VNA
Quang Tri launches Tet tree planting The central province of Quang Tri launched on January 5 a Tet tree planting movement initiated by Uncle Ho to welcome the 72nd anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 30th anniversary of Quang Tri's liberation. Over 1,000 trees were planted by the province's leaders and representatives from agencies, branches, sectors and organisations in Dong Ha forestry and along roads and streets. The movement bearing the motto 'People plant trees, households plant trees' is planned to achieve a target of 1-5 green trees planted by each person in each residential area, office plus roads and streets till the 15th of the 2002 lunar new year. Quang Tri has carried out many environmental activities to regreen hills and mountains which were seriously damaged by the war. In the past ten years, the province has planted 40,000 hectares of forest land and millions of trees, increasing the coverage from 21 to 32%. The province's 13th Party Congress set a target for planting an additional 6,000 hectares of focussed forest and three millions of dispersed trees each year so as to reach the forest coverage of 37% in 2005 and 43% in 2010. **** Lebanese president praises Vietnam's achievements Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has spoken highly of Vietnam's achievements in the current phase of renovation. He received Vietnamese Ambassador to Lebanon Duong Huynh Lap on January 4 after the Ambassador presented his credentials. The President wished the Vietnamese people greater successful achievements in national construction. He said he believed that Lebanon-Vietnam's friendly and co-operative ties would be further promoted and developed. Ambassador Lap conveyed Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong's regards to President Lahoud and the Lebanese people. He affirmed that the Vietnamese government and people were delighted at the development of friendship and multifaceted co-operation between the two countries. "Vietnam will always attach importance to boosting the two countries' ties in the interests of the two peoples," the ambassador stressed. (VNA) **** Japanese speaker to visit Vietnam Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan's Parliament Tamisuke Watanuki and his wife will pay an official friendly visit to Vietnam from January 9-12. The visit is made at the invitation of Vietnam's National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Van An. This was announced by the NA Office in a statement released in Hanoi on January 6. **** Assistance from Italian people appreciated Nguyen Quoc Trieu, deputy chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, appreciated the Italian people's support for the Vietnamese people's struggle for national independence and national construction. Mr Trieu was receiving a visiting Vice Governor of Italy's Bologna city Yovani Salizoni in Hanoi on January 5. He spoke of Hanoi's potential for co-operation with Bologna in science, technology and development of small and medium-sized enterprises, culture and relic preservation. The Italian guest applauded the swift implementation of a project to help disadvantaged and street children in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem district, which is funded by the European Union, Denmark and Italy. The two sides discussed measures to increase bilateral relations. (VNA) **** Vietnam-India relations reviewed A seminar was held in Hanoi on January 5 and 6 to review 30 years of the relationship between Vietnam and India and their future direction. The seminar was co-sponsored by the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies under the National Centre of Social Science and Humanities and the International Relations Institute under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry. Those present included Professor Academician Nguyen Duy Quy, Director of the National Centre of Social Science and Humanities; and the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam, Saurabh Kumar. More than 20 reports were delivered at the event, highlighting the traditional relationship between the two countries cultivated by President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister J Nehru. The ties have been constantly developed in all fields, since the two countries established diplomatic relations on January 7, 1972. All the speakers confirmed that since Vietnam and India officially established diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level in July 1972, they have signed many such co-operation agreements including an agreement on Cultural Co-operation in 1976 and an agreement on Commercial, Economic, Scientific, and Technological Co-operation in 1978. They added the relationship was strengthened with the visits to India by President Ho Chi Minh in 1958, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong in 1978, Party General Secretary Le Duan in 1984, and Party General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh in 1989. Further, Vietnam received Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1954 and Prime Minister Rajip Gandhi in 1985 and 1988. The two countries' relationship has grown due to the joint developments in the 80's and 90's, especially bilateral co-operation in agriculture, industry, transport and communications, post, petroleum, and mining, the seminar was told. (VNA) **** Indian Embassy's staff donate blood The Indian Ambassador H E Saurabh Kumar and first secretary Suresh Kalra together with approximately 20 staff members from the Indian Embassy in Vietnam came to the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital on January 6 to donate their blood in response to an appeal for blood donations to save poor patients. The Hanoi's Red Cross Society and deputy director of the hospital, Doctor Nguyen Tien Quyet expressed his sincere thanks to Indian friends for their good deeds. This is the second time our Indian friends have donated their blood to save Vietnamese poor patients. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
