Vietnam acclaimed to work as UNSC chair

Vietnam’s preparations for assuming the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in July were appreciated by representatives from the UNSC members, Ambassador Le Luong Minh, the country’s Representative to the UNSC, has said.

In his recent interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent, Ambassador Minh said the Vietnamese mission, after taking over the position from the US, had a meeting with ambassadors of the UNSC member countries to pass the council’s July working agenda.

According to Ambassador Minh, the UNSC will hold an open discussion on children and armed conflict on July 17 in accordance with Vietnam’s initiative to raise the awareness and concern of not only the UNSC, but also the UN and the whole international community about this important issue.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem will chair the discussion.

Vietnam also suggested the UNSC to organise another discussion on Middle East issues on July 22.

This idea, Minh said, was applauded by the UNSC member countries as the region remained a “hot” issue but has not yet put under discussion despite many important events occurred in the Middle East in the recent past.

The discussion is expected to be a forum for the UN and the UNSC member countries to exchange their points of views and make recommendations for the problem.

Minh also said July is a busy month for the UNSC to make decisions concerning the mandates of UN missions, including the UN-African Union Mission in Dafur , Sudan , and the UN missions in Ethiopia/Eritrea, Cote d’Ivoire and Nepal .

Also in July, Vietnam as the UNSC chairman will complete the council’s annual report to be presented to the UN General Council. The report will review the UNSC’s activities from August 1, 2007 to July 31, 2008.

Ambassador Minh said the title as the UNSC chairman would help strengthen Vietnam ’s position in the world arena.

He asserted Vietnam has well prepared to fulfil the task of a UNSC chairman in July to contribute more to the council’s international security and peace keeping function.

Brazilian President to visit Vietnam

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva will pay an official visit to Vietnam on July 9-10.

The visit is made at the invitation of President Nguyen Minh Triet, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said on July 3.

Brazilian President’s visit to increase ties

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife will pay an official visit to Vietnam from July 9-10 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Minh Triet.

The visit, the first to be made by a Brazilian President after the two countries established their diplomatic ties in May 1989, is expected to create a driving force for the bilateral ties, which is experiencing a fine period of development, between Vietnam and Brazil in particular and Latin America in general.

The Vietnam-Brazil relationship has seen positive progresses in recent years, with the two countries having exchanged a number of visits by high-ranking delegations, including the visits to Brazil by then President Le Duc Anh in October 1995 and then President Tran Duc Luong in November 2004.

Former National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An and Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh paid visits to the South American country in March 2006 and in May 2007, respectively.

Vietnam welcomed President of the Brazilian House of Representatives Aldo Rabelo in October 2003, Deputy Minister of Development, Industry and Trade Ivan Ramalho in September 2007 and Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations Roberto Jaguaribe Gomes de Mattos two months later. It also received Minister of Foreign Relations Celso Amorim in February 2008.

The two countries’ foreign ministries signed an agreement on political consultation in October 1995 in addition to the two chambers of industry and commerce’s agreements on cultural cooperation and on promoting ties in October 2003.

The two countries have reached agreements on exchanging diplomatic notes to provide each other with Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) status and exempting diplomatic passport holders from visas in November 2004. They also signed an agreement on health care cooperation in May 2007.

The two countries are expected to reach some more agreements during the upcoming visit by the Brazilian President.

Though the two-way trade between Vietnam and Brazil remains modest. it has increased continually in recent years, from 113.8 million USD in 2005 to 204 million USD in 2006 and more than 323 million USD last year.

Vietnam’s main exports to Brazil include coal, rice, garments and textiles, footwear, tyres and inner tubes, bicycles and motorbikes, copra, wood furniture, electronics, handicrafts and fine art articles.

The country imports from Brazil chiefly flour, soya-bean oil, animal feed materials, steel, paper and pulp, wood and leather.

Vietnam and Brazil have been maintaining cooperative ties and supporting each other at multilateral and international forums. The South American country supported Vietnam’s bid to join the World Trade Organisation and gain a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council in the 2008-2009 term

Congratulations to US President

State President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on July 3 sent messages of congratulations to US President George W. Bush on the occasion of the 232 nd Independence Day of the US (July 4).

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem extended congratulations to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

US Independence Day marked in HCM City

A meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 3 to mark the 232 nd Independence Day of the US (July 4).

President of the HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations Le Hung Quoc and US Consul General Kenneth Fairfax shared the view that the recent state-level commitments between the two countries match the speedy development of the direct contacts between their people.s

Vietnam always considers the US an important partner and wants to build an all–round cooperation, solidarity, and friendship with the US , affirmed Quoc.

Vietnamese and American people, be they politicians, social activists, entrepreneurs, students, or pupils, share the same vision of a long-term and sustainable cooperation for development between the two countries,” he said.

US Consul General Fairfax noted that the number of Vietnamese and US people visiting each other’s country, has increased rapidly, saying that it will contribute to building a brighter future for the US-Vietnam relationship.

He said he was happy at the strong increase in the number of Vietnamese students studying at US universities and colleges and the figure is expected to double last year’s figure to 9,000 this year.

Important results were also recorded in bilateral cooperation in social and humanitarian fields, the fight against terrorism and trans-national crimes as well as the fight against bird flu and HIV/AIDS, Fairfax said.

Extremists’ evil plot disclosed

A number of extremists are devising a plot to use the serious health condition of senior Buddhist monk to bring out their illegal organisation called “Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.”

As Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, 89, from the Nguyen Thieu Monastery in central Binh Dinh province is seriously ill in hospital, the group has attempted to take over the organisation of a funeral in case the Most Venerable cannot recover.

Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang was admitted to Quy Nhon hospital in May and the Binh Dinh authorities have asked the hospital to provide the monk with the best treatment.

The provincial Buddhist Executive Board has discussed with Venerable Thich Minh Tuan and a number of monks at the Nguyen Thieu Monastery preparations for a solemn Buddhist funeral in case Most Venerable Quang dies.

Local pagodas will also assist the monastery in organising pray services for the senior Buddhist monk.

However, the extremist elements disguising as Buddhist monks who have been working to sabotage the Vietnamese state and counter to the interest of the nation like Thich Quang Do, Thich Khong Tanh, Vien Dinh and their henchmen, urged Venerable Thich Minh Tuan and the disciples of the Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang to bring the ill monk to Ho Chi Minh City or Hue city for treatment with the purpose of putting him and his disciples under their control.

Thich Quang Do also plans to replace Huyen Quang as the Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, calling himself the “Fifth Supreme Patriarch” while appointing Vien Dinh as head of the Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma.

Venerable Thich Minh Tuan and the disciples of Most Venerable Huyen Quang in Binh Dinh have reacted strongly against Quang Do’s scheme. They refused to bring Huyen Quang to Ho Chi Minh City as the senior Buddhist monk is very weak.
The Venerable and the disciples also did not agree to let Thich Quang Do and his group to organise the funeral in case Huyen Quang dies. They said as the Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang is a senior monk and one of the founders of the Nguyen Thieu Monastery, his disciples together with monks and nuns in Binh Dinh province are capable of hold ing a funeral for him.

Quang Do’s plot has caused discontent not only among Huyen Quang’s disciples but also members of the so-called Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.

Many senior Buddhist monks and followers of the former Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam expressed their disagreement, saying that if the funeral is held by the group of Quang Do and Vien Dinh, they would not attend the event to avoid being embroiled in political schemes initiated by Quang Do.

Thich Quang Do, with his “deeds” in sabotaging the Vietnamese State , has planned to promote his name in order to campaign, through Vo Van Ai from France , for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2008.

Vien Dinh himself only wants to take advantage of Huyen Quang’s illness and a possible death for his own interest.

Vietnam defends Southeast Asian Judo champion title

Vietnam has successfully defended its champion title for the fifth time at the Southeast Asian Judo Championship 2008.

The Vietnamese men and women judo artists carried off 12 golds, three silvers and one bronze at the event that wrapped up in Ho Chi Minh City on July 3. They were followed by the Thai team with three golds, three silvers and seven bronzes and the Malaysian team with one gold, eight silvers and three bronzes.

The Southeast Asian Judo Championship 2008 drew 89 judo artists from Cambodia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Laos , Singapore , Thailand and the host team competing in 16 weight categories.

Following the event, the 17 th International Judo Tournament will open in HCM City on July 5.

Judo artists from Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan ( China ), in addition to teams from seven Southeast Asian nations, will compete in the two-day event.

Deputy FM receives Indonesian guest

Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh received P. P. Tobing, special envoy of the Indonesian Foreign Minister, in Hanoi on July 2.

The Indonesian side highly appreciated Vietnam ’s decision to send a delegation to the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) ministerial meeting on Capacity Building for Palestine , which will be held in Jakarta , Indonesia , from July 14-15, and Vietnam ’s commitments to help Palestine .

Deputy FM Minh affirmed Vietnam ’s active participation in and support for Asian-African cooperation within the framework of the NAASP. He praised Indonesia ’s initiative on the organisation of the ministerial meeting on Capacity Building for Palestine , the first meeting on assisting Palestine under the framework of NAASP.

He went on to say that Vietnam is consistent in its supports for the just struggle of the Palestinian people for basic national rights, including the right to self-determination and the right to set up an independent Palestinian state.

Besides strong political support, Vietnam has given Palestine material assistance since 1968. At the upcoming meeting, Vietnam will commit to helping Palestine in line with its capacity.