VNA Party chief thanks Japan for assistance Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has thanked the Japanese Parliament, government and people for their assistance to Vietnam in recent years, especially the contribution to Vietnam's hunger eradication and poverty reduction efforts. Receiving the speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives, Tamisuke Watanuki, and his delegation in Hanoi on January 11, Mr Manh asked his guest to convey his best regards to Junichiro Koizumi, president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prime minister of Japan. "The Party, State and people of Vietnam attaches great importance to co-operation with Japan," Mr Manh said. He expressed his confidence in the further development of both countries' co-operation for mutual benefit and regional peace, stability, co-operation, and development. Speaker Watanuki conveyed best wishes from Mr Koizumi to General Secretary Manh. Mr Tamisuke said he was happy to visit Vietnam and witness its renovation achievements recorded under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He hailed the development of the friendship and co-operation between the two countries in general and between the two legislative bodies in particular. The speaker emphasised that Japan attaches importance to co-operation with Vietnam and continues to support Vietnam's national construction and socio-economic development. Japanese speaker visits Ho Chi Minh City Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Tamisuke Watanuki arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on January 11, continuing his official visit to Vietnam from January 9. Speaker Watanuki and his delegation were received by Huynh Dam, chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Council. Mr Watanuki expressed his high appreciation of Ho Chi Minh City's dynamic development and co-operative projects between Vietnam and Japan. Huynh Dam expressed his thanks for the Japanese government and people's assistance to the city through ODA programmes and projects and his joy at fruitful economic, commercial, investment, tourism and cultural co-operation in the recent past. He and Watanuki shared experiences in building legal systems and discussed issues relating to the organisation and operations of people-elected agencies. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For closer ties: Japanese Speaker Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Tamisuke Watanuki paid an official visit to Vietnam from January 9-12 as guest of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An. On this occasion, Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki granted an interview to Nhan Dan (the People) newspaper. Following is the content of the interview: Q: Could you please tell us the purpose of your visit to Vietnam? A: Since I took the charge in as the speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives, I thought that to further develop the relations between Vietnam and Japan, it is not only to promote the ties between the two governments, but also the ties of parliamentarians between the two countries, in promoting information exchanges and building confidence through exchanges of the parliamentarians between the two nations. The exchange of activities between the two legislative bodies also plays an important role in constantly developing the friendly and co-operative relations between our two countries. I myself have received important guests and foreign ambassadors to Japan and visited many countries to promote diplomatic activities at the highest level of legislative body. This time, at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An, I visit Vietnam in the hope of making a contribution to further tightening the ties between Japan and Vietnam. Q: What do you think about the development of relations between Vietnam and Japan in general in recent years and between the two countries¹ legislative bodies in particular? A: As far as I know, the trading and investment ties between Japan and Vietnam has increased sharply and there have been over 300 Japanese businesses investing in Vietnam. In the tourism area, there is a Œfever of making tours to Vietnam¹ in Japan. About 300,000 Japanese tourists, including young Japanese women, have visited Vietnam. At the legislative body¹s level, His Excellency Takebe, who is currently the minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, attended the Ninth National Party Congress; His Excellency Yamasaki, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, visited Vietnam. The vice chairman of Vietnam¹s National Assembly, Mai Thuc Lan, also visited Japan and I had a talks with him. This year is my official friendship visit to Vietnam. The exchange of activities of parliamentarians between the two countries¹ legislative bodies is enthusiastically taking place. And more than that, other exchanges at different levels have also been promoted, contributing to enhancing the friendship and mutual understanding between our two countries. Q: What are your impressions on the land and people of Vietnam after the visit? A: I highly appreciate the warm welcome given and extended to our delegation by the Vietnamese people. During my stay in Vietnam, I had a feeling of closeness and friendship. What surprises me o my first visit to Vietnam is that Vietnam has an unbelievably great number of motorcycles. However, the deeper impression is that Vietnamese people are very polite and friendly, which has given me great pleasure during my time here. I got a trip full of enthusiasm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prime minister praises press Prime Minister Phan Van Khai applauded the press's great efforts in disseminating and encouraging the people of all walks of life to implement the Party's and State's policies on renovation, especially the Resolution of the Ninth Party Congress. He was speaking at a New Year meeting with general directors, editors-in-chief, and reporters of news agencies, newspapers, radios and televisions held in Hanoi on January 11. The government and the prime minister himself always support and create favourable conditions for pressmen to effectively carry out their work, he stressed. The government always considers the press as an important information channel to help the government properly understand the people and issue timely policies and instructions to solve urgent and outstanding socio-economic problems within the society. Mr Khai spoke about socio-economic development in 2001, stressing advantages, disadvantages and negative impacts upon the economy. On Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena, the prime minister said Vietnam is considered as a country with a stable political system, good social security and high economic growth in comparison with other countries in the region. The country is also a safe place for foreign investors, he emphasised. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Resolution on revision of Constitution and three new laws made public A new briefing was held at the President's Office on January 11 to make public the National Assembly (NA)'s Resolution on the amendment of and supplement to several articles of the 1992 Constitution and three new laws including the Law on NA Organisation, revised Law on NA deputies' election and the Law on government Organisation which were passed on December 25, 2001 by the 10th session of the 10th Legislature. Chairman of the news conference, Nguyen Canh Dinh who is director of the President's Office unveiled that President Tran Duc Luong signed an Ordinance to make public the NA's Resolution on the revised Constitution and the three above-mentioned laws. NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Yeu briefed reporters about basic contents of the Resolution on the amendment of and supplement to several articles of the 1992 Constitution. He stressed that the NA's approval of the resolution aimed to create a legal framework for the revision of laws on organisation of State apparatus and other legal documents, with an effort to continue perfecting the State apparatus to make it more streamline, purer, stronger and more effective. Director of the NA's Office, Vu Mao, briefed the changes to the Law on NA Organisation and Law on NA deputies' election. Minister and head of the government's Committee on Organisation and Personnel, Do Quang Trung introduced what have been revised in the Law on government Organisation and pointed out what should be done to enforce the law. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vietnam rejects foreign reports as completely groundless Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Phan Thuy Thanh on Thursday flatly rejected the total fabrication of foreign reports that minority Catholics in the Central Highlands were arrested and tortured last Christmas. Ms Thanh made the statement at a regular press briefing held in Hanoi on January 10 during which she also welcomed the establishment of an interim government led by Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan. The spokesperson said "Christmas celebrations took place in a merry atmosphere in all parts of Vietnam, including the Central Highlands where many minority Catholics live." "These Christmas celebrations were witnessed by millions of Vietnamese people and foreigners through Vietnam's central and local television coverage," Ms Thanh stressed. At the briefing, the spokesperson also rejected as groundless a report from the US newspaper the Orange County Register saying that Vietnam's use of insecticide in agricultural production badly affected its farm products. "The remarks are completely groundless and have been made for malicious purposes," Ms Thanh emphasised. She said Vietnam has already issued an ordinance on plant protection and quarantine as well as a regulation guiding the implementation of this legal document. Vietnam has also signed bilateral and multilateral international treaties for plant protection and quarantine, Ms Thanh added. She affirmed that any chemical substances including chemical fertilisers, weedkillers and insecticides that are harmful to human health and the environment are banned in Vietnam. Vietnam has for a long period exported its farm produce to many countries and territories in the world, including the United States, the spokeswoman said, adding that these farm products met FDA standards of the US for food hygiene and safety. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Israeli diplomat visits Vietnam Director General of the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs Avi Gil visited Vietnam on January 10. He was received by Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, who expressed pleasure at the development of relations between Vietnam and Israel and hope that the relationship would be further developed in the interests of the two peoples, for peace and stability in the region and the whole world. Minister Nien also expressed his wish for early peace settlement and stability in the Middle East to enable the people in the region to build and develop their countries and boost co-operative ties for prosperity He said Vietnam supports a peace process that is based on the United Nations Security Council's Resolutions 242 and 338, the principle of "land for peace" and signed agreements aimed at building an equitable and long-lasting peace for both Arabs and the Israeli people. Director General Avi Gil affirmed the Israeli government's determination to strengthen co-operation with Vietnam. He briefed Minister Nien regarding the current situation in the Middle East as well as Israel's desire for a peaceful solution to the conflict, and peace and stability in the region. Mr Avi Gil had a working session with the minister for science, technology and environment, Chu Tuan Nha, on co-operation between the two countries, particularly in science, technology and environment. He also met Vietnamese assistant to the foreign minister, Nguyen Phu Binh. The two sides reviewed their relations in the recent past and discussed measures to boost co-operation in the future. They also compared notes on the situation in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and international issues of common concern. (VNA) _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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