Vietnam-US EXPO 2001 to open in Ho Chi Minh City



Ha Noi, April 11 (VNA) -- A Viet Nam-America Economic Exchange and Trade Exhibition-Fair, Viet Nam-America EXPO 2001, will be held at the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City from July 2-8, the Viet Nam Exhibition and Fair Centre (VEFAC) announced at a press briefing today, April 11, in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Viet Nam-America EXPO 2001 - the first to be held in Viet Nam - will draw about 200 Vietnamese and U.S. enterprises.

Vietnam's disable athletes win prizes at New York race


New York April 4 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's Nguyen Thi Xuan Anh has won the first prize of the 42-km terrain race for wheelchairs at an international marathon competition for disable athletes in New York.

Her teammate, Mr. Truong Cong Hung won the third prize.

The event was the first initiated by the Achilles Track Club and will be organised annually.

This time's marathon races attracted almost 3,000 disable athletes from 20 countries.

24 Tay nguyen residents are not political refugees




Ha Noi, April 5 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh reiterated today, April 5, that the 24 Central-Highlands residents, who illegally entered Cambodia were definitely not political refugees. The spokewoman was responding to questions by AFP, France, and Reuters, Britain, correspondents at a regular news briefing in Ha Noi this afternoon.

Ms.Thanh said:

FM Spokeswoman says asylum offer is an interference



Ha Noi, April 3 (VNA) -- The U.S. offer of asylum to 24 Vietnamese who fled to Cambodia was an effort to interfere with Viet Nam's internal affairs, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh said on April 3.

It was also intended to complicate relations between the countries involved, she said.

Ms. Thanh said:

" 24 Central Highlands, residents had fled illegally to Cambodia about March 19-22 and had been arrested by the Cambodian Government. They were not political refugees.

US investment surges despite low disbursement rate



Ha Noi, March 31 (VNA) -- U.S. investment in Viet Nam has increased by almost 400 times during the past decade to more than USD 1 billion from USD 2.5 million in 1990.

Industry is the major attraction - more than USD 660 million in 60 projects or two-thirds of the total - reports Ha Noi Moi, New Ha Noi, daily.

For example, automobile maker, Ford Viet Nam, has design capital of USD 102 million.

The services sector is next with estimated total registered capital of USD 275 million in 30 projects.

Two disabled Vietnamese to contest New York marathon



Ha Noi, March 26 (VNA) -- Two disabled Vietnamese athletes, Truong Cong Hung, male, and Nguyen Thi Xuan Anh, female, will contest the New York Marathon in New York on April 1, 2001.

It will be the sixth New York Marathon contested by Vietnamese athletes and the fifth time that Cathay Pacific Airlines has provided return tickets for the athletes and their coach.

About 30,000 athletes from more than 100 countries and territories will contest the annual marathon.--VNA

US veterans join in Son My massacre commemoration


March 17 (VNA) -- War veterans and tourists joined the people of Tinh Khe commune, Son Tinh district, central Quang Ngai province, on March 16 to remember the 504 men, women and children killed by U.S. troops in My Lai village in 1968.

The delegation of U.S. war veterans was led by Lawrence Colburn and Hugh Thomson, who rescued a number of villagers from the massacre.

US TDA Helps Ho Chi Minh City Develop Software Centre



VNA March 15 - The US Trade and Development Agency, TDA, is to grant USD 398,000 to help Ho Chi Minh City carry out a feasibility study for the establishment of the Quang Trung Software Centre.

An agreement for the USD 750,000 project was signed today, March 15, by Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan and Charles A. Ray, the US Consul General in the city representing the TDA.

FM Spokeswoman rejects article in The Asian Wall Street Journal


On March 12, 2001 FM Spokeswoman answered question from
Reuters correspondent: Please provide comments on the article "Hanoi sabotages a deal" in The Asian Wall Street Journal on 9 March 2001, referring the case of Nguyen Van Ly and saying that "Vietnamese government crackdowns on religion only increase the chances of the legislature being voted down"?

Answer:

The article by The Asian Wall Street Journal is a sheer fabrication.

US NGO presents gift to handicapped children in Tien Giang



Mar. 13 (VNA) -- * U.S. NGO Presents Gifts Worth USD 48,000 to Handicapped Children in Tien Giang Province

Hope Heaven International Ministries - a non-government organisation, NGO - of the U.S. has presented 309 wheel chairs and other facilities worth USD 48,000 for handicapped children in southern Tien Giang province.

The province now has 49,000 handicapped people with 62 percent being children.

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