Venezuela's Chavez to visit Vietnam
HANOI - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is heading to Vietnam as part of a world tour dominated by countries that have, or have had, antagonistic relations with the United States.
The leftist firebrand leader was due to arrive from Iran on his two-week sweep that also included stops in Cuba and Belarus and a visit to Russia, where he finalized a major arms deal opposed by Washington.
During his two-day trip to Hanoi the Latin American leader was scheduled to stop at sites associated with the country's revolutions and wars, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a military museum and a war veterans' memorial.
He was also scheduled to visit another site that is on the itinerary of many foreign guests here, a rehabilitation centre for people suffering health defects blamed on the toxic US wartime defoliant Agent Orange.
On his tour so far, Chavez has met with several of Washington's arch-foes, including Cuba's Fidel Castro and President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, an ex-Soviet state US officials have called "the last dictatorship in Europe."
At the weekend the Venezuelan leader visited Iran, regarded by Washington as part of an "axis of evil," where Chavez declared that "history has shown that as long as we stay united, we can remain resistant and defeat imperialism."
In Vietnam, Chavez and his hosts were certain to reflect on the country's war against the United States.
But while Chavez may again lash out at the United States, Vietnam's leaders were far less likely to join in, at a time when they have been eager to build up diplomatic and economic ties with their one-time enemy.
Earlier this year, Vietnam and the United States signed a trade deal that removed a major hurdle in Vietnam's bid to integrate into the global economy by entering the World Trade Organisation later this year.
US President George W. Bush is expected to visit Hanoi in November, when Vietnam hosts an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Chavez was expected to discuss business as well as politics.
The leader of oil-rich Venezuela, his country's first president to visit the Southeast Asian country, was due to sign an energy cooperation agreement during his meetings with President Nguyen Minh Triet and other leaders.
Vietnam has major oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea but so far lacks refining capacity. In June, an executive delegation of state-owned PetroVietnam travelled to Venezuela for an official visit.
Chavez and his hosts were also expected to boost their relations in mining, agriculture, education and culture and information, state media reported.
So far, two-way trade has reached only 8.1 million US dollars a year, said the Vietnamese foreign ministry.
The two nations only established diplomatic ties in 1989. Vietnam opened its embassy in Caracas in 2005, while Venezuela inaugurated its mission in Hanoi in January of this year.
Both countries were also expected to discuss their wish to gain non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
By Frank Zeller - Agence France Presse - July 31, 2006
Venezuela's Chavez visits Vietnam, pledges energy help
HANOI - Venezuela and Vietnam signed an energy cooperation pact during a visit by President Hugo Chavez to the communist nation, which he praised for its past struggle against "imperialism."
Chavez was received with military honours in Vietnam, the only Asian stop on a world tour dominated by nations that have, or have had, antagonistic relations with Washington, his declared ideological foe.
The firebrand Latin American leader flew in from
Iran Monday after earlier meeting Cuba's
Fidel Castro in Argentina and also visiting Belarus and Russia, where he sealed a major arms deal opposed by the United States.
In Hanoi, the first Venezuelan president to visit Vietnam recalled that both nations had fought anti-imperialist struggles -- Venezuela's fight against the Spanish and Vietnam's battles against the French and the Americans.
"Although this is my first trip to Vietnam, we feel the similarities between our two countries like fish coming back to the water," Chavez said after being welcomed by President Nguyen Minh Triet.
"Vietnam has been very courageous to defeat colonialism and imperialism, not just on the battlefield but also by keeping the flag flying in the field of ideology," he said standing under a bust of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.
"Since I was a child, and also as a soldier, I have admired the courage of the Vietnamese soldiers," said Chavez.
Ministers of the two countries, which have only set up embassies in Hanoi and Caracas over the past year, signed a diplomatic framework pact and agreements on culture and energy cooperation.
Chavez, whose country is one of the world's largest oil producers, said Venezuela could in future help Vietnam turn its vast offshore oil and gas reserves into refined petroleum products.
"President Nguyen Minh Triet told me that Vietnam did not produce oil, but only crude oil... and imports oil products," said Chavez.
The Venezuelan leader said Vietnam was losing 20 dollars each time it failed to refine a barrel of crude oil, making for an annual loss of about two billion dollars.
"Therefore, Vietnam really needs its own oil refinery... and Vietnam has to do something with its gas and exploit and use that gas instead of oil and then export it if it has a market."
The two countries pledged to cooperate and exchange technological know-how but officials released no further details. Last month, a delegation from state-owned PetroVietnam visited Venezuela.
Chavez portrayed the developing ties as part of a wider struggle to liberate developing nations, which he said must "create an alliance of power to ensure freedom."
"We must have freedom and independence so that colonialism cannot step on us," he said. "I think in this area, Vietnam is a huge mirror for the world."
Triet praised Chavez as "a dynamic person" and said "he talks and acts at the same time, so here we would like to promise that we'll also talk and act so that our cooperation will be truly effective."
The Venezuelan leader also met Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and party chief Nong Duc Manh.
While both countries have a history of revolution, Vietnam's leaders were careful not to openly bash the United States at a time when they are eager to build up diplomatic and economic ties with the one-time enemy.
Earlier this year, Vietnam and the United States signed a trade deal that removed a major hurdle in Vietnam's bid to join the World Trade Organisation.
US
President George W. Bush is expected to visit Hanoi in November, when Vietnam hosts an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
By Frank Zeller - Agence France Presse - July 31, 2006
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