Vietnam News Agency (VNA)

Press Highlights Mar. 26

26/03/2008 -- 9:06 AM

Hanoi (VNA) -

Current Events

· State President Nguyen Minh Triet: Vietnam will do its best to develop the fine neighbourly ties with Cambodia (All dailies, page 1).

· Vietnam wishes to promote the friendship and multi-facetted cooperation with Serbia ,” said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung while receiving Foreign Minister of the Republic of Serbia Vuk Jeremic (Nhan dan, page 1).

· Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the third Great Mekong Sub-region Summit (Nhan dan, page 1).

· The Government held its March regular session: cabinet members recommended that the economic growth pace and inflation rate for 2008 be readjusted, and social security ensured (All dailies, page 1).

· National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said Viet Nam – Bulgary relations should develop in a more effective way. The legislative leader made the suggestion in a meeting with Chairman of the Bulgrian NA Committee for External Affairs Solomon Passy (Nhan dan, page 1).

· The Prime Minister gave guidance on measures to stabilize the stock market (Nhan dan, page 1).

· Viet Nam and India enhance security cooperation (Nhan dan, page 8).

· System of landmarks along the Vietnam-Laos borderline will be upgraded (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Tax should not be a burden on people. The view was shared by members of the 12 th National Assembly Standing Committee at its seventh session (Ha Noi Moi, page 1).

Socio-economic Affairs

· In the first quarter, the country obtained 5.4 billion USD in foreign direct investment – an increase of 31 percent. Ho Chi Minh City leads the nation with four projects with a combined capital of 2.08 billion USD (Nhan dan and Saigon Giai phong, page 1).

· Salty water is infiltrating deep in the Mekong Delta provinces (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Monetary market sees positive changes-over. Banks are recommended to put the cap for USD deposit interest rate at 6 percent per year (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Hue Conservatoire will coordinate with the Thai University in training MAs and PhDs in music (Saigon Giai phong, page 4).

· Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee launched programme “Lightening Vietnamese Youth’s Dreams” (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 1).

· Gas found offshore Viet Nam’s sea. According to the BBC, the US Chevron Corporation giant said that it had found natural gas in a well on Viet Nam ’s high sea (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 1).

· Twenty-one countries joining the 2008 Hue Festival will feature 35 artistic programmes (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· Australia and Viet Nam step up cooperation in preventing and fighting human trafficking (Lao dong, page 2).

· A US business will invest 54 billion VND in the Do Son Industrial Zone in Hai Phong city (Lao dong, page 3).

· India finances 460,000 USD for an English-training programme in central Da Nang city (Lao dong, page 3).

· Stock exchanges are still marked with red colour (Thanh nien [Young People], No. 85, page 7).

· “Stop” the interest-rates race (Tien phong [Vanguard], No. 85, page 4). The interest race came to an end after an agreement was made by members of the banking association in the South on March 24. Under the agreement, maximum annual interest-rates for deposits in Vietnam dong is 11 percent, while the figure is 6 percent for USD nominated deposits. The member banks seemed to be “beaten enough” in the race and now agreed to “shake hands.”

· The “dance” of fireworks is ready (Tuoi tre [Youth], No. 79, page 4). The international fireworks competition in Da Nang will “open fire” in March 27 and 28 evenings. All preparations of four participating teams, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Canada, are basically completed.

· Banks may be allowed to buy foreign currencies at agreement (Thoi bao Tai chinh [Vietnam Financial Times], No. 36, page 1).

· Buying treasury bills under the State Bank’s 346/QD decision: Banks vow to ensure liquidity supply (Vietnam Financial Times, No. 36, page 10). Following the issue of the 346/QD decision, which requires credit institutions to buy its treasury bills in VND, an amount of treasury bills worth 20,000 billion VND were sold.

· Solutions worked out to help the export sector overcome difficulties (Vietnam Financial Times, No. 36, page 15).

International Events

· Russia's Medvedev presses NATO over expansion (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Protests greet Cheney in Turkey (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Violence erupts in Basra as Iraqi forces battle militia (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Gilani sworn in as Pakistan Prime Minister (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Belarus uncovers US spy network (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· Thousands of French people eat meat batch infected with E.coli (Saigon Giai phong, page 12).

· US navy confirms its ship fires shots in Suez Canal (Saigon Giai phong, page 12).

· Aldermaston protest recalls the birth of CND (Saigon Giai phong, page 12).

· Engineer sentenced to 24 years in China conspiracy case (Saigon Giai phong, page 12). -Enditem

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