A grand ceremony was held in Hanoi on December 14 to mark the 60th anniversary of the schools for southern students in North Vietnam, which State President Truong Tan Sang described as one of the most successful educational models in the country.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended a ceremony on December 13 to launch the construction of two new hospitals in Phu Ly city of northern Ha Nam province. 

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in conjunction with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), held a workshop in Hanoi on December 12 to share the result of a study on gender barriers in approaching services of people with disabilities. 

UN Women will continue providing its policy consultancy and assistance for the Vietnamese Government to effectively implement the country’s domestic and international commitments on gender equality and women empowerment. 

The conclusion of the Vietnam – Republic of Korea (RoK) free trade agreement talks is the most significant success in Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s working visit to the RoK on December 10-12, Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Minh Khoi told the media. 

The Presidential Office announced eight laws, which were adopted at the 13th National Assembly’s eighth session last month, at a press conference in Hanoi on December 12. 

Foreigners with working permits or professional licenses granted by Vietnamese authorised agencies will be required to join Vietnam’s social insurance, according to the new Law on Social Insurance announced by the Presidential Office on December 11. 

The working group of Vietnam and China held the sixth round of talks on the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin in Beijing from December 10-12.

An exhibition entitled Martine, a Friend from Europe opens in Hanoi on December 12, on the occasion of publishing the comic series Martin (20 episodes) in Vietnamese.

A delegation led by Deputy Minister of Public Security, Sen. Lieut. Gen Le Quy Vuong attended the We Protect Children Online Summit in London on December 10-11, an event that rallied a global move in the war against online child sex abuse.