VOV.VN - Vietnam supports and stays ready to engage in humanitarian efforts for Ukraine, said a Vietnamese diplomat to the United Nations.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung on March 23 paid courtesy calls to Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, National Assembly Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane, and Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.

VOV.VN - Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob will pay an official visit to Vietnam from March 20-21 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee considered the supplementation of the State budget estimate of foreign non-refundable aid (under the task of recurrent expenditure) in 2020 as well as that in 2021 during its ongoing ninth session on March 15 morning.

VOV.VN - A Vietnamese representative to the United Nations has called on parties concerned to hold dialogue and protect civilians in Ukraine amidst escalating tensions in the country.

Loans of pandemic-hit enterprises will enjoy an interest rate cut of 2% under a government support package to remove difficulties for the businesses.

Sixteen commercial banks cut over VND21.24 trillion (US$936 million) of loan interest for COVID-19-hit customers from July 15 to December 31, 2021, surpassing their commitment by 5.13%, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) reported on February 9.

Three aid packages will be carried out in 2022 to help promote digital transformation in Vietnamese enterprises, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

Vietnam has called for more humanitarian aid for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) during the United Nations Security Council’s meeting on the country’s unrest and activities of the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) on December 6.

HIV/AIDS is still a burden on Vietnam with about 12,000 new cases diagnosed and about 2,000 deaths each year.