Vietnamese and Belgian experts gathered at a three-day meeting in Hanoi to discuss the second phase of a Belgian-funded project to train Vietnamese museum staff.

The project, which works to improve techniques in preservation and restoration of exhibits, is also developing a centre for care of heritage items.

 

Two sites are being evaluated as locations for the centre. One is on the campus of the Hanoi Culture University, while the other is in the Vietnam History Museum.

 

At the meeting, Dang Van Bai, Head of the Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture and Information said that the centre should be located at the Vietnam History Museum because this place is ‘suitable for item preservation and restoration techniques’.

 

The Association for Promoting Overseas Education and Training have established ties between the Vietnam History Museum and Mariemont Royal Museum in Belgium. The partnership ensures that objects in Vietnamese museums are properly cared for.

 

The project began in 2001 and has gained satisfactory results. Under the project, four training courses taught by Belgian experts on preserving and restoring museum object have been held for staff from 11 museums, universities and the Vietnam Archaeological Institute.

 

In addition, Belgium has assisted Vietnam in founding a laboratory that specialises in preserving and restoring antiques at the Vietnam History Museum. The trainees are taught not only techniques to preserve and restore pottery and metal antiques, but also skills to preserve items in situ.

 

On this occasion, a showroom, named Revival opened, featuring a series of restored antiques made from metal and terra cotta. Both are hard materials but deform easily when exposed to weather variations. Two thirds of the 130,000 relics housed at the Vietnam History Museum are made from these materials.

 

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

Vietnamese cusine will be taught at the Notre-Dame vocational training school in Verviers municipality, Belgium, the school's Rector stated at a recent Vietnamese culinary night in Verviers .

Verviers , around 200 km southeast of Brussels , hosted for the first time a Vietnamese cusine night called " Vietnam , Asian dishes". This was part of a cooperation programme between the tourism service training school in the central city of Hue , renowned for delicate culinary art in Vietnam , and the Notre-Dame vocational training school.

The night attracted a great number of Verviers 's citizens as well as overseas Vietnamese living there, who were surprised by Vietnamese dishes, which were made by students of the Notre-Dame vocational training school.

With the help from teachers from the Hue Tourism Service Training School , these students made various specialities, such as pho (rice noodles), nem (spring rolls), and grilled chicken with lemon leaves, that feature the distinguished taste of each region, the north, the central and the south, of Vietnam .

A reporter from RTBF Television was interested in "pho" served with beef while an old couple attending the event said they have never visited Vietnam and they are curious to learn about the land, the people and the culinary art of the country.

At the event, officials from the Hue Tourism Service Training School and the Notre-Dame vocational training school expressed their hope for further cooperation in the future.

The Notre-Dame vocational training school offers programmes on various occupations, including tourism and hotel services, with its current enrolment reaching four digits.

The Hue Tourism Service Training School is training around 1,000 students in reception, cooking, dining and room, and travel services.

(Source: VNA)

Doctors from the Centre Hospital-University ( CHU ) in Liege , Belgium , have agreed to continue collaborating with their Vietnamese colleagues in conducting kidney transplants.

In conjunction with Vietnamese doctors from the People Hospital 115 in HCM City , they will conduct six kidney transplants scheduled for December 3-18, and give instructions on endoscopic techniques that are most recently employed in  kidney surgery.

Earlier in February, CHU Liege's doctors offered technical assistance to the People Hospital 115 in their first joint kidney transplant, opening the way for further cooperation that was discussed during the HCM City Healthcare Service officials' recent visit to CHU Liege.

The other topics raised for discussions between HCM City Healthcare Service and CHU Liege were their future bilateral cooperation, CHU Liege's assistance to the building of a modern hospital-university in HCM City 's outlying district of Cu Chi in 2005 and the upgrade of the People Hospital 115.

They agreed to exchange young doctors and medical students to work in their respective health clinics on a on-the-job training programme along with further collaboration on kidney transplants using endoscopic techniques.

During their visit, from Nov. 14-21, HCM City 's health officials were received by Liege Governor Michel Foret, who appreciated the cooperation between Liege and HCM City and CHU Liege and HCM City 's Health Department in particular. He said he hoped this cooperation will be broadened in the future.

Present at the reception, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Phan Thuy Thanh said she hoped the two localities will expand their cooperation to other areas besides healthcare service.

Nguyen The Dung, Director of the HCM City 's Health Department, thanked Liege and its CHU for their useful assistance and expressed his wish for closer cooperation ties with the Belgian locality.

(Source: VNA)

Vietnam wants to raise its multifaceted co-operative and friendly ties with Belgium to a higher level, to include co-operation in national defence, President Tran Duc Luong said yesterday, November 4.

President Tran Duc Luong receives Belgium's Defence Minister André Flahaut.

President Luong was speaking after receiving Belgium's Defence Minister André Flahaut and other Belgian parliamentarians, who are on a visit to Vietnam.

Vietnam wishes to continue its ties with Belgium in economy, trade, investment, science and technology, culture and education sectors, President Luong said.

The exchange of visits, especially between high ranking delegations of the two nations, were necessary to enable the two sides to share experiences and study issues concerning both.

President Luong, who spoke highly of the active and effective implementation of co-operation in military medical service and national defence industry, said Vietnam required the help of Belgian Government for clearing mines left over from the war and in helping Agent Orange victims.

The Belgian Defence Minister Flahaut, on his second visit to the country, said that the visit was aimed to review and reassess the results of co-operation between the two countries, as well as to seek new ways to develop multilateral co-operation in various areas.

The two countries had many similarities in their views of the current situation, he said, promising to diversify co-operation in many fields.

Also yesterday, the Vietnam - Belgium Friendship Association was inaugurated yesterday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Deputy Director of the National Assembly's External Relations Committee and also the provisional president of the association, said that after 31 years of establishing diplomatic ties, relations between the two countries have developed and expanded.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

The Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Association made its debut at a ceremony in Hanoi on November 4, becoming the 50th friendship organisation of the Vietnamese people with other countries in the world.

The association will have a special group member - a Friendship Parliamentary Group of Vietnam , Belgium , the Netherlands , and Luxembourg .

Addressing the ceremony, Ton Nu Thi Ninh, provisional President of the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Association, affirmed that Vietnam-Belgium relations have been continually expanding in many fields, such as politics, economics, culture, science and technology, education and training, over the past 31 years since the two countries established the diplomatic ties.

(Source: VNA)

Vietnam wants to strengthen defence co-operation with Belgium, said National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An during talks with Belgian Parliament's defence committee yesterday, November 2.

NA Chairman Nguyen Van An (right) with Chairman of the Belgian Parliament's defence committee, Philippe Monfils.

Chairman An said the delegation's visit should contribute to enhancing the relationship between the two countries. He said the two countries' multi-faceted relationship is developing well, and the newly established defence co-operation had achieved initial results.

The chairman said military medical service and defence industry co-operation have been actively and effectively developed.

Chairman An emphasised the importance of international relationships to build Vietnam's army and consolidate its defence.

He explained how successive wars had serious impacts on the country, and hoped Belgium's members of parliament would actively support Vietnam in its struggle to claim compensation for victims of Agent Orange from American chemical manufacturers, as well as assist in demining the country.

Belgium's State Minister and Chairman of the defence committee, Philippe Monfils, said Vietnam is the only country in Southeast Asia that Belgium has a close relationship with. He praised Vietnam's achievements in developing its economy, reducing hunger and poverty and working on social issues.

Philippe Monfils said he expected the two countries would continue to expand co-operation in politics and economy.

Belgian group arrives

A delegation from Belgium's Defence Ministry, led by Defence Minister Andre Flahaut, also began a visit to Vietnam yesterday.

Defence Minister General Pham Van Tra said the group's presence would help the two nations strengthen their friendly relations and enhance understanding between their armed forces and their peoples.

Minister FIahaut said he was happy to return to Vietnam and witness the country's progress.

The two sides exchanged information about socio-economic development and defence, and discussed regional and global issues of mutual concern.

The Belgian visitors held talks with deputy defence minister and chief of general staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Senior Lieutenant General Phung Quang Thanh, and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Vu Dung.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

A Vietnamese cultural week, themed "A glimpse at Vietnam ", opened in Anderlecht municipality of Brussels , last Saturday, and aimed to strengthen cultural ties between Vietnam and Belgium .

"A glimpse at Vietnam " is being held for the first time in Belgium at the initiative of the leadeship of Anderlecht , one of Brussels ' 19 municipalities, with the aim of introducing to Belgian people generally and citizens in Brussels in particular the Vietnamese culture, an Asian culture with richness and diversity in customs and tradition.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the mayor of Anderlecht , Jacques Simonet, stated that Vietnam had fought several resistance wars for national independence and it nowadays deserves a different look from other countries.

He also praised the cultural diversity of ethnic minority groups in Vietnam , the country's tangible and intangible heritages, and the preservation and harmonisation of time-honoured traditions, customs, ethnic languages and religious beliefs.

He expressed his hopes that the frequent exchange of cultural and tourist activities between the two countries will help bring the two peoples closer together.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Phan Thuy Thanh thanked Anderlecht 's leaders for their initiative, describing it a manifestation of warm sentiments from Belgian people to Vietnam in general and the Vietnamese community in Belgium in particular.

She expressed her hope that the event will contribute to diversifying the two countries' cultural cooperation.

She thanked Belgian friends for their warm support and close cooperation in the organisation of Vietnam's major cultural activities in Belgium, including an exhibition on "Vietnam - Fine Arts and Culture - From the Past to the Present" that took place in Brussels from September, 2003 to February, 2004, and  performance of Hue Nha Nhac (Royal Court Music) also held in Brussels in February, 2004.

Activities at "A glimpse of Vietnam", which draw the participation of amateur Belgian and Vietnamese artists, will include exhibitions of paintings, photos and sculpture, shows of artificial flowers, martial arts, folk music, Vietnamese ao dai (traditional dress), films, and books on Vietnam.

According to the organising board, proceeds from the event will be used to build schools for poor pupils in the Mekong delta.

(Source: VNA)