State President Nguyen Minh Triet has visited Saigon Jewellery Company (SJC) and Vissan one-member liability limited company on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year Festival (Tet).

Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong and leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on February 20 offered incenses in commemoration of the Hung Kings at the Hung Temples historical complex in northern Phu Tho province, launched a tree-planting campaign and attended the 10th anniversary of re-establishment of Phu Tho province.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong paid a New Year visit to the Party Committee and people in southern Dong Thap province on February 19 (the third of lunar January).

A ceremony to present credentials to Crown Prince of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn was held in Bangkok, Thailand on February 19 with the participation of six ambassadors from Tunisia, Swaziland, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Djibouti and Vietnam.

Cu Lao Cham island suffered heavy losses during typhoon Xangsane last year. However, with the spirit of solidarity, mutual affection and assistance, the army and people on the island have stabilized their lives and are able to enjoy the Lunar New Year festival.

Vietnamese people living in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse, Cahors or Brest expressed their delight at witnessing Vietnam’s rapid development, whilst talking with our VOV correspondent in Paris.

Various activities such as firework display on New Year’s Eve and art performances in praise of the Party and new spring were held across the country. Many local festivals were launched on the first days of the lunar New Year in the hope of a successful year ahead.

Before that Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) I had to work far from home. I returned home on the fifth day of Tet. Behind the gate, I saw yellow apricot flowers and felt warm as if I were in a dream. As it bloomed for the first time, some buds would blossom at the end of the first lunar month.

President Nguyen Minh Triet has affirmed the need to bring into play people’s strength of mastery and create favourable conditions for people to get involved in building the Party and Government that will help overcome challenges and win greater successes in 2007 in an interview granted to Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

A new spring has arrived in Vietnam. On the Lunar New Year’s Eve, State President Nguyen Minh Triet, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, sent his best wishes to all Vietnamese people and foreign friends.

The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to prepare a summit agenda while the Ministry of Trade will coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Foreign Ministry to learn about ACMECS countries’ viewpoints.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet paid Tet visits to the northern provinces of Bac Kan and Thai Nguyen on February 15, two days before the Lunar New Year festival (February 17).

The year 2006 was a successful year for the Vietnamese people. The country’s GDP growth rate stood at 8.2 percent. 2006 put an end to the nation’s efforts in accessing the World Trade Organisation and Vietnam became the 150th member state.

In whatever circumstances, the company should fulfill its key task of printing the Party’s political documents accurately, beautifully but at a low-cost, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his wife visited the late President Ho Chi MInh’s relic area at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on February 15 on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year Festival (Tet).

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Dung on February 14 protests against Taiwan’s recent military exercise using live ammunition on waters just west of Truong Sa (Spratly) Island in the East Sea.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has called on the entire Party, people, army and overseas Vietnamese to join efforts to early lift the country out of the underdeveloped nation status and turn Vietnam into an industrialised nation by 2020.

Mass mobilization is very important to the country, Party and administration. Therefore, mass mobilization must be renewed to catch up with developments in the country and the world, says State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

A delegation representing the Party, State, National Assembly, Government and Vietnam Fatherland Front laid wreath and visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi on February 14.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet on February 13 visited northern Ninh Binh province and extended congratulations to the provincial Party Committee, authorities and people, on the occasion of the traditional New Year.

The press should play to full strength its important position in society and continue to make positive and effective contributions to fulfilling this year’s three key tasks of achieving a GDP growth of 8.5 percent, accelerating administrative reform and fighting corruption.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet called on Hanoi to improve infrastructure facilities and ensure rapid and sustainable development economically, culturally and socially to make it more renowned and beautiful.

The Vietnam Television (VTV) should continue to perform its role as an important information channel of the Party and State and as a people’s forum, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

Progress and quality of the Son La hydro-electric power plant project should be tightly monitored, and local ethnic residents who have been displaced by the project should be assisted to stabilise their lives in new resettlement areas, says Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem has urged Vietnamese media agencies to enhance the positive image of the country by covering progress it has made in the Doi Moi (Renewal) process.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem on February 12, hosted a reception for foreign diplomats and representatives of international organisations on the occasion of Vietnam's Lunar New Year festival (Tet).

State President Nguyen Minh Triet: In the context of international integration, the diplomatic sector plays an important role in maintaining peace and stability for the country’s sustainable development.

The National Oil and Gas Group must become one of the pillars of the national economy with the highest aim of ensuring energy security, as well as the independence and self-control of the national economy, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh while working with representatives of PetroVietnam in Hanoi on February 12.

Vietnam has played an important role in promoting links between Asia and Europe, said Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development Armand De Decker.

Vietnamese embassies in Cuba, Italy, Belgium, China, Canada and the United Nations have held get-togethers to mark Vietnam's traditional lunar New Year Festival (Tet).