Vietnam News Agency (VNA)

Press Highlights Mar. 27

27/03/2008 -- 9:24 AM

Hanoi (VNA) -
Current Events

· Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN Security Council: Vietnam support the settlement of Middle East issues through dialogue (Nhan dan, page 8).

· The Qatar Emir appreciated the development of cooperation with Vietnam (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Viet Nam has had improvements in religious freedom. The remark was made by US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· Symposium on Buddhism with society and culture in the era of industrialisation and modernisation held in Hanoi : Buddhism marches in accompany with the nation (Saigon Giai phong, page 7).

Socio-economic Affairs

· Canada continues to assist Vietnam in sustainable development (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Viet Nam to host the12th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ meeting (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Vietnam defeated Taiwan 3-1 at the 2008 Asia Women Football Championship qualifying round (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· Vietnam ’s first laptop made its appearance (Saigon Giai phong, page 2).

· Investors rush to buy gold as price of the precious metal rise sharply (Saigon Giai phong, page 2).

· Vietnam capital market still attractive to foreign investors (Saigon Giai phong, page 4).

· In the first quarter, Vietnam drew 5.4 billion USD in foreign direct investment (Lao dong, page 1).

· Japan lends Vietnam 94.35 million JPY (Lao dong, page 7).

· The Department for Investigation of Social Order Crime (C14) on March 25 arrested a 54-year-old citizen of the Republic of Korea , Lee Peum, who is involving in a RoK underworld gang (Tien phong [Vanguard], No. 86, page 2). Earlier, the RoK Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City had asked the Vietnam police for cooperation in arresting Lee and another, who were accused of having swindled hundreds of thousands of USD in many places, including in Vietnam and have been wanted by the international police.

· Q&A session between the two National Assembly meetings, scheduled on March 28, will focus on price hike (Tuoi tre [Youth], No. 80, page 3).

· Hunting stocks of companies which are going to make initial public offerings (IPOs) (Dau tu [Investment], No. 37, page 6). Unlike domestic investors, who wish to massively sell unlisted shares, foreign investors are seeking stocks of companies which are preparing to make IPOs.

· Chip designing industry rises up (Dau tu, No. 37, page 8). Vietnam is capable of producing internationally standardised chip products.

· Reducing share trading bands is just a temporary solution (Thoi bao Kinh te Vietnam [Vietnam Economic Times], No. 74, page 3). The State Securities Commission on March 25 gave the nod to the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange and the Ha Noi Securities Trading Centre to reduce their share trading bands to 1 percent and 2 percent, respectively. According to SSC President Vu Bang, this is a temporary measure to calm down investors.

· Ho Chi Minh City ’s economy in the first quarter of 2008 kept growing despite difficulties caused by price hike, reported the city Statistics office (Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam , No. 74, page 5).

· Annual VND deposit interest rate reduced to 11 percent in an effort to achieve a sustainable growth (Thoi bao Ngan hang [Banking Times], No. 37, page 3). 47 members of the Vietnam Bank Association on March 24 agreed on an 11 percent cap for the VND deposit interest rate. The market has seen no change.

International Events

· China on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the United States sending to Taiwan four nuclear warhead fuses in 2006.

· French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to the UK warms up allies’ ties (Ha Noi Moi, page 8).

· Thailand 's ruling party is planning broad revision of the constitution (Ha Noi Moi and Saigon Giai phong, page 8).

· The Lebanon boycotts the Arab summit (Saigon Giai phong, page 8).

· Fierce fighting in Iraq left 400 persons dead or injured. Prime Minister Maliki issued an ultimatum to rival gunmen (Quan doi Nhan dan and Nhan dan, page 8).

· US-Belarus relations frozen following the spy incident (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 7).

· About India – US nuclear agreement (Nhan dan, page 8).-Enditem

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