Tra Vinh schools receive 15 million USD

The Government has approved a 256 billion VND (15.4 million USD) project to develop Tra Vinh province’s educational infrastructure, according to the provincial Department of Education and Training.

Remote communes in various districts, including Duyen Hai, Cau Ngang, Cau Ke, and Tra Cu, will get 1,490 classrooms and 336 houses for teachers by the project’s completion in 2012.

The Government is providing 60 percent of the project’s budget, including 50 billion VND earmarked for poor provinces with large ethnic minority populations. Ethnic Khmers constitute 30 percent of Tra Vinh’s population.

The remaining 56.1 billion VND (3.4 million USD) will be financed by the province’s lottery company.

Tra Vinh’s schools have gotten upgrades for many years, and no longer rely on rotating morning, afternoon and evening sessions to accommodate all the students. However, many makeshift bamboo classrooms in isolated areas are deteriorating.-

Protestant missionaries receive further training

The Bible Theological Institute of the Southern Vietnam Federal Protestant Church will grant certificates to 37 students of its freshly-ended training course.

During the six-month course, the students, who are Protestant missionaries in Central Highlands Dak Nong province, studied different subjects, including the church’s history and missionary work.

Sixty-seven year old M’ Nong ethnic student Y Pum Knul from Dak R’Lap district is the oldest student of the course while a 20-year-old Dao ethnic student from Krong No district is the youngest one in the class, said Pastor R’ma Loan, member of the Southern Vietnam Federal Protestant Church who is in charge of the Dak Nong Protestant Representative Board.

Dak Nong province has so far organised two similar courses for 69 students, 15 of whom have met requirements to be nominated as pastors.

Pastor Pham Van Tin, who is in charge of the course, thanked relevant agencies and local authorities for their assistance and expressed his belief in the country’s religious freedom policy.-

US Deputy Secretary hails US-Vietnam closer ties

US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte on July 29 spoke highly of US-Vietnam relations, confirming that the two countries’ relationship has entered a new chapter.

It is symbolised by US President George Bush’s visit to Vietnam in 2006 and the US visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in June, the diplomat said at the Brookings Institution in the US.

The two countries now enjoy significant and growing trade and economic ties, an emerging military-to-military relationship, successful cooperation on health and development issues and growing cultural and educational links.

The US Deputy Secretary of State said Vietnam has followed a path to growth familiar to many of its successful neighbours such as encouraging private enterprises, establishing legal institutions, and opening itself to global trade through membership in institutions like APEC and the WTO.

He also added that he is impressed with Vietnam ’s remarkable growth, which has lifted millions of its citizens from poverty over 15 years.-

HCM City to ensure supply of essential goods for ’08

– Ho Chi Minh City would try to stabilise prices of essential commodities for the remainder of the year, Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy chaiwoman of HCM City People’s Committee said.

The city will ask businesses to ensure inventory for the rest of the year and will monitor markets to prevent speculation.

It will also expand retail networks in an aim to deliver goods directly to customers at a reasonable price.

Bui Duy Duc, general director of Vissan Company, said the company would keep prices competitive by regularly reserving 6,000 tonnes of beef, 1,500 tonnes of precessed foods and 10,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables.

The Sai Gon Breeding and Food Processing Company has plans to reserve 1,000 tonnes of rice, 1,900 tonnes of pork, beef and chicken and 500 tonnes of processed food.

It has committed to sell at 10 percent lower than the market price.

Some commodity prices have increased recently because of price hikes on raw materials, packages, transport and labour costs.

The price of imported powdered milk has increased three times since earlier this year, with at least 5 percent rises each time.

By July, the price of a 900 gramme can of Gain Advance IQ 3 went up to 300,000 VND from 260,000 VND, and the price of Pedia Sure for the same weight rose from 300,000 VND to 330,000 VND.

Dutch Lady brand milk has announced its prices on powdered and fresh milk will rise from August 1.

The construction materials market in HCM City in recent months has also seen skyrocketing prices of steel, with a tonne of steel by the end of June selling for 18 million VND and 22 million VND in July.

Because of price hikes on paper and plastic, school materials this year will go up by 15-20 percent compared to last year.

Bui Hanh Thu, deputy general director of the Sai Gon Co-op supermarket system, said the price of several essential goods would rise by 5-10 percent in August.-

Vietnam fulfills double role at UNSC

Vietnam has made efforts to accomplish its double role as a member and chair of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), a Vietnamese representative to the UN said.

Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Head of Vietnamese Delegation to the UN and Representative of Vietnam at the UNSC, talked with the Vietnam News Agency about Vietnam’s participation in the UNSC’s activities in July, when the nation acted as chair of the council.

The ambassador cited Vietnam’s careful preparations in terms of personnel, knowledge and experiences, as a reason behind the country’s successful performance at the council.

“Right after Vietnam gained its seat at the UNSC in October 2007, along with preparations for the council’s activities in general, we mapped out a roadmap and quickly started preparations for July activities, when Vietnam holds the rotational presidency of the council,” he said.

In addition, a close co-ordination between representative agencies in foreign countries and the Party and the State’s appropriate guidelines have been helpful, Minh said.

The Vietnamese delegation to the UN has received timely instructions from high-ranking officials while dealing with important and sensitive issues, including nuclear issue in Iran and dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, he said.

“The fact that Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem directly chaired an open debate on children and armed conflicts, which was held at Vietnam ’s initiative, was lauded by member countries and public opinion,” he said.

In July, the UNSC discussed issues related to operations of UN missions in Cote d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic and Chad, West Africa, Sudan, Darfur, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Georgia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Nepal.

During the month, the UNSC chair was required to prepare the council’s annual report for submission to the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly.

At the request of some member countries, the UNSC resolved a number of unscheduled issues, such as instability and increased violence in Zimbabwe and the situation in Myanmar.

The council also organised open debates on the Middle East issue at Vietnam’s initiatives during the month.

According to unofficial statistics, the council held 40 ambassador-level meetings and adopted six resolutions, including those to extend UN missions’ mandate in Cote d’Ivoire, Darfur and Nepal.

The council also adopted the UNSC Chair’s statements on children and armed conflicts, attacks on the joint United Nations-African Union Mission in Dafur and the situation in Afghanistan.

It also adopted five press releases on attacks on diplomatic agencies, civilians, peace-keeping soldiers, UN employees and humanitarian workers.-

Greetings to Mexican Democratic Revolution Party Congress

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam has sent a congratulatory message to the 11th Congress of the Mexican Democratic Revolution Party.-

Party leader greets Italian PRC’s new general secretary

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh has cabled his congratulations to Paolo Ferrero on the latter’s election as General Secretary of Italy’s Communist Refoundation Party (PRC).-

Congratulations to Singapore on anniversary of diplomatic ties

State President Nguyen Minh Triet on July 31 sent a message of congratulations to his Singaporean counterpart, S. R. Nathan, on the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (August 1).

On the occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung cabled a congratulatory message to Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong.

Deputy PM-cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem also extended greetings to Foreign Minister George Yeo.-

Pan-Tonkin Gulf’s expert team debuts

A joint expert team from the Pan-Tonkin Gulf made its debut in Beihai, China, on July 31 at the end of a two-day regional economic cooperation forum.

The team consists of experts from China , the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and the Asian Development Bank.

Releasing first session Minutes of Understanding at the closing ceremony, team members said a Pan-Tonkin Gulf economic cooperation would speed up the roadmap towards a China-ASEAN free trade area.

Such a relationship would also make an important contribution to the economic integration process as well as socio-economic development in relevant countries, the team said.-

Vietnam speeds up books on relations with Laos, Cambodia

Vietnam will speed up documentation on the history of the bilateral ties between the country and its two neighbouring countries, Laos and Cambodia .

The documentation includes a book on Vietnam-Laos special rapport from 1930 to 2007, and a book on Vietnam’s assistance to Cambodia’s revolutionary cause from 1978 to 1988.

Addressing a project meeting on July 31, Party Central Committee’s Secretary and Head of the Commission for Information and Education, To Huy Rua, said the two books are important works that have attracted input from numerous leaders, researchers and experts.

In addition to the books, the documentation project includes other publications like annals, documents, memoirs, pictorial books and documentary films related to the same topics.-