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).

Lao Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavath Lengsavath spoke highly of the immense assistance that Vietnam offered to Lao over the past years, particularly in the field of transport and communications.

At a working session with key leaders of northern Ha Giang province on February 11, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated that this year, the provincial Party Committee and local authorities should target an increase in the volume of production towards poverty reduction and hunger elimination, especially in the four mountainous districts facing particular difficulties.

The Vietnamese State will try its best to create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to strengthen their relations with the homeland by early issuing a decision on visa exemption for foreign passport holders being overseas Vietnamese to facilitate their homecoming, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet visited and extended Tet wishes to the Borderguard Command in Hanoi on February 9. Speaking to officers and soldiers, he highlighted their great achievements in the past year.

During the two-hour exchange on February 9, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung answered questions relating to nine topics, ranging from assessment of national socio-economic development in 2006 and solutions for ensuring a rapid and sustainable development in 2007, to causes of corruption and wastefulness.

Vietnam will continue to promote achievements and use the Official Development Assistance effectively, said Vice President Truong My Hoa, at a get-together with representatives from non-governmental and international organisations in Vietnam on February 8 to welcome the Lunar New Year festival.

Laos is a faithful friend and comrade and a close neighbour of Vietnam. Both countries back onto the imposing Truong Son Mountain Range, share the Mekong River and treasure their time-honoured tradition.

Apart from being an eminent leader of the Vietnamese revolution, an outstanding student of late President Ho Chi Minh, a great national cultural activist and poet, Truong Chinh was also a great personality and a staunch communist deserving to be a brave example for other communists in any period of time to follow, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

Vietnam and the United Kingdom (UK) have agreed to the outline of an action plan for bilateral cooperation with a focus on education quality insurance, distribution of research funding, and partnership between educational institutions in the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem has called on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to continue helping Vietnam develop human resources for the effective management and use of assistance capital.

Before leaving Xieng Khouang province for Hanoi, State President Nguyen Minh Triet and his wife visited the Plain of Jars - one of Laos’ tourist attractions recognised by the UNESCO as the world heritage site.

The Spring Trade Fair opened in Hanoi on February 6 with the participation of more than 500 enterprises displaying a wide range of consumer goods and specialities from various regions of the country in the lead-up to the traditional Lunar New Year Festival (Tet).

The Party, State and Government of Vietnam encourage their businesses to invest in Laos to bolster the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, State President Nguyen Minh Triet told the Vietnam-Laos Business Forum in Vientiane on February 6.

The World Bank announced a new partnership strategy with Vietnam in Hanoi on February 6, under which the global bank governing body will provide US$4 billion in long-term interest free credits to support the country till 2011.

No punishment or mistreatment was imposed on ethnic minority people from the Central Highlands who had previously fled illegally to Cambodia, said an US diplomat on February 5.

According to newspaper Passason of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Vietnam’s State President Nguyen Minh Triet’s visit to Laos is a historical landmark, helping strengthen traditional friendship relations between the two countries.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has called for close cooperation among ministries, sectors and localities to accelerate socio-economic development with the aim of transforming the Mekong Delta into a key economic zone in the region.

The Vietnam National Committee for Women's Advancement is working to increase the number of female deputies to the 12th National Assembly to over 33 percent.

The Vietnam-Laos special relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation have made substantial progress in such areas as trade, investment, transport, hydro electric power generation, mineral exploitation and industrial crops cultivation.

In its development policy, the Vietnamese Government gives priority to the development of high technology, including information technology.

A welcome ceremony for State President Nguyen Minh Triet, his wife and entourage was officially held at the presidential palace in Vientiane on February 5.

The upgrade of Cambodia's Highway 78 link with Vietnam's border started in Ban Lung town in the border province of Rattanakiri on February 4.

The 2007 Spring Trade Fair will take place at the Vietnam Exhibition and Trade Fair Centre in Hanoi from February 7-15.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet on February 3 attended a ceremony to announce the establishment of Ha Dong City directly under northern Ha Tay province and presented the Independence Order, Third Class to the city’s Party committee and people.

The Vietnamese embassy in France has recently held a ceremony to mark 77th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong paid visits to central Thanh Hoa province and northern Nam Dinh province on February 3 to honour the approaching Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

Meetings to mark the 77th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) took place in provinces and cities throughout the country on February 3. State President Nguyen Minh Triet attended a meeting to mark the event in northern Vinh Phuc province.

A series of important reports will be presented at the 47th session of the 11th National Assembly Standing Committee, scheduled to take place from February 27-March 8.

Legal experts in economic cooperation from Cambodia, China, France, Laos and Vietnam gathered in Hanoi on February 2 to discuss a legislative framework for economic activities in the Asia-Pacific region.