(VOV) - President Truong Tan Sang on December 17 expressed his condolences to US President Barack Obama over the December 14 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 kids and six adults. 

(VOV) - Vietnam congratulates Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on its victory in the recent House of Representatives election, said Luong Thanh Nghi, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson. 

(VOV) - The Vietnam Bar Federation should ensure member lawyers protect people’s legal rights, President Truong Tan Sang said at a meeting with the association on December 17.

(VOV) - National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung received visiting Prime Minister Laurent Salvador Lamothe in Hanoi on December 17.

(VOV) - PM Nguyen Tan Dung on December 17 described his Haitian counterpart Laurent Salvador Lamothe’s visit a milestone in the history of bilateral relations, providing fresh impetus for stronger future cooperation.

(VOV) - A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)—led by Nguyen The Ky, Deputy Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Communication and Education—has attended a conference on international communist movements in Moscow, Russia.

(VOV) - Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Salvador Lamothe’s upcoming visit to Vietnam aims to deepen the ties of friendship and cooperation and compare notes on regional and international issues of common concern.

(VOV) - HCM City People’s Council Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam on December 14 received Thai Senate Vice President Surachai Liengboonlertchai who is on a working visit to Vietnam.

The President’s Office announced nine Laws, three Resolutions and one Ordinance in Hanoi on December 14.

(VOV) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on December 14 conveyed his congratulations to Mykola Azarov, who was re-appointed as Ukrainian Prime Minister.

(VOV) - The Youth Union’s 10th Central Committee comprises 151 members, including 33 from the Standing Committee and 7 from the Secretariat.

(VOV) - The US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City has recognized eight Vietnamese and foreign partners with insignias in its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme during a ceremony on December 14.

(VOV) -A ceremony introducing the logo of the Vietnam-France Year and  acknowledging the meeting of the joint organising committee was held in Hanoi on December 14.

(VOV) - A delegation from Hanoi, led by Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi, paid a working visit to Cambodia on December 12-14.

(VOV) - A forum on marine law enforcement in the Guff of Thailand was held in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, on December 12-13 to step up regional cooperation to maintain peace and security at sea.

(VOV) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on December 14 held a direct dialogue with delegates to the Youth Union's 10th National Congress in Hanoi.

(VOV) - Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has said the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany has developed well in all areas over the years.

(VOV) - Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Salvador Lamothe will pay an official visit to Vietnam from December 16-18.

Vietnam regrets the December 12 launch of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and calls on parties concerned to show restraint and take responsible actions. 

(VOV) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend a summit in New Delhi on December 20-21 to mark 20 years of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership.  

The 47th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (ASEAN-COCI), an annual event that evaluates and ratifies all co-operative projects in the domain, officially opened in Hanoi on December 12.

(VOV) - Deputy Defence Minister and Navy Commander Nguyen Van Hien on December 12 received French ambassador to Vietnam Jean-Noel Poirier who has just assumed office in Vietnam.

(VOV) - The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence’s e-portal was officially launched in Hanoi on December 12.

A meeting to mark the Vietnam-Laos traditional combat alliance was held in Sepon district, Savannakhet province, Laos on December 12. 

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh met with the Republic of Korea’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Choi Kyonglim, in Hanoi on December 12.

(VOV) - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on December 12 received Vice President of the Senate of Thailand, Surachai Liengboonlertchai, who is on a working visit to Vietnam.

(VOV) - A national seminar themed “Cooperation in the East Sea - History and Prospects” was held in the central city of Danang on December 12 to discuss Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.

Numerous activities are being held to celebrate the Vietnam-Japan, Japan-Vietnam Friendship Year 2013 and 40 years of diplomatic ties, contributing to further strengthening the traditional friendship between the two countries. 

(VOV) - Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong has praised the Youth Union for its vanguard role in socio-economic development and volunteer movements to build a prosperous Vietnamese nation.

(VOV) - A ceremony was held in the Lao province of Savanakhet to inaugurate a secondary school built with funding from the Vietnamese government.