FM Nguyen Dy Nien attends 13 th ASEAN -EU



Dec. 12 (VNA) -- Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, who is also President of the ASEAN Standing Committee, is attending the 13th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting which opened in Vientiane, Laos on Dec. 11.

The two-day meeting drew foreign ministers from the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ministers of the European Union (EU).

WFP helps Vietnam upgrade 300 km of sea dyke


Ha Noi, Dec. 8 (VNA) -- About 308 km of sea dyke in Hai Phong city and four northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh have been upgraded under a project assisted by the World Food Programme (WFP).

Starting in January 1996, the project has completed between 76-89 percent of the workload, with 75.6 km of embankment being upgraded, 83 sewers built or repaired, 8.8 million cu.m. of earth removed, and 2,223 ha of trees planted, said reports delivered at a conference to review the project held in Ha Noi on Dec. 7.

VietsovPetro to pump 12.6 million tonnes of crude oil




Ha Noi, Dec. 8 (VNA) -- * VietsovPetro to Pump 12.6 Million Tonnes of Crude Oil

The Viet Nam-Russia Petroleum Joint Venture Enterprise (VietsovPetro) is expected to pump 12.6 million tonnes of crude oil and bring ashore 1.6 billion cubic metres of gas this year.

Up to early December, the enterprise tapped 11.575 million tonnes of crude oil and brought ashore over 1.447 billion cu.m. of gas. It pumped an average of 39,000 tonnes of oil and brought ashore 4.5 million cu.m. of gas a day.

Mining industry and national economic development in new century


Ha Noi, Dec, 9 (VNA) -- The mining industry plays an important role in the national economic development, especially in the early stage of national industrialization as it fuels other processing and energy industries as well as exports.

Lying in the Southeast Asian region, Viet Nam has abundant and diverse mineral resources, including oil and gas, coal, apatite, iron, tin, and mineral water.

Vietnam and Argentina sign culture and education coooperation



Dec. 9 (VNA) -- Viet Nam and Argentina have signed their first agreement for cooperation in culture and education.

Signatories were Viet Nam's Culture and Information Minister, Nguyen Khoa Diem, who visited Argentina from Dec. 7-9, and the Argentine Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Susana Ruiz Cerutti.

Danish Red Cross grants aid for primary healthcare in Vietnam



Ha Noi, Dec. 8 (VNA) -- The Danish Red Cross has granted USD 3.5 million to the third phase of a primary healthcare programme in Viet Nam.

Documents to this effect were signed in Ha Noi on Dec. 7 between the Danish Red Cross and the Viet Nam Red Cross.

The programme's third phase will be carried out from 2001-2005 in eight provinces.

Production and use of clean energy sources in Vietnam




Ha Noi, Dec. 8 (VNA) -- As well as other countries in the world, Viet Nam pays special attention to research, production and use of clean energy sources.

Viet Nam and Russia have agreed to boost cooperation




Ha Noi, Dec. 7 (VNA) -- Viet Nam and Russia have agreed to boost cooperation in energy, coal mining, the chemical industry, steel manufacture, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, farm produce and food processing, science and technology, education and training.

The agreement was reached at the 7th session of the Viet Nam-Russia Inter-governmental Commission for Economic, Commercial, Scienctific and Technological Cooperation in Moscow on Dec. 5 and 6.

FAO provides Vietnam with technical asssistance for afforestation




Ha Noi, Dec. 7 (VNA) -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will provide technical assistance to Viet Nam in the planting of five million hectares of forest.

An agreement for the help was signed in Ha Noi on Dec. 7 by permanent Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Nguyen Van Dang and FAO representative in Viet Nam Fecnanda Guerrieri.

The Norwegian Government has granted aid to build 16 schools



Dec. 7 (VNA) -- The Norwegian Government has granted 12 million Norwegian Krone (USD 1.4 million) to build 16 primary schools in the three flood-stricken central provinces of Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam.

An agreement for the project was signed in Ha Noi this afternoon, Dec. 7, by Deputy Planning and Investment Minister Vo Hong Phuc and Norwegian Ambassador to Viet Nam, Tens Otterbech.

The project will improve facilities for pupils whose schools were badly damaged by the 1999 floods.--

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