Vietnam committes to combat drug trafficking

Ha Noi, Sept. 17 (VNA) -- Viet Nam has renewed its commitment to combat drug trafficking, especially the illicit trade of precursors, considering it a new and important task to be jointly undertaken by both the government and people.

The pledge was made by Lt. Gen. Le The Tiem, Deputy Minister of Public Security and member of Viet Nam's National Committee for Drug Control, at a three-day workshop on precursor control in Viet Nam, which opened today, Sept. 17.

On the settlement of Vietnam-China border issue


Ha Noi, Sept. 14 (VNA) -- The shared borderline of 1,350 km between Viet Nam and China has been developing into a border area of peace, friendship and stability.

In recent years, the public has given significant attention to this issue. Deputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung has granted a special interview to Viet Nam News Agency on the progress of the settlement of the border issue between Viet Nam and China.

PM Phan Van Khai's tour in Europe

Noi, Sept. 14 (VNA) -- Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will attend the fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM-IV) to be held in Compenhagen, Denmark, and then visit three nations and the European Commission (EC) from Sept. 20-27, the Foreign Ministry announced.

PM Khai's official visits to Iceland, Luxembourg, Belgium will be made at the invitations of his counterparts and to the EC as guest of its President.--Enditem

New construction in flood-prone areas in Mekong delta

Ha Noi, Sept. 4 (VNA) -- The Government has approved another grant, this time of 3,200 billion VND (213 million USD), for construction in flood-prone areas in the Mekong Delta.

The Central Steering Board for Flood and Storm Control has reported that Mekong Delta provinces have completed the construction of 124 out of a planned 260 residential clusters, providing 43,500 households in deep-flooded areas with accommodation during the flood season.

School year 2002-2003 starts

Ha Noi, Sept. 5 (VNA) -- More than 22 million pupils and students, and 853,000 teachers at all educational levels throughout the country started their 2002-03 academic year today, Sept. 5.

The number of pupils and students increased by 2.4 percent over last year. Ho Chi Minh City alone registered the highest number of one million, followed by Ha Noi with more than 650,000.

Students and teachers in the Mekong delta also began the new school year today despite the high flood water level of the Mekong river.

Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien concludes visit to Mexico


Mexico City, Sept. 4 (VNA)-- Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien of Viet Nam ended his week-long official visit to Mexico on Sept. 3 after signing cooperation accords on culture, education and foreign affairs.

On the last day of his visit, the Vietnamese top diplomat was received by President of the Mexican Congress Enrique Jackson, who pledged comprehensive support to Viet Nam.

Association to promote employment for the disable

Ha Noi, Aug. 30 (VNA)-- An agency of the disabled is to submit a bill for the establishment of an association of entities of production, businesses and services of their own to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), which will soon take it under consideration.

The plan was unveiled by the Office for Coordination of Activities in Support of the Disabled (NCCD) at a workshop in Ha Noi on Aug. 29.

Amnesty on National Day


Ha Noi, Aug. 30 (VNA)-- The Presidential Office announced the President's special amnesty for 6,233 prisoners on the occasion of the National Day (Sept. 2).

Of the beneficiaries, 6,110 inmates have been well serving their sentences in jails, and the remaining 123 have their sentences suspended due to their special conditions according to law.

Textile & garment export to U.S increases steadily


Ha Noi, Aug. 27 (VNA) -- Local textile and garment producers earned more than 420 million USD from their exports to the U.S. market in the past eight months, a nine-fold increase over the same period last year.

However, the amount remained modest compared to the U.S. total annual spending of 60 billion USD on importing textile and garment products.

Local producers said that some obstacles should be removed in order to increase Viet Nam's textile and garment export earnings in the U.S. market.

Vietnam has made progress in achieving goal on primary education

Ha Noi, Aug. 27 (VNA) -- "Viet Nam has made considerable progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals on Primary Education," says a United Nations report released in Ha Noi on Aug. 26.

It elaborates: "there now exists very little difference between enrolment rates of boys and girls of primary school ages."

It admits: "the gender gap in enrolment rates still exists for secondary school. In upper secondary schools the gap has declined from a 15 percentage point to an 11 percentage point difference between boys and girls enrolment rates."

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