Security forces of Vietnam and Laos sought ways to strengthen their cooperation at their annual conference held in Vientiane on March 19.

The Vietnam – Mongolia defence cooperative ties will advance in the coming time on the back of the sound bilateral relations, meeting the aspiration and interests of the two people, a military official said on March 19.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s speech at the recently-held first meeting of the sub-committee on personnel affairs of the 14th National Party Congress has received attention and strong support from officials, Party members and people in the northern province of Yen Bai.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is meeting with FDi enterprises and attending annual Vietnam Business Forum on March 19 morning in Hanoi which focus on promoting the pioneering role of FDI firms inimplementing green growth strategies.

Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on March 18 appreciated Vietnam’s active contributions to the organisation, especially the outcomes of the WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) held in Abu Dhabi from February 26 to March 2.

Officials, Party members and residents in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have expressed their support for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s view on personnel preparations for the 14th National Party Congress.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held talks with his visiting Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov in Hanoi on March 18.

The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

At the moment, 13 nations—the main travel destinations for Việt Nam— have unilaterally exempted visa. The ministry is in negotiations with other nations about bilateral visa waiver applications for official visas.

PM Chính called for stronger partnerships in spearhead industries of both countries like petroleum and agriculture to guarantee energy and food security.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam, in Hanoi on March18.

The authorities of the northern province of Nam Dinh on March 18 organised a ceremony to present Laos's friendship orders to local leaders of different periods and worked with a delegation from Laos’s Oudomxay province.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam, in Hanoi on March 18.

Among the 30 strategic partners and comprehensive partners, Việt Nam now has comprehensive strategic partnerships with seven countries. It has established comprehensive strategic partnerships or strategic partnerships with the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security on March 18 handed over 50 vehicles to the Lao Ministry of Public Security to help it ensure safety for activities held during Laos's Chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year.

Vietnam’s elevation of relations with major and important partners reflects the strongly enhanced mutual understanding and political trust between the country and the partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told a question-and-answer session on March 18.

Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, held talks with Liu Jianchao, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the CPC Central Committee’s International Liaison Department, in Jilin province on March 18.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held talks with his visiting Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov in Hanoi on March 18.

To promote cultural diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has proactively coordinated with international organisations, especially the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.