Central Highlanders affirm unity of Vietnam



March 20 (VNA) -- The journalists arrived in Dac Long commune of the central highlands, or Tay Nguyen, Kon Tum province where it is said that a cock crowing can be heard in the three bordering countries, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos, on a sunny February day.

That evening, sitting around a fire with his fellow Ba Na and Gia Rai villagers, they heard old A Lai's heart-felt stories.

6 projects for flood-hit provinces in Mecong Delta




Ha Noi, Mar. 20 (VNA) -- As many as 29,495 poor households in five Mekong delta provinces, which were hard hit by floods last year, have benefitted from six foreign-funded projects totalled USD 1.5 million.

They are in Dong Thap, An Giang, Tien Giang, Can Tho and Vinh Long provinces.

The projects received financial support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Norwegian, Swiss and Dutch governments.

Wholly foreign invested project on farm and aquatic



Ha Noi, March 20 (VNA) -- The Planning and Investment Ministry has licensed a wholly Netherlands-invested project on buying farm produce and foodstuff.

The USD 120-million project, the biggest involving in agriculture so far, has a legal capital of USD 36 million and will be operational for 50 years.

Vietnam's investment environment is more open




Ha Noi, Mar. 20 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's Planning and Investment Minister Tran Xuan Gia has again called for greater efforts to realize Viet Nam's foreign investment policy which is regarded as more open than other countries'.

The Minister says: "Most foreign investors have shared the view that Viet Nam's foreign investment policy is fairly open to investors but what is more important is how to carry out the policy."

Vietnam strives for a better care and protect of people's health




Ha Noi, Mar 20 (VNA) -- Viet Nam has adopted a strategy to better care for and protect the people's health as part of its efforts to increase an average life expectancy from the present 66 to 71 by the year 2010.

The strategy is included in a decision signed by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on Mar. 19. It is intended to provide all people with primary healthcare services as well as access to high-quality medical services.

Vietnam is one


Editorial by Khoi Nguyen, Nhan Dan Newspaper, March 5,2001

East Asian Studies Group to be set up




Ha Noi, March 18 (VNA) -- ASEAN countries, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have agreed to set up a joint East Asian Studies Group (EASG).

The agreement, made in furtherance of a decision of the Summit between ASEAN and China, Japan and the RoK held in Singapore in November last year, was reached at a Senior Official Meeting of 13 countries (SOM/ASEAN+3) in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17.

FAO funds aquaculture project for flood-hit provinces




Ha Noi, March 19 (VNA) -- A USD 402,789 project on aquaculture funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, is to be deployed in the Mekong Delta later this March.

The project is to help 520 poor farmer households in three provinces hit by repeated floods, Can Tho, Dong Thap and An Giang with initial investment, technical training and conselling services.

Vietnamese and foreign singers' performances



Ha Noi, March 19 (VNA) --

* Vietnamese Artists Tour U.S.

Vietnamese pop singers Phuong Thanh, Lam Truong, Thu Phuong and Quang Huy and commediene Hong Van have made a three-week tour of the United States.

The Vietnamese artists gave seven performances in Richmond, Atlanta, Boston, Atlantic Cicy and San Jose.

This, the first U.S. tour by Vietnamese artists, was initiated by overseas Vietnamese business as put of a co-ordinated effort to bring Vietnamese performers to North American audiences.

Crude oil output 16 million tonnes may decline quickly



Ha Noi, Mar. 19 (VNA) -- Experts forecast that Viet Nam's yearly crude output is likely to reach 16 million tonnes between now and 2005, but will decline quickly unless new oil fields are found.

But discoveries of new major oil reserves such as Southern Vietnam's Bach Ho, the White Tiger, field are thought not much likely. Instead, any new reserves are likely to be small.

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