Vietnamese, Lao armies strengthen ties

Vietnam and Laos have agreed to continue promoting their traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between both Parties, States and armies.

This was discussed during talks in Vientiane on June 5 between visiting Major-General Nguyen Xuan Nghi, Head of the Office of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and Colonel Soulyphon Khamphachan, Head of the Office of the General Department of Politics under the Laos People’s Amry.

The representatives agreed that in 2012 they will work with relevant State agencies to draw up proposals for operations that search and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and specialists who laid down in Laos .

The two offices will also step up the exchange of delegations and upgrade training to mark the Year of Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity 2012, thus helping to foster the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

On the same day, the Vietnamese delegation was received by Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee Sengnoun Saynhalath.

The delegation will remain in Laos until June 10.

Thai-VN media co-operation helps build stronger ASEAN

More cooperation between the Viet Nam News Agency (VNA) and Thailand's Public Relations Department (PRD) will contribute to bilateral relations, as well as ensure a strong ASEAN community.

VNA's General Director, Nguyen Duc Loi, and PRD's General Director, Teerapong Sodasri, agreed on this yesterday as part of the 9th session of the VNA-PRD Joint Technical Committee in HCM City.

They reviewed the extent of the cooperation, including the exchange of text contents and multimedia information, visits by reporters and joint working sessions when providing language training for reporters.

Both leaders agreed to increase the frequency of information exchange and diversify the forms of text and multi-media information.

New bridge to link Vietnam to Cambodia

A new bridge crossing the Vam Co Dong River in the southern province of Tay Ninh will be built to link Vietnam to Cambodia.
The announcement was made by Chairwoman of Tay Ninh’s Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy in a video conference with representatives of three border districts of Tan Bien, Tan Chau and Chau Thanh on June 5.

The bridge will be named Mon Chay, has a total investment of VND40 billion, including a 1.5-km-road connecting Road 791. It is located in Tan Nam village in Tan Binh commune, Tan Bien district, spanning across the river to Cambodia’s Prey Veng province, some 120 km east of Phnom Penh.

In order to create a convenient trading area for border residents, Tay Ninh is also developing a border market on road 791 in Tan Phu commune, only 10 km from the Mon Chay bridge.

VN minister attends world health leaders' forum in US

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien attended the Ministerial Health Leaders' Forum held by Harvard University in the US state of Massachusetts from June 3-6.

This first ever Harvard Ministerial Health Leaders' Forum aimed to foster the effectiveness of health ministers when developing and improving sustainable health and care services.

At the forum, Tien was among 15 health ministers from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America to be nominated to the 2012 Harvard Health Leaders.

The group was selected for its innovative ideas and determination to bring health reform policies to life, helping improve people's health.

Earlier, from June 1-3, Tien met with leading officials of Harvard and Boston universities to discuss training for health workers in Viet Nam.

She also held a meeting with several US businesses already established in Viet Nam about public-private partnerships in the health care sector.

VNN/VNS/VOV/VNA