Aviation deal with US still up in the air


Vietnam Investment Review, March 17-23, 2003)

VIETNAM and the US late last week did not reach final agreement on the long-awaited Bilateral Aviation Agreement (BAA) which aims to boost two-way trade and investment links.

The sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and agreed to a further round of talks, according to Nguyen Tien Sam, director general of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).

VN Airlines gets closer to deal with US


HA NOI (March 19, 2003)— The next round of negotiations over a US-Viet Nam bilateral aviation pact, allowing direct flights between the two countries, will be held in the next quarter of this year in Washington, a Vietnam Airlines official said on Monday.

This follows real progress made in last week’s third round of talks in Ha Noi, according to Viet Nam Civil Aviation Authority vice chairman Pham Vu Hien, who said it helped the two sides to fill gaps. But they will have to continue discussing and studying proposals for a final deal, he admitted.

Influx of US players will help bring auditing sector to account


American auditing firms have recently been given the green light to do business in Vietnam. The Ministry of Finance's Bui Van Mai, director of the Accounting Policy Department, discusses the move with VIR.

With US auditing firms coming into the market on an equal footing, do you see big changes ahead for Vietnam's auditing industry?

Not at present. It's important to point out that the auditing market in Vietnam is still relatively small and fighting to establish itself.

'Song of the South' soap hits the US


'Song of the South' is the English name of a soap opera named 'Dat Phuong Nam' (the Southern Land). The film was directed by Vinh Son, scripted by writer Nguyen Ho and produced by Ho Chi Minh City Television Film Company in 1997.

US bill interferes in Vietnam's internal affairs: FM spokeswoman


(VNA - March 13, 2003)

The presentation of a bill aiming "to promote the freedom of information in Vietnam" is an interference by the US in Vietnam's internal affairs, stated spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry Phan Thuy Thanh in Hanoi on Wednesday.

The bill is a step backwards in the improving relationship between Vietnam and the United States, Ms Thanh said, demanding the US House of Representatives' Committee for International Relations annul the bill.

VN-US trade talks stimulate bonds



HA NOI (March 13, 2003) — Major issues such as the observation of the Bilateral Trade Agreement, Viet Nam’s bid for the WTO accession, and intellectual property topped the agenda of the second session of the joint Viet Nam-US Committee for Economic and Commercial Development, which wrapped up in Ha Noi on Monday after a week-long sitting.

Leaders of the two delegations were Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Trade Luong Van Tu and the US Deputy Trade Representative John Huntsman.

U.S. doctors to train Vietnamese medical workers on HIV/AIDS


Ha Noi, March 6 (VNA) -- Vietnamese and American doctors have joined efforts to launch a national training course on HIV/AIDS for Vietnamese medical workers.

The course, scheduled to run in Ha Noi from March 4-7 and Ho Chi Minh City from March 10-14, is conducted by instructors from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Global AIDS Programme, Harvard Medical School, and the University of California at San Francisco Medical School.

The course, sponsored by health authorities from both countries, will

Village puts disabled kids first



by Hoai Nam

QUANG TRI — Disadvantaged and disabled young people from Quang Tri will soon be able to study, learn job skills and undergo medical treatment in the central province following the official dedication of the Kids First Rehabilitation Village on the weekend.

Kids First, a Washington-based NGO, has been active in Quang Tri since 1997, when it established a scholarship programme for the province’s poorest young people.

Viet Nam selects Hill & Knownlton for investment programme in U.S



Ha Noi, Feb. 18 (VNA) - The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has selected Hill & Knowlton, one of the world's premier global communications consultancies, to carry out its strategic investment public relations initiatives within the United States. The account will be serviced primarily from Hill & Knowlton's Washington, DC, New York and Singapore offices.

U.S. assists Viet Nam's child labour eradication programme



Ha Noi, Feb. 19 (VNA) - Around 1,300 street children and children working in urban areas will benefit from a U.S.-financed technical assistance project for a national pogramme on child labour eradication and prevention.

The project, costing approximately 500,000 USD, started on Tuesday by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). It will last for 30 months.

Under the project, the beneficiaries will get access to education and information on labour safety and hygiene.

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