PNTR: VIETNAM - U.S. RELATIONSHIP FULLY NORMALIZED

us_vietnam_125_06.jpg

US Businesses Welcome PNTR Bills

The US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and the US - Viet Nam Trade Council (USVTC) welcomed the introduction of legislation in the United States Congress on June 13 to extend Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status to Viet Nam as part of its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

US Lawmakers Show Support for Vietnam - US normal trade relations

US lawmakers on June 13 introduced bills for discussion and approval by the Senate and House of Representatives on Vietnam - US permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status and pave the way for the country to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Decision on Textiles Industry Development Terminated

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on May 30 abolished a decision signed earlier, aimed at mobilizing multi-billion dollars for a development strategy of the country textiles industry to the year 2010.

Decision 126/2006/QD-TTg, which came into immediate effect on May 30, officially removed Decision 55/2001/QD-TTg, issued on April 23, 2006.

One Million Followers Attend Hoa Hao Buddhist Sect's Celebrations

06/13/2006 -- 21:12(GMT+7)
An Giang  - Nearly one million followers of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Sect in Mekong Delta provinces and Ho Chi Minh City gathered in Phu My town of Phu Tan district, An Giang province, to celebrate the Sect's 67th founding anniversary on the 18th of the fifth lunar month (June 13).

Representatives from the Government Committee for Religious Affairs and An Giang provincial officials took part in the ceremony, which was solemnly held at An Hoa Tu Pagoda.

Overseas Vietnamese Introduces Folk Music to Foreigners

Professor and Doctor of Ethnomusicology Nguyen Thuyet Phong, a Vietnamese-American, has over the past 30 years worked untiringly for the promotion of Vietnamese music, especially folk music, with an attempt to make it a language for communication between Vietnam and the world.

Coming from a family of prominent musicians in the Mekong Delta, Phong practised music with a village master from the age of five and joined in performance of both cai luong (reformed theatre) and hat boi (classical theatre) from the age of 10.

Vietnam Firm Signs up for International Internet Links

Vietnam Data Communication Co. (VDC), the country’s largest Internet provider, said Friday it had clinched a deal with the American MCI Inc for two new net links to the US.

The links, each of 155 Megabytes per second speed, are part of a project to enhance VDC’s infrastructure, enabling it to improve its online movie and music services.

However, the company refused to disclose the price and other details of the deal.

It said it planned to expand its bandwidth to 6 Gigabytes per second (Gbps) by the end of this year from the current 3.5 Gbps.

Vietnam Affirms Efforts in Business Environment Improvement

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem on June 5 affirmed the Vietnamese Government's great efforts in improvement of its business environment for domestic and foreign investors.

"Vietnam's quick perfection of its legal systems, particularly the drawing up of new laws such as the Law on Investment, the Law on Enterprise, the Law on Securities and the Law on Real Estate, has manifested the Government's great determination to create a transparent and attractive legal environment for investors," the Deputy PM said at the Vietnam Business Forum in Hanoi.

One-third of Foreign Visitors Return to Vietnam

More than 34% of Vietnam's foreign tourists have visited the country two or more times, said a recent survey on tourism expenditures in 2005 conducted by the General Statistics Office.

Compared to the first survey's results released in 2003, the rate of foreign visitors coming to Vietnam for a second visit increased by 6.4% and those coming for the third visit increased 0.3%.

Rumsfeld Begins Vietnam Visit

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Hanoi Sunday for a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Van Tra.

rumsfeld_PVK_hanoi.bmp

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meets PM Phan Van Khai in Hanoi Monday June 5, 2006

Viet Nam-US Bilateral Agreement on Viet Nam's Accession to WTO Signed

The Ministry of Trade on May 31 issued a press release on the official signing of the Viet Nam-US bilateral agreement on Viet Nam's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Following is the full text of the press release: ki_WTO.bmp

Pages