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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE RESOLUTION
APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE-PROVINCE
   RELATIONS OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE OF HAWAII OF THE
   UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE PROVINCE OF THUA THIEN-HUE
   OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.



 1       WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is actively seeking to expand
 2   its international ties and has an abiding interest in
 3   developing goodwill, friendship, and economic relations between
 4   the people of Hawaii and the people of Asian and Pacific
 5   countries; and
 6   
 7       WHEREAS, as part of its effort to achieve this goal, the
 8   State has established a number of sister-state agreements with
 9   provinces in the Pacific region; and
10   
11       WHEREAS, because of the historical relationship between the
12   United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,
13   there continues to exist valid reasons to promote international
14   friendship and understanding for the mutual benefit of both
15   countries to achieve lasting peace and prosperity, as it serves
16   the common interests of both countries; and
17   
18       WHEREAS, there are historical precedents exemplifying the
19   common desire to maintain a close cultural, commercial, and
20   financial bridge between ethnic Vietnamese living in Hawaii
21   with their relatives, friends, and business counterparts in
22   Vietnam, such as the previously established sister-city
23   relationship between the City and County of Honolulu and the
24   City of Hue, which is the capital of the Province of Thua
25   Thien-Hue; and
26   
27       WHEREAS, a similar state-province relationship between the
28   State and the Province of Thua Thien-Hue, whereby exchanges and
29   cooperation could be established in the areas of business,
30   trade, agriculture, environmentally and culturally sensitive
31   tourism, sports, public health, education, economic development
32   and humanitarian assistance would reinforce and cement this
33   common bridge of understanding and mutual assistance between
34   the ethnic Vietnamese of both the State and the Province of
35   Thua Thien-Hue; and
36   
37       WHEREAS, the Province of Thua Thien-Hue, like Hawaii, has
38   an agricultural-based economy which grows sugar cane, fruits,
39   and flowers, and aquaculture crops, such as shrimp; and          

 
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 1       WHEREAS, the City of Hue, Capital of the Province of Thua
 2   Thien-Hue has been designated as a World Heritage Site by the
 3   United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
 4   Organization because its cultural and natural properties are
 5   considered to be of outstanding universal value and must be
 6   protected; and
 7   
 8       WHEREAS, the Province of Thua Thien-Hue's unique cultural
 9   and historical significance is an important resource on which
10   to base tourism; and
11   
12       WHEREAS, Hawaii's expertise in tourism, agriculture, and
13   aquaculture could be shared with the Province of Thua Thien-
14   Hue; now, therefore,
15   
16       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
17   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
18   of 2000, that the Governor of the State of Hawaii, or his
19   designee, be authorized to take all necessary actions to
20   establish a sister-state affiliation with the Province of Thua
21   Thien-Hue; and
22   
23       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the State of
24   Hawaii be fully informed of the process in establishing the
25   relationship and be involved in its formalization to the extent
26   practicable; and
27   
28       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Province of Thua Thien-Hue
29   be afforded the privileges and honors to which Hawaii extends
30   to its other sister-states and provinces; and
31   
32       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
33   Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States
34   through his Secretary of State, the Governor of the State of
35   Hawaii, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker
36   of the United States House of Representatives, Hawaii's
37   Congressional Delegation, the President of the Socialist
38   Republic of Vietnam through its San Francisco Consulate
39   General, the Director of Business, Economic Development, and
40   Tourism, and the Governor of the Province of Thua Thien-Hue.
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44                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________