"Christmas Bazaar"
The annual "X-mas Bazaar" was held on the 1 ^st of December 2001 at the Hanoi Daewoo Hotel. The Czech Embassy joined this traditional charity bazaar of the Embassies and International Women´s Club of Hanoi with a presentation of the habitual Czech "Saint Nicholas" (Mikuláš), angel and devil disguises. Some classical Czech Christmas pastries, including the ancient art of pastry holiday decorations made out of the so- called Vizovice dough, were also a part of the Czech exhibition.

Foto 1. - View of the Czech stand

Foto 2. - Saint Nicholas, devil and angels with children

Foto 3. - Site of the Christmas Bazaar at Hanoi Daewoo Hotel

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The reception on the occasion of the celebration of the National Day
On the occasion of the Czech National Day a reception was held at the Hotel Opera Hilton Hanoi. Representatives of Vietnamese authorities, companies and members of the Hanoi Diplomatic corps took an active part in the celebration.

Foto 1. - Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and War Invalids H.E.
Nguyen Thi Hang and Ambassador of the Czech Republic
H.E. Luboš Nový delivering their speeches

Foto 2. - Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and War Invalids H.E.
Nguyen Thi Hang (3rd, L), Ambassador of the Czech
Republic H.E. Luboš Nový (center) and his wife Mrs. Margit
Nová (3rd, R)

Foto 3. - Guests at the reception in Hanoi Opera Hilton

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The Third Session of the Joint Czech - Vietnamese Commission
In the end of November the third Session of the Joint Czech - Vietnamese Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation was organised in Ho Chi Minh City. The aim of the session was identification of projects of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries and elimination of existing trade barriers.

Opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Ho Chi Minh City
In October 22nd a new Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic was officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City. On this occasion a new microbrewery owned by Mr. Hong Chuen, the Honorary Consul, was put into operation.

Vietnam International Industrial Fair
In the period between October 18th to 23rd a group of the Czech businessmen was offering goods at Vietnam International Industrial Far in frame of the Czech Republic official presentation. The event was prepared jointly by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic and the Economic and Commercial Section of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Hanoi.

Session of the Czech- Vietnamese Trade Subcommisson
From June 18th to 20th the first session of the Subcommittee for Trade of the Joint Czech - Vietnamese Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation took place in Hanoi. The session was chaired by Mr. Vlastimil Lorenz, General Director of Trade Policy Section of Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic together with Mr. Nguyen Minh Gon, Deputy General Director of Europe and America Dept. of Ministry of Trade of Socialist Republic of Vietnam.