Gen. Secretary Le Kha Phieu's meeting with Singaporean President



Ha Noi, Feb. 8 (VNA) -- Viet Nam Communist Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu has reiterated that Viet Nam's policy towards Singapore and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is unchanged and is intended to boost peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.

The General Secretary was speaking to visiting Singaporean President S.R. Nathan in Ha Noi on Feb. 8.

Security returns to nornal in Central Highlands




Ha Noi, Feb. 8 (VNA) -- Security and social order has been restored in the Central-Highlands provinces of Gia Lai and Dac Lac, report resident Viet Nam News Agency, VNA, correspondents.

The correspondents say that the restoration of order in Pleiku and Buon Ma Thuot and some other places of the two provinces had been necessary after residents were given misleading information about the arrest of two minority people.

Chinese Defence Minister visits Vietnam



Ha Noi, Feb. 8 (VNA) -- Chinese Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Chi Haotian, his wife and several officers of the Chinese army arrived in Ha Noi on Feb. 8 morning, beginning an official visit to Viet Nam.

The visit is being made at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Pham Van Tra.

Protestant general Council holds Congress




Feb. 8 (VNA) -- The General Council of the Viet Nam Protestant Church in the south opened its first congress in Ho Chi Minh City today, Feb. 8.

It was attended by 482 dignitaries and believers and 278 guests.

Singaporean President begins visit to Vietnam



Ha Noi, Feb. 7 (VNA) -- President S.R. Nathan begins today, Feb. 7, a five-day official visit to Viet Nam, the first by a Singaporean president since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973.

The visit, also the President's first one abroad since his assuming office in August 1999, is aimed at expanding multiform cooperation between Viet Nam and Singapore.

The relationship between the two countries has blossomed especially since Viet Nam became a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995.

WTO regional workshop in Ha Noi



Ha Noi, Feb. 6 (VNA) -- Developing Asian countries had the chance to further understand the World Trade Organization's, WTO, regulations at a regional workshop that opened in Ha Noi on Feb. 6.
The workshop was opened by the Foreign Ministry and the WTO Secretariat.

Participants were officials from Central Asian and Asian countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Georgia.

The workshop will last till Feb. 9.--VNA

1,200 workers sign contracts to work abroad in January



Ha Noi, Feb. 6 (VNA) -- As many as 1,188 workers got contracts to work abroad in January, according to the Department for Labour Management with Foreign Countries.

Five hundred and ninety will work in the Republic of Korea (RoK), 530 in Taiwan, and 68 in Japan.

As many as 383 people will engage in electronic, engineering, garment and textiles and dyeing industries, while 126 others will work as housemaids.

Viet Nam plans to send 50,000 work-hands to work abroad this year.

50 Vietnamese ventures abroad



Ha Noi, Feb. 6 (VNA) -- Viet Nam now has 50 investment ventures in 17 countries and territories, including five joint oil and gas development projects between PetroVietnam and Lao, Mongolian, Indonesian and Malaysian partners, an Investment and Planning Ministry official said.

Viet Nam's overseas investment has boomed following a 1999 Government decree governing overseas investment by Viet Nam's entrepreneurs, the official told Dau Tu, Investment, newspaper. He explained that 24 of the 45 non-oil and gas ventures were licensed between 1999 and 2000.

Vietnam and Laos provinces build trade centres


Ha Noi, Feb. 6 (VNA) -- Building of a Hue-Savannakhet Trade Centre has started at the old Tha Muong market in Savannakhet town in Laos.
The centre, designed and built by Viet Nam central Thua Thien-Hue province's General Trading Company, will have two commercial and one entertainment areas.

Products manufactured by enterprises of Thua Thien-Hue and Savannakhat provinces will be on display at the centre, thus facilitating economic development and business operations in the two provinces.--VNA

Fourth session of Vietnam-CPC inter-gov. commission


VIET NAM-CAMBODIA INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION MEETS


Ha Noi, Feb. 5 (VNA) -- The fourth session of the Viet Nam-Cambodia Inter-Governmental Commission for Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation was held in Ha Noi on Feb. 5.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Vietnamese Subcommission, Nguyen Dy Nien, and the Cambodian delegation by Senior Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Chairman of the Cambodian Subcommission, Hor Namhong.

Pages