2nd meeting on Agent Orange/Dioxin starts in Bien Hoa

The second meeting on the legacy of Agent Orange/Dioxin was Friday organized in Bien Hoa city to review their past activities and initially access the contamination in Bien Hoa airbase – the most dioxin-polluted hotspot in Vietnam.

Apart from previous commitment to give US$300 million for environmental clean-up and humanitarian support to victims, the US side will also assist Vietnam in making a comprehensive investigation of polluted spots in the airport and accessing the level of contamination there.

Vu Chien Thang, vice chief of the Vietnam government’s steering committee 33, estimates it costs two years from now to complete the investigation task.

There were fears that dioxin may filter down to the layer of underground water in the southern Dong Nai province, where had been sprayed over 9 million liters of toxic chemicals – averagely 4 liters a local people – during the war peak in 1961-71 by the US Army.

Actually, Vietnam has worked steadily to deal with Agent Orange/Dioxin remnants on its own since 1980. Clean-ups at three spots in the Bien Hoa hotspot have been done including the burial of toxic remnants 4 meters underground and isolated by layers of anti-asborbents, sand and concrete.

Recently, other spots have been identified in the airbase.

Now, Dong Nai has over 13,000 Agent Orange/Dioxin victims who are living under deprivation or as dependents on care by their families or charitable agencies, vice chairwoman of Dong Nai People's Committee Huynh Thi Nga told the meeting.

The conference was held by the US-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin, which was established in 2007 as a bi-national committee of prominent private citizens, scientists and policy makers.

Bien Hoa airbase is the most dioxin-polluted hotspot in Vietnam, together with other airports Da Nang and Phu Cat in central province Binh Dinh.

Vietnam affirms sovereignty over archipelagoes

Vietnam affirms its undisputable sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga.

Nga made the statement in Hanoi Friday while answering reporters’ question on Vietnam’s response to information released by the Xinhua news agency on April 3 that China’s Hainan province defined Dao Cay (Tree Island) in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, which is called Zhaoshudao in Chinese, as one of the key islands under its preservation, upgrading and building project in 2011.

“All foreign activities in these two archipelagoes without Vietnam's permission constitute violations to the country’s sovereignty and have no value”, she stressed.

The spokesperson said that Vietnam asks the Chinese side to stop and not to repeat its activities violating Vietnam’s sovereignty.

600 Young intellectuals to be recruited as communal leaders

The Prime Minister has recently approved a pilot project to recruit 600 outstanding young people to lead commune-level People’s Committees in 62 poor districts nationwide.

Accordingly, to become vice chairs of communes, candidates are young Vietnamese people, aged under 30, who are university graduates in the fields of economics, science and technology, agro-forestry, fisheries, construction, transport, law, natural resources and environment.

The project will be carried out into two phases, with the pilot stage from May 2011 till December 2012, focusing on selection, training and dispatching qualified candidates to communes.

In the 2012 – 2017 period, attention will be paid to supervising the implementation of the project in poor localities, according to the Acting Head of the Youth Affairs Department under the Ministry of Interior, Vu Dang Minh, who is also director of the project’s management board.

The project will be firstly carried out in five pilot provinces - Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Nghe An, Quang Ngai and Kon Tum. Other five provinces, including Ha Giang, Bac Can, Bac Giang, Phu Tho and Thanh Hoa, have also submitted a proposal to enter into the project.

As scheduled, the project will be launched online on April 18.

VN, US vow to boost POW/MIA activities

Viet Nam would continue to co-operate with the US in an effort to search for soldiers that were missing in action, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Cuong.

Cuong was receiving the US Defence Ministry's Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for POW/MIA (Prisoners of War/ Missing in Action) Robert Newberry in Ha Noi yesterday.

Newberry, on behalf of the US Government, thanked Viet Nam for its co-operation and promised to contribute to strengthening mutual understanding between the two countries.

He presented Viet Nam with items belonging to Vietnamese soldiers that had been taken by their US counterparts during the war.

Cuong reaffirmed Viet Nam's humanitarian goodwill and reminded the US of its responsibility towards helping Viet Nam overcome the consequences of the American War and supporting dioxin victims.

The US diplomat also attended the 10th commemoration of a US helicopter crash in the central province of Quang Binh.

Minister receives US vice admiral

Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh received Vice Admiral Ann Elizabeth Rondeau, President of the American Defense University yesterday in Ha Noi.

Minister Thanh said he hoped the two sides would gain better understanding of each other and expand co-operation in the coming time through exchange activities and contacts.

He agreed that the two sides would continue to foster education co-operation in the future.

Thanh expressed his thanks for the US's assistance in providing Viet Nam with scholarships for foreign language training as well as in mine clearance, searching for soldiers remains and detoxifying sites contaminated with Agent Orange/dioxin. He also said Viet Nam was willing to receive US naval ships for technical repairs.

Vice Admiral Rondeau said she believed in Viet Nam's prospects and pledged to further promote the effective relations between the two nations.

She hoped that the US and Viet Nam would continue to exchange delegations in the coming time in an aim to strengthen co-operative ties and mutual understanding.

Deputy PM inspects Quang Tri election preparations

On April 9, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong, member of the Central Election Council, inspected preparations for the elections of the 13th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province.

Mr Trong praised the efforts of Huong Hoa district administration to thoroughly prepare for the elections and called on local people to promote propaganda related to this important political event.

He also asked them to uphold the tradition of solidarity, effectively tap available advantages and accelerate enhancing the border with Laos.

On the occasion, Deputy PM Trong and his entourage burnt incense to commemorate the heroic martyrs at the National Martyrs’ Cemetery on Road No 9 and visited the Lao Bao Economic zone.

US shares experience in financial management

The US has shown its willingness to provide technical support for the Vietnam Ministry of Finance and share its management experience with the country.

During his recent working visit to the US, the Vietnamese Minister of Finance, Vu Van Ninh worked with his US counterpart Timothy Geithner to compare notes on the macroeconomic situations in their countries and share experience in building and implementing financial policies in the post-crisis period.

Minister Ninh briefed Mr Geithner on Vietnam’s development orientations and its policies to curb inflation and stabilise the national economy.

The US Financial Secretary also shared his views with Mr Ninh on financial supervision to limit the danger of another financial and economic crisis.

Both sides reviewed the bilateral cooperation between the two ministries in the past and discussed measures for future cooperation to develop the relationship between the two countries.

HCM City leaders pay New Year visit to Lao Consulate General

On April 8, a delegation of the municipal Party Committee, the People’s Council and the People’s Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Ho Chi Minh City led by Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Ha paid a New Year visit to Lao Consulate General in HCM City.

Mrs Ha extended her wishes for happiness and prosperity to cadres, students and people of Laos living in HCM City as well as those living in Laos. She also expressed her belief that under the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Lao people will reap still greater achievements during the renewal and national development process to elevate Laos’ status in the international arena.

The Lao Consul General thanked people in HCM City for their fine sentiment and best wishes on Laos’ New Year Festival and praised Vietnam’s assistance for Lao localities, especially for more than 430 Lao students studying at 20 universities in HCM City.

On the occasion, municipal leaders presented a New Year gift worth VND203 million to 203 Lao students to help them with school fees.

The same day, representatives from the Union of the Friendship Organisations, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association in HCM City, former cadres, experts and Vietnamese voluntary soldiers also paid a New Year visit to Laos cadres and students.

VFF Central Committee congratulates Khmer People on Chol Chnam Thmay Festival

On April 8, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, Huynh Dam sent a letter of congratulations to the Khmer people on their Chol Chnam Thmay traditional New Year Festival. 

The letter said this Chol Chnam Thmay Festival takes place at a time when the whole Party and people are making every effort to bring the 11th National Party Congress’s resolution to life and prepare for the elections of the 13th National Assembly and People’s Council for the 2011-2016 term.

VFF Central Committee acknowledged and praised the Khmer people’s contributions to implementing the Party and State’s guidelines and policies effectively and their active participation in patriotic emulation movements and campaigns launched by the VFF, especially those called “The Day for the Poor” and “The people unite to build a cultural lifestyle in residential areas”.

In his letter, Mr Dam called on Khmer people to continue to uphold tradition of patriotism and solidarity, to study and follow President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example and successfully carry out socio-economic tasks set for this year with a focus on curbing inflation, stabilising the macroeconomy and ensuring social welfare.

He also asked them to promote democracy and contribute to the successful organisation of the elections of the 13th NA and People’s Council for the 2011-2016 term.