Vietnam calls help for disable &Agent Orange-affected children




Vietnam's Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh has called on all individuals and organisations at home and overseas to help and support disabled children in general and children who are victims of Agent Orange in particular.

The vice president made the call at a campaign launched in Hanoi on March 22, to support disabled children and children affected by Agent Orange between now and 2005.

Japan Airway ANA opens Tokyo-HCM route



Ha Noi, March 27 (VNA)-- Japan's All Nippon Airway, ANA, today, March 27, launched a new air route from Tokyo to Viet Nam's Ho Chi Minh City to meet Japanese tourists' increasing demand for flights to Viet Nam.

The Japanese aviation giant will cooperate with the Viet Nam flag carrier, the Viet Nam Airlines, to conduct two flights a week.

An estimated 140,000 Japanese tourists visited Viet Nam last year. The figure is expected to rise to one million by 2005, said Viet Nam Tourist Administration.--VNA


Vietnam steps up poverty-eradication efforts



Ha Noi, March 27 (VNA) -- Viet Nam has stepped up its efforts to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty across the country with more investment in poverty-stricken areas.

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has assigned the State Bank, the Finance Ministry, the Planning and Investment Ministry and other relevant agencies to the task of seeking more investment capital for the Bank for the Poor so as to enable it to expand services for poor people.

FM Spokeswoman rejects an intervention by Amnesty Int'l



Ha Noi, March 27 (VNA) -- Amnesty International's call for those who illegally flee their country be given refuge is an intervention in the internal affairs of that country and that cannot be accepted, says Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh.

Ms. Thanh was responding to questions by reporters from AFP, AP and The South China Morning Post newspaper seeking Viet Nam's response to Amnesty International's call for a number of Vietnamese minority people, who recently left the country for Cambodia, be given refuge. She said:

PM wishes for closer VN-Israel economic ties



Ha Noi, March 26 (VNA) -- Israel could either import rice, coffee, rubber and other tropical products from Viet Nam, or invest to produce products satisfying its taste and take advantage of Viet Nam's abundant labour, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has told Israeli business people.

Speaking at his reception for an Israeli Producers' Association delegation in Ha Noi on March 26, the Prime Minister spoke highly of Israel's scientific and technological development.

VN earns USD 3.55 billion in first quarter



Ha Noi, March 26 (VNA) -- Viet Nam earned USD 1.32 billion from exports in March, a month-on-month increase of 15.5 percent, says the General Statistics Office.

The figure brought first-quarter export turnover to USD 3,554 million, a year-on-year increase of 14.2 percent.

Rice remained the stable with 653,000 tonnes exported between January-March, a year-on-year increase of 78 percent. The return of USD 114 million was, however, only about 40 percent higher than last year because of low prices.

Lang Co resort opened to tourists


March 26 (VNA) -- The Lang Co resort, in the foothills of the Hai Van Pass, about 50 km south of the ancient city of Hue, was officially opened on March 25.

The owners of the new four-star resort in central Thua Thien-Hue province hope it will encourage tourists to spend more time in the region.

In addition to its 60 guest rooms, the resort, built on four hectares adjacent to the Lang Co's fine beaches, includes sports facilities, swimming pools and a restaurant.

Vietnam to boost regional air transportation



Ha Noi, March 26 (VNA)-- Officials from the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines have discussed with their neighbouring counterparts ways to increase civil aviation cooperation, particularly regional air transportation.

In an annual meeting held in Phnom Penh recently, aviation officials from Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, which underlined closer regional cooperation to enable their airlines to operate more effectively.

Minority boarding schools affirm their role



Nhan Dan Newspaper March 24: The network of minority boarding schools has affirmed its role of turning out a contingent of qualified Party and government cadres for highlands regions over the past decade.

Gia Rai improves education conditions



Ha Noi, March 25 (VNA) -- Central highland Gia Lai province has over recent years increased its budget allocation to build houses for school teachers in remote and mountainous areas to help improve their living conditions.

In 2000 and early 2001, the province has invested about VND 4 billion, more than USD 300,000, to build thousands of square metres of housing for teachers who are working in isolated and highland hamlets and communes.

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