up all houses in danger of collapsing and build improvised houses for quake victims. Pupils of heavily damaged schools which are now closed must come to other schools to continue their study. About 100 houses in the heavily quake hit communes of Thanh Hung and Thanh Luong in Dien Bien Phu district which are in danger of collapsing could be destroyed. The local administration has helped quake victims build 50 improvised houses. The valley was hit by a further 30 minor tremors measuring between 0.5 and 1.8 on the Richter scale on February 20 and 21. Lai Chau province is now asking the government to help minimise the consequences and has asked scientific institutes to conduct more research on environmental geology of the north-west region in a bid to strengthen forecast ability, thus helping residents control natural calamities. **** Vietnam-Belgium post-graduate training proves effectiveThe Vietnam-Belgium post-graduate training project has proved effective for five years with almost 200 managers of State agencies and enterprises gaining master degrees in economics, public management and business administration. The project is conducted jointly by Vietnam's National Economics University, NEU, the Solvay Business School and the Free University of Brussels with financial help from Belgium's French-Speaking Community. Five courses have been held as part of the project: two in economics and public management and three in business administration and last month, the NEU opened a 2001-2003 post-graduate training course in Hanoi for 84 students. The students will pay half the training cost about US $3,000; the French-Speaking Community will cover a fourth and the NEU and the Free University of Brussels the rest in teaching staff and facilities. **** Acupuncture centre opens in MexicoAn acupuncture and traditional medicine centre, named after President Ho Chi Minh, was inaugurated in Monterrey city, Mexico's Nuevo Leon State, on February 19. The centre, the first ever opened by Vietnam in Mexico and the Latin American continent as a whole, can receive 20 in-patients at a time and give treatment to 100 patients a day in the initial stage. Its capacity is expected to double soon. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ambassador Nguyen Van Sanh and Director of Vietnam's Acupuncture Institute Professor Nguyen Tai Thu. The host included the Secretary General of the Mexican Workers' Party; Congressman Alberto Anaya; Nuevo Leon Governor Fernando Canales; and Health Minister Sacartas Villareal. The centre was set up under an agreement between Vietnam's Health Ministry and the Mexican Workers' Party. (VNA) **** Paris concert held for flood victimsThe Vietnamese community in France organised a fund-raising concert in Paris on February 20 to support flood victims in Vietnam's southern Mekong delta provinces. Works by Schubert, Beethoven and other composers were performed during the night by a Vietnamese musicians. Donations collected at the performance are to be sent to flood victims in southern Vietnam. Speaking at the performance, Paris Mayor Jean Tiberi reiterated the French municipal authorities's support for Vietnamese societies' activities in France. He said that he treasured the close relations between the two nations, adding that the International Association of Mayors of the French-speaking cities would help build a bilingual school in Hanoi. (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] __________________________________________________
