We are confident of Sangha development, says chief monk

Wed, 11/19/2003 - 17:26

(11/19/2003 -- 18:12GMT+7)

Ha Noi, Nov. 19 (VNA) - "Given our past achievements, we hope that Viet Nam's Buddhism will expand and contribute more to the nation with every passing day," said the Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Editor of the Buddhist newspaper Giac Ngo (Enlightment).

The monk wrote an article for his newspaper on the occasion of 22nd founding anniversary of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha. It follows below:

Vietnamese musicians get serious about their royalties

Wed, 11/19/2003 - 16:22



HCM CITY — In what must be sweet music to their ears, the body acting for musicians in Viet Nam is now permitted to chase up royalties owed to composers.

An agreement this week between the Viet Nam Recording Association and the Viet Nam Copyright Centre (VCC) allows the centre, which represents many composers, to enforce their royalty payments.

Under the agreement, composers will receive royalty fees from concert organisers and CD producers who use their material.

ConocoPhillips Announces First Oil From SuTuDen Field Offshore VN

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2003-- ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), an owner of the Cuu Long Joint Operating Company (CLJOC), today announced first production from the SuTu Den (Black Lion) field located in Block 15-1 offshore Vietnam's east coast. Production began October 29 on budget and ahead of schedule.

Press release on General Pham Van Tra's visit to the U.S.


A high–ranking Delegation of the Ministry of National Defense of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam headed by General Pham Van Tra, Minister of National Defense paid an official visit to the United States from November 10-12, 2003 at the invitation of United States Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. The Delegation was warmly welcomed with the highest protocolary level extended to a Defense Minister.

Food exporters fly solo on new US laws

Vietnam Economic Times
Tuesday, November 18, 2003 11:58:01

Domestic food producers are on their own when they face new US food importation regulations that come into effect on December 12, according to a Ministry of Trade official.

Under the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, all foreign food companies need to register with the FDA and employ a US-based agent if they want to export their products.

Interview of Defense Minister Pham Van Tra


Defence Minister General Pham Van Tra paid an official visit to the US from November 9-12, the first by a defence minister of Vietnam since the two countries normalised bilateral ties. Before leaving the US, Minister Tra gave an interview to the Vietnam News Agency's correspondent in Washington DC on his visit, stressing that the relations between Vietnam and the US should contribute to long-term stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

Q: Please tell us about the results of your visit to the US and the prospect for co-operation between the two armies.

Vietnam's outreach

By James Morrison,
The Washington Times, November 13, 2003

The U.S. secretary of veterans affairs joined the Vietnamese ambassador on Veterans Day to mark another landmark in the evolving relations between Washington and Hanoi, 30 years after the last American troops left Vietnam.

Anthony J. Principi, a combat-decorated Vietnam veteran, stood with Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien under a portrait of Ho Chi Minh at the ambassador's residence at a reception for Vietnam's defense minister, Gen. Phan Van Tra.

VN and US look to the future for mutual benefit

Viet Nam News, November 13, 2003

HA NOI — During an official visit to Washington by Vietnamese defence minister General Pham Van Tra, Viet Nam and the US agreed to continue working together to resolve post-war problems such as the clearance of ordnance and toxic chemicals from Vietnamese soil.

Tra’s four-day visit to the US, at the invitation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, was the first by a Vietnamese defence minister to the US since the American War ended in 1975.

Viet Nam welcomes better US relations: Defence Minister

Viet Nam News, November 13, 2003

WASHINGTON — Defence Minister General Pham Van Tra has welcomed the enhancement of relations between Viet Nam and the United States, especially between the military, as "noteworthy".

But he has told a Washington-based correspondent of the Viet Nam News Agency that the military could make greater contributions to peace, friendship, stability and development in the Asian-Pacific region, if hurdles to expansion of the bond between the two countries were removed.

VN agriculture prepares for free trade

Mon, 11/10/2003 - 18:00


November 10, 2003

HCM CITY — The planned entry of Viet Nam into the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) in early 2004 would provide both opportunities and tough challenges for the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said.

By entering ACFTA, Viet Nam would be well placed to develop new markets for its products, especially crops such as coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, vegetables and tropical fruits, which it could produce more cheaply than its ASEAN neighbours.

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