Vietnam has reiterated its sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracels) archipelagoes, and held that all construction and reclamation at the two archipelagoes without Vietnam’s permission are illegal. 

 The website of the Federal Council of Russia has posted an article highlighting the official visit to Vietnam from February 20-22 by the council’s Chairwoman Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko.

 The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Public-Private Dialogue on Services took place in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa on February 23. 

 The APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting (FCBDM) kicked off in Nha Trang city, south central coastal Khanh Hoa province, on February 23.

 Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and Cambodian Minister of Planning Chhay Than co-chaired the 8th ministerial-level meeting in Phnom Penh on February 23.

 The first Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) of APEC 2017 and related meetings ongoing in Nha Trang city in the central province of Khanh Hoa entered their sixth working day.

 Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung received Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Cait Moran on February 22, noting that his city wants to cooperate with the European nation in education and urban landscaping.

 Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba Gladys Bejerano Portela voiced her hope for the sound development of Cuba-Vietnam ties while receiving Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Trung Thanh who came to present his credentials on February 22. 

 The ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed to turn the grouping into a shining example of a regional organisation at their recently concluded retreat in Boracay, the Philippines.

 The friendship between the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has been reinforced in recent years, according to Ogata Yasuo – JCP Vice Chairman and Head of the JCP’s International Affairs Department.

 Vietnam and Israel should promote cooperation in high-technology transfer, research and development as Israel boasts various advantages in this field, said Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen. To Lam.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the new Ambassador of Slovenia, Janez Premoze at a reception on February 22.

  All equipment and personnel of the first field hospital of Vietnam is scheduled to leave for South Sudan in December 2017 to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission there.

 Vietnam’s customs sector wants to cooperate with APEC member economies and receive financial and technological support from them to develop the sector’s competence.

 The first APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 1) went on in Nha Trang city on February 22 with activities seven committees, working groups and forums of APEC.

 National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong hosted a reception for Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Pier Antonio Panzeri in Hanoi on February 22.

 Representatives from 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum have showed their support for priorities proposed by Vietnam for APEC Year 2017 while attending a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 20.

 Strengthening comprehensive cooperation with Thailand, including in the field of defence, is one of the priorities of Vietnam, affirmed Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich at a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in Bangkok on February 22.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he hopes Vietnam and New Zealand will work to elevate their relations to a strategic partnership, during a reception in Hanoi on February 22 for the new Ambassador of New Zealand, Wendy Irene Matthews.

 Chairwoman of Russia’s Federal Council Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko has told Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong that her country will do everything possible to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam.