The National Assembly (NA) has passed a resolution ratifying a protocol on Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), thus completing the final legal procedures for the country to become an official member of the world’s largest economic body and enter a new period of international economic integration.

As Vietnam is now a World Trade Organisation (WTO) member, its different services such as banking, finance and commodity distribution and consumption will be most affected. However, enterprises and financial organisations in these fields say that they are not too much concerned about competition in the near future.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev’s visit to Vietnam this time aims to further strengthen time-honoured friendship and cooperation between the two countries with a focus on promoting investment, economic and trade ties.

In the second phase of the NA session, the National Assembly will consider and ratify the protocol on Vietnam’s entry to the World Trade Organisation, the final step in Vietnam’s bid to join the WTO.

The 14th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM 14) concluded successfully in Hanoi on November 19 after two days of friendly and cooperative talks. AELM 14 also marked an end to a series of important events of the APEC Week aimed at bringing the APEC process to a new level.

The Vietnam-Japan relationship is entering a new period of development. Both sides want to raise the relations to a new strategic level.

Leaders of the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum gathered in Hanoi on November 18 for their 14th summit. Together with other APEC-related meetings held earlier this year, the meeting marked an end to the APEC Year 2006 hosted by Vietnam for the first time.

US President George W. Bush pays an official visit to Vietnam from November 17-20 at the invitation of State President Nguyen Minh Triet while attending the 14th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Hanoi. This is the second official visit to Vietnam by US presidents following the first by President Bill Clinton in November 2000.

The US Department of State’s decision to remove Vietnam from the list of “countries of particular concern” (CPC) on religious freedom has been welcomed by the US public as a right decision in compliance with the positive trend of development in Vietnam- US relations.

Eight years ago on November 14, Vietnam was officially admitted to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Since then, APEC has made a positive impact on Vietnam’s development, with its support for the country’s World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership.