Vietnam News Dec 15-16

[sipila]

VNA

PM extends sympathies to India over attack on parliament complex

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on December 14 sent a message of sympathy to
his Indian counterpart, Atal Behari Vajpayee. He conveyed deep sympathy to
the government of India over the December 13 attack on the parliament
complex in New Delhi. He also sent condolences to the families of victims of
the attack. 

He affirmed Vietnam's consistent stance against terrorism of any kind.

Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien also sent sympathies to his Indian
counterpart, Jaswant Singh.

On the same day, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry issued a statement,
affirming: "Vietnam protests all forms of terrorism."

The spokesperson said Vietnam, a friend of India, strongly condemns the
attack on the Indian Parliament.

She described the attack as an extremely serious event, taking place at a
time when people all over the world have been joining efforts to fight
terrorism. She, therefore, asked that severe punishments be handed down to
those who took part in this terrorist attack. (VNA)




PLO - Palestine's sole, legitimate representative: FM spokeswoman

Vietnam regards the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), under the
leadership of President Yasser Arafat, as Palestine's sole legitimate
representative, says a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi on
December 14. 

Ms Phan Thuy Thanh was responding to questions from foreign journalists on
Vietnam's reaction to the current unrest in the Middle East.

She reaffirmed Vietnam's recognition of the PLO in the Palestinian people's
fight for basic national rights, expressing concern over the tense situation
in the Middle East as a result of Israel's declaration to cut ties with
President Arafat, and its deployment of military force against Palestinian
targets.

She said: "Vietnam opposes any act of violence, considers violence an
ineffective measure, which only creates tension and threatens peace and
stability in the Middle East."

"We call on all relevant parties to exercise restraint, and put an immediate
end to the use of force," Ms Thanh stressed.

She also urged the international community to step in to help resume peace
talks on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and the principle of
'Land for Peace.' She noted these efforts are needed to reach a peaceful,
fair and sustainable solution that meets the legitimate interests of all
relevant parties. (VNA)




ABM Treaty still foundation for peace: spokeswoman

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on December 14 expressed hope that signatories
to the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty would not make any decisions that
could affect efforts for full disarmament and the world stability.

Ms Phan Thuy Thanh was asked by China's Xinhua and the Republic of Korea's
Yonhap news agencies about the Vietnamese government's reaction to US
President George Bush's December 12 announcement to withdraw from the ABM
Treaty, first signed with the former Soviet Union in 1972. She made it clear
that Vietnam has always supported efforts for comprehensive and full
disarmament, particularly of nuclear weapons.

She said Vietnam has always considered the ABM agreement between Russia and
the United States a firm foundation for world strategic stability.

"We hope that the (treaty) parties will make decisions that will not
negatively affect the established strategic balance, on-going processes of
disarmament and arms control, or world peace and stability," the spokeswoman
emphasised. (VNA)




Child care needs outlined for foreign ambassadors

Vietnam hopes to receive material assistance and experience in order to
outline proper policies for children, said Minister Tran Thi Thanh Thanh.

Minister Thanh, chairwoman of the Vietnam Committee for Protection and Care
of Children, was speaking to ambassadors and representatives from foreign
embassies in Hanoi during a reception given by the committee to welcome
Christmas and New Year.

She told the guests that Vietnam's mortality and malnutrition rate among
children under five dropped by 33% and almost 50%, respectively, over the
past decade. The country has also successfully completed its primary
education universalisation programme, Ms Thanh said.

She also briefed foreign diplomats on 15 objectives of and challenges to
Vietnam in carrying out child care and protection programmes in 2002.

The minister took the occasion to thank embassies for assisting Vietnamese
children. Hanoi-based embassies have through the committee donated more than
US $2 million to functional rehabilitation centres for children with
disabilities and construction of schools in remote areas.

Speaking at the function, Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh lauded the
contributions of foreign friends and diplomats in Hanoi to child care an

Vietnam News Dec 15

[heikki sipilä]

>Brass Ho Chi Minh statues presented
>
>The Army’s Party Committee, the Defence Ministry held a presentation ceremony
>of brass Ho Chi Minh statues to ministries, branches, sectors and
>organisations at the central level in Hanoi on December 14.
>
>Politburo member and director of the Vietnam People’s Army General Department
>of Politics, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan addressed the ceremony,
>highlighting that on the 110th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh and
>in line with the aspiration of officers and men of the Vietnam People’s Army,
>the Army’s Party Committee, the Defence Ministry has cast brass Ho Chi Minh
>statues to present them to ministries, sectors, branches and provinces
>nationwide. This is a work of deep political and ideological significance, of
>spiritual value and long lasting with time. This also expressed the
>remembrance and deep gratitude of the entire Party and people to Uncle Ho.



>PM praises Youth Union for its activities
>
>Prime Minister Phan Van Khai praised the Youth Union Central Committee for
>their effective organisation of activities this year, the Young People’s Year.
>
>He affirmed that through these practical and useful activities, the Youth
>Union’s movements have been developed with the higher number of the
>outstanding Youth Union’s members admitted to the Party than the previous
>years.
>
>Working with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee on the
>result of the work in the Young People’s Year 2000 in Hanoi on December 14,
>Prime Minister Khai asked the Youth Union Central Committee to map out more
>suitable and effective measures of education and training, thus being able to
>meet the demand of the new period. One of the most important task, he said,
>was to educate revolutionary ideal, tradition and virtue for the youth, making
>each young person always proud of the Vietnam Communist Party and the nation’s
>glorious tradition. He added that the youth should also have a thorough grasp
>and mastery of the scientific and technological advance. With these
>conditions, the young people could shoulder the heavy responsibility to
>successfully build socialism and fulfil the national industrialisation and
>modernisation. The prime minister also asked the Youth Union to co-ordinate
>with concerned agencies to resolutely push back social evils, especially drug
>issues among young people, build a cultural life for young people,
>contributing to creating a healthy social environment.
>
>Mr Vu Trong Kim, first secretary of the Youth Union Central Committee informed
>the prime minister about the deployment and implementation of the programmes
>and targets set in the Young People’s Year for young people nationwide. These
>programmes include young people’s volunteer movements to help the poor and the
>mountainous and remote areas, their participation in the construction of Ho
>Chi Minh Highway. Although, the movements have brought fruitful results in
>many fields, many problems are still unresolved.




>Consultative Group meeting for Vietnam opens
>
>
>
>Deputy PM Nguyen Tan Dung addressing the meeting.
>
>The Consultative Group (CG) for Vietnam opened its meeting in Hanoi on
>December 14.
>Participants at the two-day meeting include Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan
>Dung, and representatives of the World Bank (WB), 41 bilateral and
>multilateral donor organisations and nations, and many observers.
>
>This year's CG Meeting is the eighth of its kind since Vietnam resumed its
>relationship with the international donor community in 1993. It is an
>opportunity for the donor community and the Vietnamese Government to assess
>and exchange views on Vietnam's socio-economic development in the past year
>and development plans for the coming time. Donors' policies and views will be
>presented to the participants.
>
>Discussions at the meeting will focus on an economic framework and an
>institute for rapid and sustainable development in Vietnam until 2010,
>development of human resources, infrastructure, rural and environmental
>development, partnership relations in the coming decade, and official
>development assistance (ODA) demands and commitments.
>
>In recent years, ODA to Vietnam has risen each year despite a fall in ODA
>around the world. In the last seven years, the world community has pledged ODA
>worth US $15.4 billion. In the 1996-2000 period alone, Vietnam disbursed more
>than US $6 billion to develop its socio-economic infrastructure and implement
>its poverty alleviation and hunger elimination programme.
>
>Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that
>Vietnam has devised a five-year plan (2001-2005) and a socio-economic
>development strategy for the coming decade, and was determined to continue
>accelerating economic renovation and realising national industrialisation and
>modernisation in a bid to avoid being left behind in the regional and global
>development process.
>
>He asked the meeting to sp