VNA Leaders receive Cuban Foreign Minister President Tran Duc Luong and National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh both welcomed the talks between Vietnamese and Cuban Foreign Ministers as promoting friendship and comprehensive co-operation between the two countries. President Luong and Chairman Manh separately received the visiting Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque in Hanoi on February 23. They said the talks between the foreign ministers had worked out ways to boost friendship and multifaceted co-operation between Vietnam and Cuba - two countries that had stood shoulder-to-shoulder in past struggles for national independence while constantly promoting co-operation in the interest of both peoples, for peace, stability, co-operation and development in their respective regions and the world. The Vietnamese leaders also told their guest that they were pleased at the great achievements of the Cuban people in national construction and defence. President Luong asked the Cuban Foreign Minister to convey his best wishes to President Fidel Castro Ruz and other Cuban leaders as well as an invitation for President Fidel Castro to visit Vietnam. He said that he hoped the Cuban people under the leadership of the Cuban Communist Party and President Fidel Castro would attain even higher achievements in national development and defence. Foreign Minister Roque praised the achievements of the Vietnamese people in their process of renovation under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He briefed his Vietnamese hosts about the socio-economic situation in his country. He conveyed President Fidel Castro's best regards to President Luong. Welcoming Cuba's Foreign Minister and his entourage, National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh said that as a loyal friend and comrade, Vietnam strongly supported the Cuban revolution and would do all it could for the Cuban people. He said he wanted closer ties between the legislatures of the two countries so they could exchange views and experience and further enhance their co-ordination at regional and international forums. Mr Manh told the Cuban Foreign Minister - who held working sessions the same day with Director of the National Assembly's External Relations Committee Do Van Tai - that he accepted with pleasure an invitation from President of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power, R Alarcon, to visit Havana and would do so at a convenient time. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam received the Cuban Foreign Minister in the afternoon and said that the Vietnamese people were delighted with the advancement in Cuba's domestic and external policy. They also believed that the Cuban people would continue to gain achievements in the country's just revolutionary cause, national construction and development. The Deputy Prime Minister exchanged views with his guest about regional and international issues of common concern. The Cuban Foreign Minister stressed that Vietnam's great solidarity with and support of the Cuban people was incomparable. He attributed Cuba's achievements over recent past to the great contributions and support of the world's people, particular Vietnamese. (VNA) **** PM urges to promptly overcome quake aftermath Prime Minister Phan Van Khai paid a field visit to the quake-hit Dien Bien Phu Valley yesterday after the area and other nearby mountainous districts were hit by a major earthquake. Prime Minister Khai told the provincial leaders that top priority should be given to repairing schools and hospitals and rebuilding damaged public facilities. In addition, the government will grant the province with VND 15 billion (over US $1 million) to help locals rebuild their lives. The prime minister put forth three tasks needed being done promptly by the ministries and Lai Chau province. He requested the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to conduct research on the earth¹s crust in the north-west region and make a conclusion on the region¹s earthquake risk, taking this as a base for consideration before starting construction of the Son La Hydro-electric power plant. He also urged the province to promptly overcome the quake aftermath. Prime Minister Khai also praised the provincial authorities for their timely instruction given to local people on the overcoming the quake consequences and ensuring safety and law-and-order. While there, the prime minister visited Quyet Thang village in Thanh Nua commune, one of the most heavily hit by the quake. He presented gifts to two families whose houses were completely destroyed. He also visited several damaged public facilities including the provincial Radio and Television Station, the provincial Labour Federation and Dien Bien Phu secondary school. Nine out of ten districts and towns were affected by the quake and more than 3,000 facilities were damaged according to a report by Lai Chau¹s Party Committee secretary. One hundred and thirty buildings which were heavily damaged must be removed. Total losses were put at VND 60 billion. After the major quake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale on February 19, Dien Bien Phu Valley was hit by 141 minor tremors measuring from 0.5 to 4.8 on the Richer scale as of February 16. **** Vietnam, Cuba seek to further boost ties Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien and his Cuban counterpart Felipe Perez Roque discussed measures to further consolidate and strengthen the fraternal solidarity, friendship and co-operation between their Parties, States and people in Hanoi yesterday. They also exchanged views about issues of regional and international importance during their talks, held at the Government Guest House, Hanoi, soon after Mr Rogue began a three-day official visit to Vietnam. Mr Nien hailed Mr Roque's visit as a step toward the development of bilateral ties between the two nations. After briefing his Cuban guest about the progress of doi moi (renovation) and the Vietnam Communist Party and State's external policy of independence, self-determination, openness, multilateralism and diversification, he affirmed that Vietnam was persisting with comprehensive socialist-oriented reforms. The country was also working to boost its indigenous strength, industrialisation, modernisation and international co-operation in an effort to make it "a strong nation with prosperous people in a fair, democratic and civilised society". Mr Nien praised the achievements of the Cuban people in national construction and defence, particularly those external achievements that had foiled hostile schemes to isolate and undermine their revolution. He said he was confident that the Cuban people would obtain greater success and continue to make worthy contributions to the revolutionary cause of nations throughout the world. The Foreign Minister reiterated the Vietnamese Party, State and people's consistant support for fraternal Cuba's just cause in the construction and defence of a socialist country under the leadership of President Fidel Castro. He expressed his sincere thanks to the Cuban Party, State, government and people for their solidarity, valuable support and generous help to Vietnam and said that he regarded the assistance as a noble and exemplary demonstration of the international proletarian spirit. The Cuban foreign minister praised Vietnam's achievements in national renovation and international co-operation over the past 15 years. He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their solidarity, friendship and help to Cuba's national construction and defence. He also briefed his host about the situation in Cuba and Latin America and his country's notable achievements in national construction and defence and the struggle to foil the US embargo. Both foreign ministers said they were delighted with the development of solidarity, friendship and co-operation between the two countries and foreign ministries. They added that the visits to Cuba by Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu in 1999 and President Tran Duc Luong in 2000 had contributed much to the unshakable and loyal comradeship between Vietnam and Cuba, bringing relations between the two to a higher plane. They also discussed measures to further co-operation between their foreign ministries. The Cuban Foreign Minister invited Mr Nien to visit Cuba and the invitation was accepted with pleasure. Later, Foreign Minister Nien gave a banquet in honour of Cuban Foreign Minister Roque and his entourage. (VNA) **** Health care: remote areas given priority The health sector plans to actively prevent and control epidemics and strengthen grassroots medical services, particularly in remote and mountainous areas, this year. The plans are just two of ten major tasks set by the sector for 2001 at a two-day conference ending in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday. The other tasks focus on building three specialist medical centres in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and central Vietnam; improving the quality of medical treatment, re-organising the grassroots medical network; effectively implementing national medical programmes; deploying synchronous health care for the poor; minority people and those who live in remote and isolated areas; raising the quality of home-made medicines; expanding care for medical insurance card holders in communes, and accelerating the implementation of medical projects. Vietnam was officially recognised as having eliminated polio by the World Health Organisation while almost 52% of all Vietnam's communes have physicians and 70% of villages, medical workers. The country saw no outbreaks of epidemic diseases last year although it was subject to consecutive floods. The pharmaceutical industry registered a growth rate of 18% last year, meeting 30% of domestic demand. It has produced nine of ten vaccines for national immunisation programmes and begun to export medicines. More advanced techniques have been introduced and more hospitals have been upgraded. In recognition of the sector's great contributions to the people's health, the government has presented excellent emulation banners to 14 outstanding medical establishments for Vietnamese Physicians' Day (February 27). (VNA) **** Friendship organisations condemn air raids on Iraq The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, VUFO, and the Vietnam-Iraq Friendship Association, VIFA, have issued a statement strongly condemning the US-British air raids on Iraq. The statement, issued on February 23, says that the bombing by the US and British aircraft of Baghdad was a cruel, inhumane military action against an independent and sovereign state. The raids were a serious violation of the UN Charter and a threat to peace, security and stability in the region, and they had caused heavy losses in lives and property to the Iraqi people, the statement adds. It strongly condemns the US and Britain for the strikes and asks them to put an immediate end to aggression against Iraq, and fully implement UN Security-Council resolutions relating to the country. The associations express their solidarity and deep sympathy with the Iraqi people and the belief that the Iraqi people with their determination, staunchness and support of other peoples and the world's progressive forces will win victory, safeguarding the honour and sacred integrity and territory of their country. (VNA) **** VLC praises 383 State employee individuals, units The Vietnam Labour Confederation (VLC) and the Vietnam State Employees Trade Union presented emulation flags, 'Excellent, Strong Trade Union' pennants and certificates of commendation for excellent achievements in trade union's activities to 383 member individuals and units. This was at a meeting yesterday in Hanoi by the Vietnam State Employees' Trade Union. The meeting was to review the union's activities in 2000 and discuss directions and tasks for 2001. The Vietnam State Employees' Trade Union was also presented with excellent emulation pennant by the VLC. This was in recognition of the union's outstanding achievements in 2000. **** Assistance provided to Lai Chau quake victims The presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee sent a message of sympathy to quake victims in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau. The committee also provided VND 500 million to help the local people overcome the consequences. The northern mountainous province of Yen Bai also donated VND 50 million to the quake victims. Another VND 50 million was contributed by cadres and workers of the Ministry of Construction. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
