President Nguyen Minh Triet on November 18 received former US President Jimmy Carter and his wife who were in Vietnam to launch a campaign in which volunteers build houses for the poor.

President Triet applauded the assistance from Carter, his wife Rosalynn and the volunteers of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) for the project to build homes for poor families.

Vietnam welcomes and creates all favourable conditions for international organisations, including HFHI, to perform charitable humanitarian activities in the country, he said.

The State leader described the former US presidents’ performance of humanitarian activities in Vietnam as one of great significance, noting that former President Bill Clinton once visited Vietnam to help the nation carry out a project to clear bombs and mines left over from the war.

Vietnam is still facing heavy consequences from the war and there remain a lot of poor people and victims of Agent Orange/dioxin in the country, he said.

With international support, Vietnam spares no effort to improve the living conditions of the people. The country wishes to join the international community in building a peaceful and stable world, President Triet elaborated.

The President said he hoped that, with his prestige, Carter will inspire more efforts to assist the poor, and work with the government of President Barack Obama to conduct a new approach to global issues to ensure that the world develops peacefully and that all people lead a happy life.

Mr. Carter said the construction of houses for the poor reflects the friendship and cooperation between the US and Vietnamese people. He also said he was impressed by Vietnam’s dynamic development.

The former President said he and his wife Rosalynn have devoted a week a year to programmes run by HFHI, an Atlanta-based non-profit organisation which helps provide homes for the poor in the US and elsewhere.

This year they are visiting the countries of the Mekong Basin - Thailand,
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China.

Dong Xa village of Binh Giang district in the northern province of Hai Duong was the second stop of their trip to the region. In Dong Xa, the project is building 32 homes for the poor local residents.

Carter and Rosalynn joined HFHI operations in 1984, which is dedicated to backing community development, and upgrading and building houses for the poor and the homeless in developing countries.

Since its inception in 1986, the non-governmental organisation has built and repaired more than 300,000 houses in almost 100 countries around the world. It began similar projects in Vietnam in 2005.

VietNamNet/VOV