State President heads to Venezuela

Hanoi (VNA) - State President Nguyen Minh Triet and his entourage
left Hanoi on Nov. 18 to pay an official visit to Venezuela from Nov.
19-20 and to attend the 16th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
economic leaders' meeting in Lima , Peru on Nov. 22 and 23.

The visits are being made at the invitations of Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez Frias and Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez.

President Triet's visit to Venezuela marks the first time a Vietnamese
head of state has paid an official visit to the South American country.

The President will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign
Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Director of the Presidential Office Nguyen Van
Chien, Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kim
Ngan, and Minister of Information and Communications Le Doan Hop.

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Minister of Planning and
Investment Cao Viet Sinh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Bui Xuan
Khu, Deputy Minister of Finance Pham Sy Danh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture
and Rural Development Nguyen Viet Thang, and other officials make up the
rest of the delegation.-Enditem