VNA Ninth National Party Congress opensThe Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) opened in Hanoi this morning, April 19. Before the opening ceremony, the delegates paid floral tributes to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum. Member of the CPV's Politburo Standing Board (eighth tenure) Pham The Duyet introduced the delegates, domestic and foreign guests to the Ninth Party Congress. The Congress drew 1,168 delegates representing 2,479,717 Party members from 72 Party Committees under the Party Central Committee. Invited to the congress were 80 domestic guests, including advisors and former advisors to the Party Central Committee, former members of the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Party Central Committee, former Deputy Chairmen of the National Assembly, former Deputy Prime Ministers, revolutionary veterans and Vietnamese Heroic mothers. Also present were 34 international delegations, including a delegation attending the Congress as observer. President Luong opens the Congress. In his opening speech, President Tran Duc Luong, Politburo member of the Party Central Committee (eighth tenure), said: "The Ninth National Party Congress is convened at a time of great historic significance. Mankind said goodbye to the 20th century and enter the 21st century. The Vietnamese people and nation have experienced a century of arduous and glorious struggle to regain national independence, freedom and reunification and entered into socialist construction. The 20th century was a century of glorious exploits and victories of historic and epochal significance of the Vietnamese nation. These were the success of the 1945 August Revolution which led to the foundation of the first worker-peasant State in south-east Asia, and the victories of the sacred resistance wars over the cruel colonialists and imperialists for national liberation and defence. The great achievements of the post-war national construction and comprehensive renovation along the socialist line over recent years have created a new position and impetus for the Vietnamese revolution and extremely important prerequisites for the nation to embark on a new stage of development - the stage of industrialisation and modernisation for successfully building and firmly defending the socialist Vietnamese fatherland. "Entering the new stage, our country's revolution faces both great opportunities as well as major dangers and challenges. Seizing opportunities, driving back dangers and overcoming challenges with the spirit of revolutionary offensive to take the Vietnamese revolution forward is a matter of vital significance for us. "The Ninth National Party congress has the historic tasks of reviewing the 71-year process of the Vietnamese revolution, making an in-depth assessment of five years implementing the eighth Party Congress resolution, 15 years of renovation and 10 years implementing the socio-economic strategy; drawing profound lessons for developing and perfecting the orientation and devising a strategy for national development in the first two decades of the 21st century. The congress is also tasked to review the Party leadership and work out the orientation and assigned to build the Party in keeping with the nation's requirements in the new stage; to amend and supplement the Party Statute; to elect a new Party Central Committee comprising members with the best political quality and revolutionary virtue and the best qualifications and ability to implement the Ninth Congress resolution. "For months now, localities and units throughout the country and Vietnamese residents abroad have enthusiastically taken part in an emulation movement to obtain outstanding achievements to welcome the Congress. Particular mention should be made of the sincere comments and suggestions given by people of all walks of life to the draft documents to be submitted by the Party Central Committee to the Ninth National Party Congress. The documents presented to the Party Congress today are the quintessence of the wisdom of the entire Party, armed forces and people of Vietnam. "Our Congress commends the outstanding achievements obtained in the patriotic emulation movement by the branches, localities and establishments at all levels. The Congress warmly welcomes and sincerely thanks the Vietnam Fatherland Front, branches of activities and mass organisations at all levels, intellectuals, scholars, religious sects, ethnic groups and Vietnamese residents abroad and international friends for their whole-hearted contributions to the success of the Congress. "The Ninth National Congress of the CPV is a congress of wisdom, democracy, unity and renovation, reflecting the staunch will and great hope of the whole nation! "The Ninth Congress is a historical milestone, marking a new stage of development of the Vietnamese revolution, the stage of bringing into full play the strength of the entire nation, continuing the renovation and accelerating national industrialisation and modernisation for a prosperous people, a strong country, an equitable, democratic and civilised society steadily advancing to socialism." General Secretary Le Kha Phieu delivers a report at the opening. After Hanoi representatives' activities welcoming the Congress, General Secretary Le Kha Phieu of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (eighth tenure) read a report on the documents submitted to the Ninth Party Congress. (VNA) **** Figures on Party Congress delegates The Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam opened in Hanoi today April 19, with 1,170 delegates representing 2,479,719 Party members across the country. Of the figure, 1,005 delegates are selected from Party congresses at all levels, accounting 85.90%; 156 delegates, members of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, the Eighth Party Congress, 13.33%; nine delegates nominated by the Central Party Committee, members of Overseas Party Committees, 0.77%. As many as 1,168 are attending the congress, two are absent due to health reasons. One hundred and thirty nine delegates are women, accounting for 11.90%; ethnic minority people, 152 delegates, 12.99%; armed forces, 151 delegates, 12.91%. Nine delegates are Labour Heroes; 20 delegates People¹s Armed Forces Heroes; 27 delegates, People¹s Teachers and Doctors or Teachers and Doctors of Merit. The number of delegates being university, college graduates accounts for 75.77%; master degree holders, 4.7%; doctor degree holders, 11.90%; professors and assistant professors, 3.76%. A figure of 28.16% of the delegates have master degree in political theory; 60.61% of the delegates, doctor degrees in politics; 30.65% of the delegates have completed State-level courses on economic management. There is a delegate who was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam prior to 1940; the number of delegates admitted to the Party from August 1954 to April 1975, 750; One 60-year-Party - members, 11 fifty-year-Party members and 23 forty-year-Party-members are delegates. The oldest delegate is comrade Tran Van Quang, 84, while the youngest is Nguyen Thi Mai, 31. There are 642 delegates with age from 51-60, accounting for 54,96%. The average age of delegates is 52.6. **** Party leader meets Lao, Chinese and Cambodian delegations General Secretary Le Kha Phieu (right) and LPRP Chairman and President of Laos Khamtay Siphandon. General Secretary Le Kha Phieu of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee received in Hanoi on April 18, a delegation of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) led by LPRP Chairman and President of Laos Khamtay Siphandon to the Ninth National CPV Congress. Mr Khamtay Siphandon expressed the Lao Party, State and people's delight at Vietnam's achievements in the process of renovation initiated and led by the CPV. He said he highly appreciated the CPV's position and international prestige and wished the Ninth National CPV Congress success and the Vietnamese people new achievements in national industrialisation and modernisation as well as in national construction and defence. General Secretary Phieu expressed thanks to the LPRP for having sent a high-level delegation to the CPV Congress. He also expressed his confidence in the further consolidation and development of the special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive co-operation between the Parties and people of Vietnam and Laos. He wished that the fraternal Lao people, under the LPRP leadership, would gain more successes in building a prosperous country. General Secretary Le Kha Phieu (right) and Deputy President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao. The same day, General Secretary Phieu received Standing Committee member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's Politburo and Deputy President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao who led a Chinese delegation to the CPV Congress. Hu Jintao conveyed to Mr Phieu and other Party and State leaders of Vietnam greetings and best regards from CPC General Secretary and President Jiang Zemin and other Party and State leaders of China. He expressed high appreciation of the CPV's glorious tradition and wishes for success of the CPV Congress. He also wished that the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the CPV, would gain more achievements in socialist construction, thus successfully realising the goal of building rich people, a prosperous country, a fair, democratic and civilised society. Mr Phieu asked Hu Jintao to convey his best regards to Jiang Zemin. He said he hoped that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the CPC would gain successes in socialist construction. The Vietnamese Party leader affirmed that the Vietnam-China relationship would continuously be developed under the motto of 'neighbourliness and friendship, comprehensive co-operation, long-lasting stability and future-oriented thinking' defined by the Party leaders of the two countries. General Secretary Le Kha Phieu and Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Chea Sim. During his meeting with General Secretary Le Kha Phieu in Hanoi on April 18, Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Chea Sim who is also president of the Senate and acting head of State of Cambodia withed the CPV Congress success. He said he highly valued the CPV's glorious cause and wished the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the CPV, would successfully carry out the Party's resolution, continue recording achievements in the renovation process and in building a prosperous and happy country. General Secretary Phieu expressed his thanks to the CPP and the Cambodian people for their warm sentiments toward the Communist Party and people of Vietnam. He reiterated that the Party, the State and the people of Vietnam now as in the past, would persistently strengthen and develop the neighbouring friendly relationship and multi-faceted co-operation with Cambodia in the interest of the two peoples and for peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world. (VNA) **** Foreign friends and Overseas Vietnamese believe in success of Party congress The Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) which opens in Hanoi today April 19, have drawn special attention from foreign friends and overseas Vietnamese. President of Russia's Friendship Association with Vietnam E Glazunov, who attended the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh Party congresses, of Vietnam, expressed his pleasure at the country's political stability, which is a basis for economic development. He said he hoped that the Ninth Congress of the CPV would continue developing revolutionary inheritance while unceasingly conducting renovation to lead the Vietnamese people to attain more achievements in socialist construction. Vice President of the Russian War Veterans Association A Chiupenen at a meeting with Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Moscow, affirmed that the Ninth Congress was an important event for the Vietnamese communists, the Vietnamese people and those who still keep membership cards of the Soviet Union's Communist Party. Achievements recorded by the Vietnamese people in the renovation process initiated and led by the CPV were eloquent testimonies of the powerful vitality of the communist ideology. These achievements, he said, showed that the Vietnamese people were not only heroic in fighting foreign invaders, but also talented in economic construction. President of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association Charles Fourniau told a VNA correspondent in Paris that the Communist Party of Vietnam played a decisive role in Vietnam. It liberated Vietnam from the colonial yoke. Vietnam was a mirror for French communists. Danny Wong Tze-keng, a scholar majoring in Vietnamese history at the Malaiu National University, Malaysia said that Vietnam was the country with the best political stability in the south-east Asian region in recent year. This would ensure a sustainable economic development, he stressed. Talking with a VNA correspondent in Belgrade, chairman of Yugoslavia's 'Orient' Association Goran Vacilievit said that under the leadership of the CPV and the Vietnamese people had gained glorious achievements in fighting the colonialists and imperialists and defending national independence. Overseas Vietnamese in Seoul expressed the wish to see the Ninth Party Congress successful, thus contributing to making Vietnam a prosperous and civilised country. Vietnamese Overseas in Brussels gave comments, especially on education and training, to the Ninth Party Congress. (VNA) **** PM affirms Vietnam-Cuba faithful tradition PM Phan Van Khai meets Cuban Finance and Pricing Minister Manuel Millares Rodriguez.Vietnam and Cuba have been faithful to each other and they will continue sharing experience in building and developing the country, said Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. PM Khai was speaking to visiting Cuban Finance and Pricing Minister Manuel Millares Rodriguez in Hanoi on April 18. He welcomed the Cuban Minister to make a visit at a time when the Communist Party of Vietnam holds its National Congress. He spoke of Vietnam's socio-economic achievements over the past 15 years of renovation, and its strategy for economic development in the years to come. The Cuban Finance Minister affirmed the Cuban people's pride in Vietnam, which bravely fought for national independence, freedom and unification and has gained great achievements in socio-economic development. He conveyed best regards from President Fidel Castro and other Cuban leaders to Prime Minister Khai and invited him to visit Cuba. (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] __________________________________________________
