VietNamNet Bridge – President of the Senate of Thailand Teeradej Meepien will be making an official visit to Viet Nam.

The visit would be made at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, announced the NA's External Relations Committee on Monday.

* Nation offers condolences to Philippines following typhoon

A soldier helps a woman holding the dead body of her child killed during the passage of tropical storm Washi at a village in Iligan City, on the southern island of Mindanao. (Photo: AFP)
State President Truong Tan Sang yesterday sent a message of condolence to his Philippine counterpart Benigno S. Aquino III over the losses caused by Typhoon Washi.

On the same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung cabled a message of sympathy to the Philippine President.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also expressed his sympathy to his Philippine counterpart Albert Del Rosario over the losses.

Typhoon Washi, one of the worst calamities to hit the region for the past few years, battered the southern Philippines and killed 957 people with 49 still missing.

* Viet Nam, Laos to co-operate in development of border areas

Viet Nam and Laos have committed to boosting co-operation in developing rural, border and remote areas.

The commitment was made at a meeting between a delegation of the Steering Committee for the northwest of Viet Nam led by Deputy Head Bui Thanh Thu, and Deputy Minister of the Lao Government Office Mek Phanlak during the Vietnamese delegation's visit to Laos from December 19-23.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed the results of co-operation in rural economic development and the construction of village groups in border and remote areas to improve the living conditions of the two countries' people.

The two sides also affirmed developing the village groups was necessary, helping residents develop production, benefit from the countries' socio-economic development and contributing to maintaining border security.

In the future, Viet Nam and Laos would continue to exchange experiences and information and boost infrastructure construction and rural transport while co-operating to build a Viet Nam-Laos borderline of peace, friendship and development.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News