President Chummaly Sayasone welcomed President Nguyen Minh Triet in Vientiane on August 24, describing his visit as a vivid manifestation in Vietnam-Laos relations.

The Vietnamese embassy in China held a ceremony on August 23 to celebrate Vietnam’s 65th National Day, and the 65th anniversary of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector and to receive the Labour Order, second class, and emulation flag from the Government.

The Hanoi Municipal Emulation and Rewards Council has selected 10 nominees to be honoured as the capital city’s outstanding citizens.

The National Assembly of Vietnam will do its best to foster bilateral ties with Thailand, Deputy NA Chairman Huynh Ngoc Son has said.

Vietnam and Laos will plant an additional 258 border markers in 2011 in order to complete land border demarcation between the two countries in 2012.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet left Hanoi on August 24 beginning an official two-day visit to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Chummaly Sayasone.

Vietnam will do its utmost to bring its strategic comprehensive cooperation partnership with China to new heights.

Laos and Vietnam have great potential for cooperation, and I believe that with great support from their people, bilateral relationship will develop stronger in various areas, said ambassador Soonthorn Sayachack.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh on August 23 visited and congratulated legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap on his 100th birthday.

A delegation of 19 leading officials and managers from the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) are attending a course on high-level political theory at the Ho Chi Minh Political and Administrative Academy.  

Magdalena Sepúlveda, the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty, began a visit to Vietnam on August 23 at the invitation of the Vietnamese government.

Deputies to the National Assembly Standing Committee stressed the need to formulate a law against human trafficking at their current session in Hanoi on August 23.

ASEAN officials met in Da Nang City on August 23 to draw up an agenda for the fourth ASEAN Economic Community Council Meeting (AEC4) and the 42nd ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM42) scheduled for August 25.  

Regular exchanges between the Vietnamese and Mongolian parliaments have helped strengthen cooperative relations between the two countries, said Deputy Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament G.Batkhuu.

On August 22, State President Nguyen Minh Triet attended a get together of former cadres from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) at the National Assembly Office in Hanoi.

One hundred and twenty-five winners of “Hoa Trang Nguyen” prize, which honours students with outstanding study records, became special guests of State President Nguyen Minh Triet in Hanoi on August 22.

Vietnam and Laos signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in Vientiane on August 21 to draw up plans cooperation for in the archives area in 2011-2015 period.

Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No 5 (Cienco 5) organized its third congress for patriotic emulation in Danang on August 22, which was attended by Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.

The young generations of Vietnam and Laos should preserve and develop the special relationship between the two nations to new heights.

The Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee has proposed that the new national administration centre not be relocated to the capital city’s outlying district of Ba Vi.

Vietnam is ready to work together with the international community to speed up relief aid for flood victims in Pakistan, said ambassador Bui The Giang.

A delegation of the Central Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam attended the 16th Sao Paulo Forum held in the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires from August 18-20.

Le Dung, Vietnamese Consul General in Houston, Texas, had a working session with mayor Annise Parker at city hall on August 20, during which Ms Parker pledged to boost the city’s cooperative ties with Vietnam.

Vietnam will work closely with Thailand to speed up the implementation of ASEAN’s goal of building a strong ASEAN community, said Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong.

The Defence Ministry strongly supports its air and air defence force in taking part in all bilateral and multilateral military cooperation within the ASEAN framework, including between ASEAN and its partners, to maintain peace and sustainable development in Southeast Asia.

A ceremony to mark the 122nd birthday of late President Ton Duc Thang was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 20.

Vietnam and Egypt have agreed to grant visa exemptions to holders of diplomatic, special and official passports.

The Ministry of Finance of Vietnam and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea (RoK) held a seminar on ASEAN’s position towards the G20 Seoul Summit in Hanoi on August 20.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) held its third patriotic emulation congress in Hanoi on August 20 in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The 16th Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Ministers Meeting opened in Hanoi on August 20 to discuss future co-operation fields.