VOV.VN - Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc and US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Jessica Lewis co-chaired the 12th Vietnam -US Political, Security and Defence Dialogue on March 30 in Washington, D.C.

The Government has agreed to propose to the National Assembly some new policies relating to the immigration, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, including one on a visa extension to 90 days.

VOV.VN - The nation resolutely opposes and demands Taiwan (China) cancel live-fire drills taking place in the waters around Ba Binh (Itu Aba) which are part of Vietnam’s Truong Sa, also known as the Spratly Islands, said Pham Thu Hang, vice spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on March 31.

VOV.VN - Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed the nation’s recognition of the great importance of friendly ties and a comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership with China during a reception held for Liu Ning, secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on March 30 in Hanoi.

The central bank likely will further cut interest rates in a near future, according to deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Dao Minh Tu.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has proposed increasing the foreign ownership cap at some commercial banks from 30% to 49%.

VOV.VN - Vietnamese gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.32% in the first quarter of the year, the second lowest rate in the 2011 - 2023 period, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Foreign small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are paying much attention to Vietnam, given the fact that the number of under-US$1-million projects accounted for nearly 70% of the total number of foreign-invested projects registered in Vietnam in the first three months of this year.

Foreign investors’ continuous investment in Vietnam has shown their optimistic about the country’s economic outlook, despite the difficult situation of the global banking sector.

VOV.VN - Malaysia attaches great importance to its relations with Vietnam, viewing it as one of Malaysia’s closest partners in terms of economic and social affairs, said Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir.