VNA
President Luong urges Kon Tum to reduce poverty State President Tran Duc Luong has asked the leadership of central highland Kon Tum province to help ethnic minority people reduce poverty through sedentary life and farming programmes. "More efforts should be focused on selecting high-yield plant and animal varieties suitable to the local ecological environment to help nomads develop production," President Luong told the provincial authorities at a working session held on Wednesday, January 9. "This is also part of the government's plan to introduce scientific and technical advances into their production and build irrigation projects for them in order to make the national sedentary life and farming programme a success," Mr Luong said. The president toured Kon Tum province yesterday after visiting his native province of Quang Ngai where he urged provincial leaders to forge closer cooperation with concerned ministries and sectors in mapping out practical plans to reclaim coastal and mountainous areas to develop aquaculture and cultivation. Addressing Kon Tum provincial leaders and people, President Luong praised the inspiring results they had made in adopting the sedentary life and farming programme and implementing the hunger elimination and poverty reduction programme. In the recent past, Kon Tum has conducted 29 projects under the sedentary life and farming programme and other projects in connection with the hunger elimination and poverty reduction programme known as Programme 135. As a result, 34,670 households including 79,724 people have benefited from Programme 135, while the total number of nomadic households in the province is now reduced to about 260 only. President Luong said he agreed with the provincial leaders to strive to fulfil its sedentary life and agriculture programme by 2003. He also lauded the local efforts to promote economic restructuring in order to increase the ratio of industrial production and services in the provincial economy. "This has helped the province reduce the ratio of agriculture and forestry and raise its GDP growth rate to 11.75%, industrial production to 33.6%and trade and services to 37.78%last year," Mr Luong told local leaders and people. (VNA) **** PM Khai meets HCM City voters Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Ho Chi Minh City National Assembly (NA) deputies spent two days meeting with voters in precinct 12, Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts on January 8-9. The NA deputies reported to the local voters the results of the 10th session of the 10th National Assembly, the socio-economic situation in 2001 and targets of the countryıs socio-economic development plan till 2005. The voters said they welcomed the recent amendments and adjustments in the polices and laws of the State and Party which, they said, have contributed to export promotion, poverty reduction and the maintenance of an economic growth rate of 6.8% in 2001. The voters praised the arrest of Nam Cam, the ring leader of a criminal gang and his understudies, further asking the Party and State to pay more attention to the fight against corruption and waste. They also voiced their concerns over special issues such as drug addiction and trafficking in the city, the lack of specific medicines and overloaded hospitals, the unfair compensation in land clearance, the exploitation of sand on the Saigon river which is causing environmental pollution, river bank landslide and disorder, and the serious traffic jams. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai greatly appreciated the opinions of the people, further stressing that these opinions showed the citizensı awareness and responsibility to their country. The prime minister asked the voters to work in close co-operation with the Party, State, and local leaders in resolving these problems. He promised that new measures for these issues would be implemented in response to the questions raised by the voters. "Ho Chi Minh Cityıs growth contributes actively to the countryıs growth," said Mr Khai, wishing the city greater successes in realising the 2000-2005 five-year socio-economic development plan. **** Japanese parliamentary delegation's visit helps boost ties: NA Chairman Vietnam's National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Van An said he believed that the Vietnam visit by the Japanese parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki would further strengthen the multi-faceted relations between Vietnam and Japan. NA Chairman An was speaking during a reception in Hanoi on January 9 given to Speaker Watanuki, his wife and his entourage who are on an official friendship visit to Vietnam. Addressing the reception, Chairman An said he welcomed the visit made by the Japanese delegation, saying that the visit was made at a time when the multi-sided co-operation between Vietnam and Japan was being taken to new heights. He thanked the Japanese Speaker for his invitation for a return visit to Japan and said it would be arranged at a convenient time. Mr Watanuki expressed his belief that his first visit to Vietnam would end in success, contributing to the ever unceasing bilateral ties between the two countries. Earlier, Chairman An and his wife held a ceremony at the Ba Dinh Conference Hall in Hanoi to welcome Speaker Watanuki, his wife and entourage. **** PM congratulates Afghanistan's interim leader Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on January 9 extended a message of congratulations to Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Karzai. The PM said in his message that the establishment of the interim government in Afghanistan with Hamid Harzai as the leader was an important step in the process for peace, national reconciliation, and reconstruction in Afghanistan. He also expressed his belief that the relations between the people of Vietnam and Afghanistan would be resumed, consolidated, and developed for the interest of both countries. (VNA) **** Deputy PM meets Iraq Central Bank governor Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed the wish for closer co-operation between Vietnam and Iraq with the visiting Governor of the Iraq Central Bank, Rasheed Huweish. In his reception in Hanoi on January 9, to the Governor and his entourage, Mr Dung noted with satisfaction the fine development of the two countries' co-operative ties in economics and commerce. Regarding the friendship between the two countries, the deputy PM welcomed the governor's working visit as a contribution to strengthening mutual understanding between the two countries and their banks. Governor Rasheed expressed his admiration for the achievements Vietnam recorded in the process of renewal and his wish for the strengthened relations between the two countries, especially regarding co-operation in trade. (VNA) **** Trade union organisation praised Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem has praised the significant contributions by Vietnam's working class and trade union organisations to national socio-economic development in recent years. Addressing a conference of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on January 9, Deputy PM Khiem also asked the VCL to join force with the government in implementing five major programmes set for this year. "These programmes include promoting national economic restructuring, regional and multi-sectoral economic restructuring; improving business and investment environment; achieving economic integration, expanding markets, promoting export; developing human resources; and accelerating administrative reforms," Mr Khiem told the conference. He said the government will also ask the VGCL to assist in addressing problems concerning bad debts in social insurance, raising labour discipline among workers and employees, as well as training skilled workers and preventing wasteful spending. The conference was held to review the VGCL's last year operations to discuss the orientation and tasks for this year. (VNA) **** France to donate EUR 106 million France will give a EUR 106 million donation to Vietnam next year, an increase of 34%, announced French ambassador to Vietnam, Antoine Pouillieute at a new conference on France -Vietnam co-operation held in Hanoi on January 9. The French ambassador said that the traditional and effective co-operation in all fields between the two countries has brought about very positive results. At present, France is the biggest partner of Vietnam outside and also the biggest contributor to Vietnam amongst the western countries. He also said that the number of licenses for French projects in Vietnam has been increased, accounting for 5.6% of the total licensed projects. **** Elders praised for active contributions to national building The contributions of the elderly people were highly valued at a meeting held by the Association of Vietnamese Elderly People in Hanoi on January 9 to review the first emulation movement among the elderly people nationwide. Vice chairman and general secretary of the association, Do Trong Ngoan, read the letter of greetings of State President Tran Duc Luong to the meeting. President of the association, Vo Oanh, read a report, highlighting the important contributions of the Vietnamese elderly people in the national socio-economic development, especially the emulation movement "Exemplary Elders" and launched a new movement entitled "Older Age, Higher Will Sets Bright Example in the Cause of National Building and Defence." Many significant models in socio-economic development, new life building and security and political strengthening were introduced to the participants. Addressing the event, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An highly valued the contributions of the elderly people in the wars of resistances against foreign aggressors for national independence and freedom and asked them to continue promoting their experience and wisdom to the ongoing national renovation process under the leadership of the Party. He stressed that the elderly people have made an active efforts in strengthening the national unity, socio-economic development and political stability at local levels. The emulation movement among the elderly people has proved as an important motive force to ensure the development of society in both quantity and quality and a potential among the elders in the national industrialisation and modernisation. The NA chairman also asked the associations of the elderly people at different levels in localities nationwide to further contribute to the election of the National Assembly's eleventh term, thus building the Socialist Republic of Vietnam into a strong State. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
