President visit to China to strengthen Vietnam-China co-operation: FM spokesperson The visit to China by President Tran Duc Luong scheduled for December 25-29 will create a new impetus for further strengthening the mutual trust, co-operation and friendship between Vietnam and China. So said the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Phan Thuy Thanh at a regular news briefing in Hanoi on December 21, announcing to local and foreign reporters the coming official visit to China by President Tran Duc Luong. During the visit, President Luong will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin, Chairman of the National People's Congress Li Peng and Premier Zhu Rongji. A joint statement on the framework of co-operation in the 21st century between the two countries will be signed during the visit. The two sides will also sign an agreement on the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf delineation, an agreement on fishing co-operation in the Bac Bo Gulf, an agreement on co-operation in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purpose, and an agreement on co-operation between Vietnam News Agency and Xinhua News Agency of China. President Luong's coming visit to China, Ms Thanh said, will take place in the context of strong and intensive steps of development in the relationship between the two countries, especially since the China visits by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Le Kha Phieu in February 1999 and by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in September this year, and the Vietnam visit by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji in December 1999. The coming visit to China by President Luong reflects Vietnam's consistent policy to attach importance to its comprehensive co-operation with China, maintain and boost the positive and stable development of the two countries' relations. The visit will translate the line of good neighbourliness, comprehensive co-operation, long-lasting stability and looking towards the future into concrete areas of co-operation between the two countries in the 21st century, she added. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Ukraine promote scientific co-operation President Tran Duc Luong, on December 22, requested Ukrainian scientists to continue giving training assistance to Vietnam, which, he said, would contribute considerably to Vietnam's industrialisation and modernisation. The State leader made the request while receiving Academician B E Paton, president of the Ukraine Academy of Sciences and president of the International Union of Academies of Sciences, in Hanoi on December 22. Scientific co-operation between the two countries has proved fruitful for years as a number of Vietnamese scientists who studied in Ukraine are now holding important positions in scientific research and educational institutions in Vietnam. The East European country has helped Vietnam in mechanics, material technology and transferred to Vietnam bio-technology and chains of medicine production, which Mr Luong described as of practical significance. Academician B E Paton, in turn, pledged to continue assistance to Vietnam's scientific and technological establishments despite Ukraine's own difficulties. On this occasion, an accord on social science co-operation between the National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam and the Ukraine Academy of Sciences was signed. (VNA) **** Christmas message asks Catholics to serve the people's happiness The Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics has called upon all Catholics to continue participating in the emulation movement "Let's unite to build a new healthy life in residential areas and live up to religious teachings and a good life." In its letter of greetings to the Catholic community of this year's Christmas Day, the committee asks Catholics to live the Godspel amidst the nation to serve the people's happiness. The letter also calls on each sect of the Catholic community to reaffirm their mission of "living, witnessing and announcing happy news" according to the teachings of the Vietnam Episcopal Council. Meanwhile, the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union on December 20 and 21 made well-wishing visits to major Catholic orders in the city. Other activities including a get-together of 260 priests and Catholics in Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Binh district. (VNA) _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________