Recently, some reactionary elements in Vietnam and overseas, operating under the cloak of religion, took advantage of Bonze Thich Huyen Quang’s illness to publicise the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam.

There have been plenty of lessons about “living from hand to mouth”. The recent practice of selling and buying coal which is also known as “no sooner earned than spent” has threatened the nation’s energy security and caused a huge loss of this valuable natural resource.

Vietnam will officially assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), beginning on July 1. This is a great honour for Vietnam and testifies to the country’s active and responsible participation in tackling global issues.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung returned to Hanoi on June 28, concluding a four-day visit to the US at the invitation of President George W. Bush. The visit opened up many opportunities for the two countries to promote cooperation in economics, investment, trade, education, sci-tech and the environment.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is currently paying an official visit to the US from June 23-27 where the two countries’ leaders will not only discuss bilateral economic and trade issues but also seek to expand cooperation in other areas such as education and nuclear energy for civilian use.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong is paying official visits to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and France from June 15-26 to promote the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and these countries.

Representatives at the mid-term consultative group meeting held recently in northern Lao Cai province discussed the difficulties that face the national economy including the disbursement of ODA funds for poverty reduction projects.

International specialists attending a recent seminar on anti-corruption measures in Hanoi warned that failure to recruit qualified staff will affect the Government’s efforts to push through administrative reform and combat corruption.

The Environmental Police Department predicts that environment-related crime will continue to become more serious in the near future with even more sophisticated ploys to hide from legal agencies.

The 12th National Assembly (NA) has concluded its third session after nearly one month of intensive work with a high sense of responsibility towards the voters and people across the country. It has made decisions on many important issues to ensure economic stability amid the current difficulties and challenges.