Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, Mar. 10 (VNA) -- The International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO's, recent agreement for a test application of an air-route structure over the East Sea does not concern the issue of national sovereignty over the archipelagoes and the waters of the East Sea, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson on March 10.

The spokesperson was responding to questions from some reporters to an article published by Hong Kong's Mingbao on Mar. 8 about flight information region (FIR) control over the East Sea.

Ha Noi, March 7 (VNA)-- President Tran Duc Luong and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai told visiting Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai in Ha Noi today, March 7, that Viet Nam would always attach importance to enhancing the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Thailand. They said also that the two countries should work harder to boost bilateral ties for mutual and regional benefit.

Vietnam and Russia should coordinate and take drastic measures to raise two-way trade, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam told his Russian counterpart Viktor Khristenko in Hanoi on March 2.

He cited efforts to boost trade exchange between localities of the two countries, the signing a free-trade agreement and establishment soon of Vietnam's commercial centre in Russia as contributing to the process. The two countries should be more active in economic and investment co-operation based on mutual understanding, trust and mutual benefit, Mr Cam said.

General Secretary Le Kha Phieu of the Communist Party of Vietnam assured Russian President Vladimir Putin of Vietnam's determination to attach importance to consolidating and developing its traditional friendship and co-operation with Russia.

The assurance was made during Mr Phieu's meeting in Hanoi on the morning of March 2, with President V V Putin who is on an official visit to Vietnam from February 28 to March 2.