Lao National Assembly President Thongsing Thammavong said he was confident that Vietnam's upcoming 12th National Assembly (NA) election on May 20 will be a great success.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, on May 15, urged the archives sectors of Vietnam and China to continue to implement their cooperative programmes.

During his current visit to China, President Nguyen Minh Triet on May 16 received representatives of the overseas Vietnamese community and attended the Vietnam-Yunnan Business Forum in Kunming city.

A high-level delegation led by State President Nguyen Minh Triet arrived at Kunming International Airport on May 15, beginning a four-day official visit to China at the invitation of President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao.

Vietnam and Russia have agreed a draft list of priority tasks to promote the strategic partnership between the two countries in 2007.

A high-level Vietnamese delegation led by State President Nguyen Minh Triet began a four-day official visit to China on May 15 at the invitation of President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao.

Vietnam and Laos should increase the use of jointly run workshops, talks and exchanges between central and grassroots organisations in order to preserve and develop the traditional rapport between the two nations.

The relations between Vietnam and China have been developing well in all areas, particularly in politics and economics, thus meeting the aspirations of the two countries’ people and leaders, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet on May 14 presented the Gold Star Order – the highest distinction of the Vietnamese Party and State – to Hoang Tung (known as Tran Khanh Tho), former Secretary of the 5th Party Central Committee and head of the Central Propaganda and Training Commission.

During the visit, the general director of the French Institute for Research and Development (IRD) Michel Laurent held a meeting with chief representatives and researchers of the institute working in Southeast Asia as well as leaders from Vietnamese relevant ministries and research institutes.

Vietnam and Laos shared their experience in politics, public education and mass media activities at a workshop held in Laos on April 12.

The May 8-10 visit to Vietnam by an economic delegation from Belgium’s Flanders region was successful after the two sides decided to establish long-term economic and trade links, according to the delegation leader.

The Party, State and people of Vietnam attach great importance to developing the relations of friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh while receiving Party Committee Secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Liu Qibao in Hanoi on May 12.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has asked the mountainous province of Thai Nguyen to give priority to developing mineral processing, agro-forestry and tourism industries to become a prosperous province in the north-western region.

The upcoming visit to China by Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet is a very important event for relations between the two countries, said Vietnamese Ambassador to China Tran Van Luat.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on May 11 received former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is currently in Vietnam on a working trip in his capacity as consultant for Swiss based Ringier AG corporation.

Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and China in 2006 reached more than US$10 billion, including more than US$1.4 billion between Vietnam and Guangxi, but it is still far from expected.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people will do their best to lift the friendship and cooperation with Guangxi province in particular and China in general to a new height under the motto "two corridors, one economic belt" agreed by the two countries' leaders.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the post and telecommunications and information technology sector to create a breakthrough in development and integration to achieve a two-digit growth in the coming years.

Vietnam should further develop public and private vocational training centres and diversify training models to meet the requirements of the market in the integration process, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

State President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Minh Triet will visit China from May 15-18 at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh and his entourage from Mai village in France left Hanoi on May 9, concluding his second visit to Vietnam at the invitation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s International Buddhism Board.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem will pay an official visit to Japan from May 22-26 at the invitation of Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 10.

A visiting delegation of officials and businessmen from Belgium’s Flamand region toured central Da Nang city on May 9.

The Vietnamese Government and local administrations will create every favorable condition for US and Canadian enterprises to do business in the country, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

PM Dung said he was delighted at the results of the working meeting between the Cuba Ministry of Construction and the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport and asked the Cuba Ministry of Construction and relevant Vietnamese agencies to further boost cooperation in construction and transport.

Vietnam's Ministry of Transport and the Cuban Ministry of Construction have agreed to establish a consultancy joint venture company by 2008.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet and his wife will pay an official friendship visit China from May 15-18, 2007, according to a communiqué released on May 8 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Japanese Emperor Akihito presented “Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun” - the Emperor’s highest distinction - to former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan in Tokyo on May 8 in recognition of his contributions to improving Vietnam-Japan relations since 1992.

Vietnam and Mexico should boost cooperation in all areas to a higher level to match the current development of political relations between the two nations, Vice State President Truong My Hoa said at a meeting with visiting Mexican senators in Hanoi, on May 7.