Developing supporting industries is very important for Vietnam to increase the quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the national economy.  

The e-passport project will be carried out in 2011-2014. Preparations of necessary facilities will take place next year and e-passports will likely be issued by the end of 2012.  

Chairman of the Mongolian Parliament Demberel Damdin, accompanied by his wife and a high-ranking delegation, will pay an official visit to Vietnam from December 14-17. 

Vietnam wants to strengthen its multifaceted cooperation with Uzbekistan through a variety of channels, said Vietnamese Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yasuaki Janizaki gave a banquet, in celebration of the 77th birthday of the Japanese Emperor, in Hanoi on December 10.

Vietnam always attaches importance to developing cooperation with Japan, especially in economics, trade and investment, and creates favourable conditions for Japanese investors to operate effectively in the country. 

Hanoi has worked out solutions to step up socio-economic development in the 2011-2015 period, including a projected growth rate of 13-15 percent which is achievable, said Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Council, Nguyen The Thao.

Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh received Vietnam’s Minister of Home Affairs, Tran Van Tuan in Vientiane on December 10.

On December 10, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA), Tong Thi Phong received President of the Poland-Vietnam friendship parliamentary group, Jolanta Szczypinska and her delegation which is visiting Vietnam from December 9-15.

Laos National Archive Centre, a gift from the Vietnamese Government, was inaugurated on December 9 in the capital Vientiane.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet discussed measures to boost bilateral ties, especially in economics, trade and investment.

Deputy Prime Minister  Khiem spoke highly of the organization of the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership dialogue, describing it a manifestation of mutual trust between the countries.

Vietnam will continue to help Laos in training personnel and building personnel management frameworks, while the two countries will annually exchange visits of high-level delegations.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has expressed his pleasure at the development of Vietnam-Luxembourg ties in politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, education, training and ODA support.

Vietnam has requested World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) members in a number of European countries remove its tra (Pangasius) fish from the red list of the guidance manual for seafood consumers in 2010-2011, said a spokesperson for Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry.

As Vietnam and Mongolia have much in common, the two countries should expand their cooperation to more areas for mutual benefit, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

The Government Inspectorate and the World Bank (WB) on December 9 officially launched the 2011 Vietnam Anti-Corruption Initiative Programme (VACI 2011).

Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Lytvyn Volodymyr left Hanoi on December 8, concluding his official friendship visit to Vietnam at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.

An official welcome ceremony was held in Hanoi on December 8 in honour of Defence Minister Luvsanvandan Bold and a high-ranking military delegation from Mongolia.

Lao National Assembly chairman Thongsinh Thammavong and Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavad on December 8 received Nguyen Van Son, head of NA Committee for External Relations and chairman of Vietnam-Laos friendship parliamentary group, who is heading a Vietnamese NA delegation to Laos from December 6-11.

Another three border markers between Vietnam and Cambodia were installed on December 8 at Position 54 in Dak Song District of Central Highland Dak Nong province.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan received French Ambassador Jean Francois Girault in Hanoi on December 8 to discuss promoting partnership and cooperation in economics, trade, investment, culture and education and training.

A ministerial meeting on combating the drug trade between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos was held in Phnom Penh on December 8.

HCM City and Kuwait’s Al-Ahmadi province on December 7 signed a memorandum of understanding on friendship and cooperation

Vietnam always attaches importance to developing traditional relations with Ukraine in various fields such as politics, economics, trade, hi-tech, and education and training, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

A group of Vietnamese-Lao friendship parliamentarians has met with its counterpart in Laos in an effort to strengthen bilateral legislative cooperation.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) has sent a delegation, headed by Zhang Shiping, Director of its Audit Committee, to meet with a delegation from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) in Hanoi.

The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting-Plus Working Group (ADSOM+WG) Meeting opened in Vietnam’s central highland province of Lam Dong on December with the participation of representatives from 18 countries attending the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Information Technology, the Cuban Institute for Friendships with the People (ICAP) and the Vietnamese Embassy, have  issued a commemorative set of stamps to mark 50th anniversary of Cuba-Vietnam diplomatic ties in Havana on December 6.

A Vietnamese delegation led by the Deputy Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s External Relations Commission, Nguyen Manh Hung, attended the 12th international meeting of communist and workers parties (ICWP) in Johannesburg, South Africa from December 3-5.