National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong received newly-accredited Mongolian ambassador Palam Sundev in Hanoi on July 13.

A solemn funeral was held for a Catholic priest, also editor-in-chief of the Catholicism and the Nation weekly, Phero Truong Ba Can, in Ho Chi Minh City on July 13, drawing thousands of mourners.

The State will create favourable conditions for the media to play its part, but it will correct erroneous information, said Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.

The President of the Vietnam Women’s Union, who is leading a delegation on an official visit to Laos, arrived in Vientiane on July 13.

Vietnam hopes to strengthen its traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with France, said Vice President of the Vietnam-France Friendship Association (VFFA) Trinh Ngoc Thai.

Vietnam always likes to have more Italian investors doing business in Vietnam as Italy has great potential for science and technology development, said President Nguyen Minh Triet at a reception for the general director of Piaggio Vietnam Co,Ltd (PVN), Costantino Sambuy, in Hanoi on July 13.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong has asked Bac Kan province to take immediate measures to overcome the consequences of the recent floods and stabilise people’s lives in flood-hit areas.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on July 10 approved a Vietnam-Israel agreement on visa exemptions for diplomatic passport holders. The agreement was signed in Hanoi on May 21, 2009.

The US State of Maryland will set up representative offices in Hanoi and HCM City to attract Vietnam’s investment to the state and support its companies that do business in the country, according to the administration of the State.

A memorial ceremony for young volunteer soldiers who laid down their lives during the wars of resistance against French colonialists and US imperialists was held at a cemetery in Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province, in central Vietnam, on July 11.

Vietnam will do its utmost to boost cooperation with Spain, especially in trade, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung while receiving outgoing Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam Maria de la Soledad Fuentes Gomez in Hanoi on July 10.

Vietnam and Thailand have agreed to promote bilateral friendship and all-round cooperation, especially in economics, investment, trade, culture, education-training, health care, science-technology and tourism.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong has praised the State Audit for its outstanding achievements in recent times and asked the agency to work harder to improve its performance.

Relevant Vietnamese agencies have asked China to immediately and unconditionally set free 12 Vietnamese fishermen and two fishing boats that were captured by the Chinese side when they were fishing in Vietnam’s territorial waters.

Vietnam and Russia held the second strategic dialogue on foreign relations, national defence and security in Moscow, Russia, on July 9.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Dung on July 9 expressed Vietnam’s wish for regional cooperation in the protection and exploitation of the Mekong River.

Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh has sent a message of sympathy to his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, over great human and property losses caused by recent floods and landslides in the northern mountainous provinces.

Vietnam wants to promote all-round cooperation with China, especially with border provinces, including Hainan, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva will pay an official visit to Vietnam on July 10 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet will lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit which will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, July 15-16 at the invitation of Egyptian President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak.

Nguyen Van Ly was arrested, tried and sentenced to prison on the charge of breaking Vietnamese law, not for religious reasons or political dissent, said Le Dung, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Vietnam Association of Former Young Volunteers held a ceremony in Hanoi on July 9 to mark the 59th anniversary of Vietnam Young Volunteers Day and glorify outstanding former young volunteers for following Ho Chi Minh’s teachings.

Vietnam supports the important role played by the United Nations, the Peacebuilding Commission, the AU, and other international organisations in supporting the West African nations in addressing the root causes of conflicts, tackling cross-border challenges and promoting socio-economic development.

Reforming administrative procedures and operating the functions of governance and business in a transparent and open manner are essential to preventing corruption, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.  

Revolutionary generations of Laos and Vietnam have been upholding and nurturing special relations between the two countries, in accordance with the shared wishes of their predecessors, said a top Lao leader on July 8.

The first meeting of the National Committee on ASEAN was held in Hanoi on July 8 with Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem in the chair.

The country’s southern hub has maintained its economic growth and achieved certain progress in public health care and education in the first half of this year but is still confronted with a series of socio-economic problems, according to a meeting of the Municipal People’s Council.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said that Vietnam is looking for further co-operation with Israel in biotechnology to apply to local farming technologies.

Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam Maria Soledad Fuentes Gomez has been awarded with the Friendship Order in recognition of her contributions to strengthening the multifaceted relations between Vietnam and Spain.

Vietnam is integrating deeply into the world, so it hopes to receive more assistance and share more experience with Denmark and other countries, in many fields, including judicial reform, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet.