Russian President gave interview to Nhan Dan




Ha Noi, Feb. 28 (VNA) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country regards the development of all-sided relations with Viet Nam as a priority in the Russian Federation's Asia foreign policy.

The President was speaking in an interview with Viet Nam's newspaper Nhan Dan ahead of his three-day visit to Viet Nam, starting evening, Feb. 28.

Asked about his Viet Nam visit, the first by a head of the Russian State, Putin said:

Environment issues in investment planning



Ha Noi, Feb. 27 (VNA) -- The results and recommendations of a project that makes the environment part of investment planning were assessed at a seminar held in Ha Noi on Feb. 27 and 28 by the Planning and Investment Ministry.

The seminar was designed to introduce and collect opinions for the renovation of planning policies; assess environmental impact on planning and investment projects and examine environmental methods for analysing economy and the environment; environmental issues in planning as well as environmental improvement programmes.

Ho Chi Minh city - St. Peterburg sea route opens



Ha Noi, Feb. 27 (VNA) -- The Vietnamese cargo vessel, "Phuong Dong-3", arrived in St Petersburg, Russia, on Feb. 22, opening the Ho Chi Minh City-St Petersburg route.

Owned by the Viet Nam Sea Transport and Chartering Company (VITRANSCHART), Phuong Dong-3 sailed almost 10,000 nautical miles in 43 days before anchoring at Russia's northwestern port.

President Tran Duc Luong gave interview to Russian Radio and TV




Ha Noi, Feb.27 (VNA) -- President Tran Duc Luong has granted an interview to the National Radio and Television of the Russian Federation for the forthcoming visit to Viet Nam by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In reply to a question about the main topic of the coming high-level talks, President Luong said:

Half century of Vietnam-Russia cooperation



Ha Noi, Feb. 26 (VNA) -- Cooperation between Viet Nam and first the Soviet Union and now the Russian Federation has brought about fruitful results, particularly in oil and gas, energy and training during the past 50 years.

* Oil and Gas

Oil and gas is the most successful example of economic cooperation between Viet Nam and the Russia Federation.

UNESCO prize for preservation efforts in Hoi An



Feb. 26 (VNA) -- The project to preserve the ancient town of Hoi An in central Quang Nam province has won an outstanding prize for its efforts from the UNESCO Committee for the Asia-Pacific.

The prize was presented by Cultural Advisor to the UNESCO Committee for the Asia-Pacific, Richard Englhardt at a ceremony held on Feb. 25 by the Hoi An Town People's Committee.

Women mutual assistance helps develop household economy



Ha Noi, Feb. 25 (VNA) -- The Viet Nam Women's Union (VWU) provided almost two million women with loans totalling more than VND 2,000 billion (USD 140 million) last year, a year-on-year increase of 23 percent.

The union also promoted the "women's mutual assistance to develop the household economy" movement, credit and saving activities and the dissemination of information and transfer of scientific and technological advances in production to women while implementing the hunger eradication and poverty reduction programme.

Number of patients with typhoid, dengue fever, cholera fell



Ha Noi, Feb. 25 (VNA) -- The number of people stricken with typhoid, dengue fever and cholera in Viet Nam fell remarkably in 2000.

The incidence of typhoid fell by 43 percent; dengue fever by 46.5 percent and cholera by six percent, compared with the previous year.

Access to electricity for minority communes



Feb. 25 (VNA) -- Minority people in six communes in the Central Highlands will have access to the national electric grid by the end of April.

A project to bring electric light to 1,750 minority households in Ro Men, Lieng Sron, Dam Ron, Da Long and Da Tong communes in Lam Dong province and Krong No commune in Dac Lac province started in Ro Men commune on Feb. 24.

Fisheries sector counts on technology to boost exports


Ha Noi, Feb. 25 (VNA) -- Fisheries Minister Ta Quang Ngoc believes technology renewal and facility restructuring will help the sector earn USD 1.6 billion from export this year.

"The sector plans to net 2.17 million tonnes of sea product with shrimp-for-export amounting to 120,000 tonnes. More than one-third of the output will come from the aquaculture. Frozen seafood - chiefly shrimp and squids - will rise to 325,000 tonnes," he says.

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