Italy renders support to Vietnamese disabled

The Italian Government will provide 740,000 EUR, and the Italian non-government organisation, Association Friends of Raul Follereau (AIFO), 321,000 EUR for a project on rehabilitation for Vietnamese people with disabilities, according to the Italian embassy.

The 2008-2010 project will benefit 15 districts in Phu Tho, Hai Phong, Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang and Binh Dinh provinces.

The project aims to improve the life of the disabled in Vietnam , making full use of their capacity to help them completely integrate in the community. It also promotes the mechanisms for health recovering and the competence to apply the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) strategy.

The project focuses on disabled children at primary schools through an integration education programme in order to reduce the illiteracy rate among disabled children.

Authorities in the beneficiary localities will implement the project with assistance from the National Institute for Education Strategy and Curriculum Development and the Hanoi Health College .

Under the project, 100 provincial health care technicians, 300 district medical workers and 3,000 CBR volunteers from communes will attend training courses.

The project will implement its integration education programme in three districts of three provinces, set up credit funds and hold vocational training courses for 80 young disabled people.

Since 1993, AIFO has implemented many health projects relating to rehabilitation for the disabled in Vietnam , including some projects in cooperation with the Italian government, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation and the European Union.-

Plan Vietnam to donate over 1 billion VND to flood victims TTA1908.038 Plan Vietnam to donate over 1 billion VND to flood victims

– Plan Vietnam, an international humanitarian organisation, announced it would provide over 1 billion VND (600,000 USD) in relief to flood victims in northern mountainous Phu Tho province.

During its 10-day campaign, which began on August 19, the organisation will give rice to 2,300 flood-hit poor households, baby foods for nearly 2,700 children under five and textbooks for 1,400 primary pupils in Cam Khe, Ha Hoa and Doan Hung districts.

Plan Vietnam will coordinate with the local authorities and other international organisations to help rebuild houses and improve living conditions for the local people.

Since 1999, Plan has launched its projects in 16 communes in the province’s four districts in order to improve healthcare services and the quality of education in the locality. The organisation has also helped better the life of more than 120,000 children and households in 17 provinces and cities throughout the country.-

Over 200 people found in unknown village

A half-primitive village has been discovered in deep jungle located in Hong Thuy Commune, A Luoi District, Thua Thien-Hue province by a group of farmers on August 15, the English-language daily Vietnam News quoted the local authorities as saying.

The village lying near a ravine called Paray has about 200 inhabitants of ethnic minority groups, including Tao Oi and Ko Tu. The villagers all live in rough cottages hidden within mountain ranges and deep rivers.

Picking fruit and growing rice are their main means of subsistence and they often face food scarcity. The village was unknown because of its remoteness.-

Training course for Lao Party officials opens

A training course on political theory for officials of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party opened at the Ho Chi Minh National Politics and Administration Academy in Hanoi on August 18.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, deputy director of the national academy, Dr Vu Dinh Hoe, said that the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party consider personnel training a key factor in the past struggles for national independence as well as in the current process of both countries’ industrialisation and modernisation.

During the five-month course, which is held within the cooperation agreement between two countries, 20 Lao Party officials will study the key contents of Maxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts on national independence and socialism.

They will also be updated on current major trends in the world and the Communist Party of Vietnam’s experiences in national renewal cause.-

President meets newly-accredited ambassadors

State President Nguyen Minh Triet on August 18 received the Ambassadors of Portugal, Oman, Lesotho and Colombia, after they presented credentials to him earlier the same day.

The guests included Antonio Felix Machado de Faria of Portugal, Hafeedh Salim Mohamed Ba-Omar of Oman, Shabbir Hooson Peerbhai of Lesotho and Silvia Castano de Gonzalez of Colombia.

President Triet stressed Vietnam’s policy to expand friendship and cooperation with international friends in all fields.

He stated that Vietnamese relevant ministries and sectors are willing to cooperate, support and share experiences with other countries to boost bilateral relations, as well as at multilateral forums.

The ambassadors hailed Vietnam for fulfilling the role of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, especially when it held the council’s chair last July. They praised Vietnam’s efforts and successes in implementing the UN’s Millennium Goals.

The ambassadors also said Vietnam and their countries had potentials for cooperation, such as in rice and labour exports to Oman and experiences sharing with Lesotho in agricultural production and industries serving agriculture.-

US envoy hails nation’s policy improvement efforts

A US diplomat has applauded the Vietnamese Government’s willingness to hold dialogues with other nations to issue suitable policies, saying it is a necessary condition to integrate deeply into the world.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak made the remark at a meeting with President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Huynh Dam in Hanoi on August 18.

Michalak said he was impressed by the Vietnamese people’s friendliness and openness, as well as the country’s rapid development in all areas, particularly in economy.

The ambassador pledged to work to foster bilateral cooperation for mutual benefits and increase charity and humanitarian activities to support the poor.

Speaking of the VFF’s role, Dam emphasised that its key task is to build the great national unity bloc of all Vietnamese, including overseas Vietnamese for the goal of bringing independence and freedom to the people and building a democratic, equitable and civilised socialism.

The VFF leader urged his guest to continue promoting support and assistance to Vietnamese Agent Orange /dioxin victims.-

DPRK offers condolences over losses from floods

Premier Kim Yong Il of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on August 16 cabled a message of sympathy to his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, over serious losses caused by recent floods in northern mountainous provinces.

The floods, which began on August 8 with torrential rains, killed at least 125 people and left 40 others missing.-

Vietnam hails peace process in Sudan

Vietnam welcomed positive developments regarding the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan, stated Deputy Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations Security Council Ambassador Hoang Chi Trung.

He made the remark while attending a UNSC meeting on the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in New York on August 18.

Ambassador Trung also applauded the approval of the Electoral law and the encouraging outcome of the national census conducted in the Sudan in late April and early May in preparation for the 2009 national elections.

The Vietnamese representative expressed his deep concern over the volatile security situation and the fragility of the peace process in Sudan .

Regarding the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s application for the arrest warrant against and indictment of the Sudanese President, Ambassador Trung shared the concerns of the African Union (AU), the Arab League, the Non-Aligned Movement and most of the UN members on the impact of this development on the peace process both in Darfur in particular and in the Sudan at large.

He took the occasion to call on all parties in Sudan to ensure the full implementation of the CPA and restore peace and security throughout Sudan.-

Vietnam hopes for stability in Pakistan

Vietnam hopes the situation in Pakistan will soon stabilise so that its people can focus efforts on national development, said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung.

In response to questions about Vietnam ’s comment on President Pervez Musharraff’s August 18 resignation, Dung said it is Pakistan ’s internal affairs.

“ Vietnam respects the desire and the choice of the Pakistani people and Musharraf,” the spokesman said on Aug. 19.-

Greek president expresses sympathy over flood victims

– Greek President Karolos Papaolias on August 19 sent a message of sympathy to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Minh Triet over the great losses caused by recent floods to the Southeast Asian country.

The Greek President wrote: “I was stunned by the information that many people were killed and missing during the floods in Northern Vietnam . On behalf of the Greek people and myself, I would like to send sincere condolences to the victims’ families.”

Floods recently hit Vietnam ’s Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang and Son La provinces, having left 125 dead and 38 missing by the end of August 13.-