Peace village built with US NGO' assistance



Ha Noi, Feb. 22 (VNA) -- Construction work for a Peace Village for the poor and war victims was started in Dong Ha, chief town of the central province of Quang Tri, with aid from Earth Steward Network, U.S. non-government organization.

The U.S. NGO has set up the Peace Trees Viet Nam project to help the war victims in Viet Nam.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by representatives from other international organisations and NGOs.

Boeing sets up fund to support Vietnamese flood victims




Ha Noi, Feb. 22 (VNA) -- The US giant Boeing has set up a fund to support victims of repeated floods in Viet Nam.

The fund had so far mobilised VND 2.1 billion (USD 145,610), which were subsequently channelled to Viet Nam Red Cross and other relevant agencies.

Natural calamities killed 680 people, injured 212 others and caused losses estimated at VND 4,730 billion (USD 337.8 million) in Viet Nam's Mekong delta, southeastern region and the central highlands in 2000.

US doctors help with pharmaceutical products



Twenty five tonnes of Pharmaceutical products including medicine and medical equipment worth over US $4 million, arrived in Tan Son Nhat International Airport on February 20.

This goods donated by the US 'Doctors' Association with a Heart' will be presented to some hospitals in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thai Nguyen. In addition, a group including doctors, benefactors, businessmen and volunteers also arrived to co-ordinate with the Ministry of Health to implement the family health care programme.

Historian gives his opinion on religious hearing


Feb. 21 (VNA) -- A Vietnamese historian living in San Diego, California, has described a hearing into religious rights by the U.S. Commission on Feb. 13 as "wrong" as it discussed the wrong topic in the "wrong place" at the "wrong time".

In an open letter to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, dated Feb. 16, the historian, Le Trong Van, cites three reasons to support his remarks:

Rumor about "ROVR-2"



Feb. 21 (VNA) -- There is no information yet from the U.S about permitting Vietnamese returnees who have served less than three years at re-education camps to resettle in the U.S. under the Humanitarian Order (HO) programme, says a senior official.

US Congressman said Vietnam-US trade agreement to be ratified


Ha Noi, Feb. 21 (VNA) -- A U.S. congressman has said he believes the U.S. Congress will ratify the Viet Nam-U.S. Trade Agreement soon.

Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, James Sensenbrenner emphasised the ratification would be made soon, during a reception given in his honour by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam in Ha Noi on Feb. 21., Sensenbrenner added that the U.S. House of Representatives and the President would support the Agreement.

FM Spokeswoman on guest worker in Samoa



AP: what is Vietnam's plan for Vietnamese workers still stuck in American Samoa?

Answer:

Together with the main task of creating employment in the country, the Government of Vietnam considers exporting labor a socio-economic activity that can help develop human resources, generate employment, and help workers to realize their aspirations to work abroad in order to obtain incomes and improve their skills, thus generating a source of hard currency for the country and strengthening our international cooperation.

VN Army Newspaper editorial on US hearing on religious freedom



Ha Noi, Feb. 15 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's army newspaper Quan Doi Nhan Dan today, Feb. 15, exposes the ill intention of a U.S. hearing on religious rights on Tuesday, describing it as a "rude intervention" in Viet Nam's internal affairs.

"The hearing, held by the U.S. Commission on international Religious Freedom at the U.S. Congress on Feb. 13, is an ill-intentioned move to grossly interfere in Viet Nam's internal affairs", the newspaper stresses.

Vietnam's ethnology to be displayed in the US


Ha Noi, Feb. 15 (VNA) -- Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has agreed in principle to the Viet Nam Museum of Ethnology and the U.S. Natural Historical Museum coordinating a display in the U.S.

Purpose of the exhibition would be to help the U.S better understand the history of the Vietnamese people as well as their contemporary life.

The Prime Minister also instructed the National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities to combine with the Information and Culture Ministry and other relevant ministries to help with the display.--VNA

FM Spokeswoman affirms Vietnam respects freedom of belief



Ha Noi, Feb. 15 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's law and State respect and ensure freedom of belief and religion and freedom of non-belief and non-religion for all the country's citizens, says Foreign Ministry spokeswoman,Ms. Phan Thuy Thanh.

Ms. Thanh had been asked for Viet Nam's response to a hearing about religion in Viet Nam by the U.S. Congress's Commission for International Religious Freedom.

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