Palestinian President Visits Viet Nam

by Vu Kim Chung

31-8-2000

President of the State of Palestine, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and President of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat paid a one-day working visit to Viet Nam on August 15, 2000. Arafat made the visit as guest of Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong. He was accompanied by General Secretary of the Presidential Office Taib Abdulrahim, State Minister Hassan Asfour and advisors to the President Nabil Abdullah and Yousef Alabdullah.

President Tran Duc Luong welcoming President of Palestine Yasser Arafat.

President Tran Duc Luong held talks with President Arafat. Luong welcomed the current Viet Nam visit by the Palestinian guests and had an in-depth discussion on a wide rage of issues of common concern with Arafat. Arafat expressed his joy to re-visit the country and witness the great achievements recorded by the Vietnamese people in their national renovation, construction and development. He highly appreciated Viet Nam's precious support and assistance to and its consistent viewpoint on the just struggle of the Palestinian people.

He informed his guest of the recent development of the Middle East peace process, particularly the results of the high-level talks between Palestine and Israel at Camp David and Palestine's viewpoint on issues raised during the talks.

President Tran Duc Luong (R) receives President of Palestine Yasser Arafat.

President Luong thanked President Arafat for his information. He reaffirmed the persistent stance of the Party, State and people of Viet Nam to support the Palestinian people's just struggle under the leadership of the PLO to win their inalienable national rights, including the right to self-determination, the right to return home and the right to establish an independent State of Palestine. Luong stressed that Viet Nam supports the Middle East peace process and all efforts to have a fair and sustainable solution for the conflict on the basis of Resolutions 242 and 338 of the UN Security Council and the "land-for-peace" principle.

He said he hoped that negotiations between Palestine and Israel would be resumed to reach agreement on the last regulations for occupied areas and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.

President Tran Duc Luong held talks with President of Palestine Yasser Arafat at the presidential palace.

President Luong and President Arafat expressed their pleasure at the fine development of the traditional friendship and solidarity between Viet Nam and Palestine and their belief in a further development of the relationship for the benefits of the people of the two countries and for peace and stability in the region and the world. The Vietnamese side to the talks included Director of the Presidential Office Nguyen Canh Dinh, Director of the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations Nguyen Van Son, Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Dinh Bin. The talks took place in an atmosphere of friendship, amity and mutual understanding.

Later in the day, President Arafat left Ha Noi, concluding his one-day working visit to Viet