VNA Statue of President Ho Chi Minh erected in Madagascar A statue of President Ho Chi Minh erected in Antananarivo capital of Madagascar will be inaugurated on the occasion of Vietnam's National Day (September 2). The 1.4 metre bronze statue will be placed in the Ho Chi Minh square together with a bronze plate inscribed with his well-known saying "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom." A memorial stela built by the Madagascar government in dedication to the Vietnamese great leader is also located in the square. Vietnamese Minister Counsellor to France Van Nghia Dung recently headed a delegation of the Ministry of Culture and Information to Madagascar to discuss a plan to inaugurate the statue as well as measures to promote bilateral co-operation in culture. Officials of the two countries' culture sectors agreed to organise exhibitions, film shows and art performances in Antananarivo. (VNA) **** Activities mark Youth Union's 70th anniversary Many activities have been carried out nationwide recently on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. A seminar on 'Young volunteers' movement - theoretical and practical issues' was held in Hanoi by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee. Speeches at the seminar agree that, in 2000, the year of Vietnamese youth, many young volunteers' activities were organised nationwide. Young people throughout the country participated in an active, animated and enthusiastic manner in the volunteer programmes to help boost the country's socio-economic development such as: eliminating bamboo bridges in the Mekong delta; going to work in remote communes in special difficulties. Many speeches drew lessons and proposed measures to strengthen the youth volunteer movement. In Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee organised a meeting between generations of Youth Union Central Committee cadres and exchange with the union's young members. The People's Army Political General Department held a get-together of outstanding young officials, young Party members and soldiers in Hanoi. **** Japan to help re-structure economy The Japanese government will provide Vietnam with about US $12 million in non-refundable aid in its 2000 fiscal year to help re-structure the economy. A diplomatic note for the money was signed in Hanoi on March 23 by Vietnam's Planning and Investment Minister Tran Xuan Gia and Japan's Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki. It is the sixth time the Japanese government has granted non-project assistance to Vietnam for economic re-structuring. Japan granted Vietnam JPY 13.5 billion in such commodities as cotton material, urea fertiliser, petrol, automobile tyres and chemicals in 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Proceeds have been used to upgrade infrastructure, develop production, and improve people's living conditions. (VNA) **** Volunteers supplement meteorological network Expansion of the voluntary weather observation network is important, says the Director General of the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (GDMH) Nguyen Cong Thanh. It provides information for aviation, maritime services and aqua-culture in places inaccessible to meteorological stations, he continued. Thanh was speaking at a meeting held in Hanoi to mark International Meteorology Day on March 23 and in support of this year's theme 'Volunteers for Weather, Climate and Water.' The meeting was also a response to International Water Day (March 22) and Mr Thanh said his department had made basic surveys of water resources. It had opened 500 meteorological and 800 rainfall-measuring stations, but this was still insufficient and many localities remained dependent on volunteers to supply data for weather forecasting. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representative told the meeting that international volunteers had helped Vietnam with natural disaster control, especially in establishing emergency-alarm systems, loss coverage and managing natural calamities and rescue. The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, praised Vietnam's practical rural water sanitation and hygiene strategy, which is aimed ensuring about 85% of the rural population with access to safe water and 70% to latrines by 2010. The WHO representative also praised Vietnam's effort in controlling floods and flood-borne diseases and meeting the aim of this year's International Water Day theme, Water and Human Health. (VNA) **** Denmark, Norway, Austria, Germany provide non-refundable aid The Danish, Norwegian, Austrian and German governments will provide Vietnam US $40.5 million, including US $8.5 million as non-refundable aid, says the Planning and Investment Ministry. The money will be made available through five agreements for official development assistance (ODA) signed between Vietnam and these governments early this year. Austria will provide US $32 million for cleaning water of Hanoi's West Lake while Denmark will grant US $4.4 million to support Vietnam's economic renovation and US $1.8 million to build the Hon Mun sea reserve. Germany will provide US $2 million for a regional planning and development project in central Ha Tinh province and Norway, US $300,000 to train teachers and provide equipment for the Navigation College. (VNA) **** Marie Curie School receives more materials The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Museum in Varsovie, Poland, has presented gifts and materials on Savant Maria Sklodowska-Curie to the Marie Curie secondary school in Ho Chi Minh City. Polish consul general to Ho Chi Minh City Izabela Zdziech handed over these documents to the school on March 23. These include portraits, pictures, written papers, films and books on the life and scientific work of Savant Maria Sklodowska-Curie. Mrs Maria Sklodowska-Curie was the first woman to be awarded with Nobel Prize. She was awarded Nobel Prize in physics in 1903 and another Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1911. The Marie Curie secondary school was established in 1918 and has been operating since then. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
