VNA Yearbook sheds light on NA's work The National Assembly has broken new ground by publishing a yearbook that features its activities during 1999-2000 including selected reports, resolutions and laws passed by the parliament. The 'Socialist Republic of Vietnam 1999-2000 National Assembly Yearbook,' was introduced at a press briefing held at the National Political Publishing House last Saturday. The first of its kind to be published in the country, the book contains detailed and important information on parliamentary proceedings of the 10th legislature. The yearbook has more than a 1,000 pages and hundred of photographs that throw light on many aspects relating to the implementation of legislative functions and the supervision of the State's activities. The Party general secretary and chairman of the National Assembly, Nong Duc Manh, notes in the foreword to the annual publication that the National Assembly is appointed and supervised by the people, so essential information on the organisation and its operations should be conveyed to the public and international friend. The last part of the yearbook has portraits and information about the 450 delegates to the 10th session of the National Assembly. The publication aims to provide the Party, the State, political bodies and economic organisations, enterprises and the public with necessary information on activities of the National Assembly during 1999-2000. The annual publication is expected to go online soon. (VNS) **** Thousands respond to anti-drug day Pupils in Ho Chi Minh City respond to the campaign on drug control. Many activities have been carried out in response to the World Anti-drug Day which falls on June 26. As many as 1,500 members of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Ha Tay northern province held a meeting, 'Ha Tay Youth for an Environment Free of Drugs.' After the meeting, young people disseminated information on drug control in Nguyen Trai and Yet Kieu wards. More than 1,200 members of the Labour Confederation of Dong Nai southern province also held a meeting in response to the campaign on drug control. Also joining the anti-drug activities, Hanoi's Youth Union, in co-ordination with the Hanoi Industry Fine Arts College, organised a poster exhibition on drug and HIV/AIDS control. More than 70 posters on display were selected from those by hundreds of students. **** Malaysian PM receives Party delegation Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad received a delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) which was in Malaysia from June 21-23 to attend the 55th Congress of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The PM, who is also UMNO President said he appreciated the presence of Vietnam's Party delegation which helped deepen the mutual understanding between the two Parties and strengthen the friendship and co-operation between the two States and peoples. Ms Nguyen Thi Doan, member of the CPV Central Committee, deputy director of the CPV CC's Commission for Inspection and head of the delegation, conveyed the best regards of CPV General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and other Party and State leaders of Vietnam to the president and other leaders of UMNO. She said she hoped that UMNO would successfully carry out its Congress's resolutions, thus taking Malaysia forward on the way to prosperity. (VNA) **** Successful young businessmen hailed The Vietnam Youth Union and the Vietnamese Businessmenšs Council held a ceremony to present Certificates of Commendation of the prime minister to ten Sao Do prize winning businessmen in the year 2000. The Sao Do winners were the business owners, who recorded great achievements in their business, creating jobs and stable incomes for their workers and contributed to charity activities. Also on this occasion, the Vietnamese Businessmenšs Council reviewed its activities in the first six months. Members of the council have created jobs for about 500,000 people and spent VND 2.8 billion on supporting poor households, granting scholarships for poor excellent students and sponsoring disadvantaged children. The ceremony saw the participation of about 1,000 students in Hanoi. **** Northern localities to preserve Cau river Chairmen of the People's Committees of six northern provinces in the valley of the Cau river- including Bac Can, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc and Hai Duong, signed a co-operation agreement on the sustainable preservation and exploitation of the Cau river in Bac Giang on June 23. The Cau river and its estuaries, mapped in the Thai Binh river system, include 288 kilometres of the main stream, over 6,000 square metres of lakes and dams and a population of five million people. The water resources and landscape along the river are in danger of degradation and exhaustion due to uncontrollable exploitation in recent years. The section flowing through the craft villages of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang is seriously polluted. A project was set up in 1997 to preserve and exploit the river's water resources and environment. It is targeted that by 2010 the river's environment and landscape will be restored as it was before 1975 and the water resources, current and quality will meet Vietnam's standards. The government has approved a budget resource to deliver over VND 100 million to each province in the river valley to carry out part of the project. Other funds and Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) projects are also contributing to preserving the environment along the river. **** Vietnam, India to boost friendship ties The friendship associations between Vietnam and India have decided to expand bilateral co-operation and experience exchange in various fields. An agreement to the effect was signed by Ms Chu Thuy Quynh, vice president of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association, and Pallab Sengupta, secretary general of the India-Vietnam Friendship Association, in Hanoi yesterday. The two associations agreed to boost bilateral co-operation and jointly organise cultural exhibitions and arts performances to mark major events of the two countries. They will also hold an arts festival, and publish a book in Vietnamese and English about the friendship between the two nations. A tourists' group from India will arrive in Vietnam under the motto: "Let us learn about Uncle Ho's life." (VNA) **** NGOs help Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia The 10th Forum of Non-governmental Organisations assisting Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia was held in Vientiane, capital of Laos, from June 19-21. The forum, entitled 'Strengthening Partnership Relations for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development,' was attended by more than 300 delegates from non-governmental organisations worldwide. Delegations from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia spoke of the situation in their countries and drew the participants' attention to projects on hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, and community development. Participants, who organised 36 discussions altogether, exchanged experiences in co-operating with the three Indochinese countries and worked out programmes and ways for co-operation with them in the coming period. Before attending the forum, the Vietnamese delegation, led by Vu Xuan Hong, acting president of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, was received by Siho Bannavong, member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and permanent vice president of the Lao National Construction Front. (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] __________________________________________________
