Vietnam, Cuba agree to foster security ties, Defence Minister pays tribute to former Singaporean PM, Party chief welcomes Russian diplomat, PM Dung meets Vietnam Red Cross Society, IPU-132 elevates Vietnam’s international profile

 Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh met with US Senator Patrick Leahy and senior officials from the US Departments of State and Defence on March 23 and 24.

 US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, met with Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh in Washington D.C. on March 23, ahead of her visit to Vietnam scheduled for March 30 – April 1.

State President Truong Tan Sang met with Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong on March 24, during which they agreed to work hard to raise bilateral trade turnover to 2 billion USD in 2015, up 40 percent from the previous year.

 The Viet Nam Securities Depository allocated PetroVietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer Co. Ltd., a leading fertilizer producer in Viet Nam, a new securities trading code of DCM on March 18.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ba Na cable car route located in the central city of Da Nang has been ranked seventh among the top 10 most amazing cable cars in the world by US news station CNN.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Health is working on a plan to produce 5-in-1 and 6-in-1 vaccines as hospitals and healthcare centers nationwide are running short of those vaccines for children,

 VietNamNet Bridge – Homestay tourism is not new in Vietnam but it is now being offered for the first time in Ca Mau, the country’s southernmost province.  It brings in high income to the households, and has helped many people escape from poverty.

 Vietnam Southern Food Corporation Limited (Vinafood 2), one of Vietnam’s two biggest food corporations, is facing the massive total debt of VND1 trillion ($46.6 million) due to the ineffective operation of subsidiaries.

 Foreign developers have returned to the Vietnamese real estate market with a series of significant investments.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese Canadian guitarist Eric Quach will enthral Hanoi music lovers at 8pm on March 26 at 73A Mai Hac De Street, Hanoi.

 Ha Noi wants vendors, temporary markets gone, Lam Dong strives to be main supplier of farm produce for Japan, UK introduces health surcharge, Sugarcane farmers bitter as yields, prices crash

Tax problems resolved at HCM City dialogue, Banks slash deposit rates early March, Credit outgrows deposits, Not a good time, say banks as central bank urges listing, VP Bank buys Cai Lan Port stake

 Heiner Beilefeldt, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, presented to the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council the main findings of his visit to Vietnam from July 21 to 31, 2014.

 SkyScanner, the world’s travel search engine, has listed Mui Ne among 12 best beaches in the Asia-Pacific region.

VietNamNet Bridge - At least 3.25 percent of the total outstanding loans at banks non-performing loans (NPL) at Vietnamese banks as of December 31, as reported by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).

 VietNamNet Bridge – An exhibition entitled ‘Pong-Ping’ of two Swiss artist duo Plonk &Replonk will be displayed at French Cultural Centre L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi from March 24-April 12

 VietNamNet Bridge – ‘Blooming Bamboo home’ designed by Vietnam's H&P Architects has surpassed 1,500 outstanding projects to be named on a shortlist for the WAN Small Spaces Award in the world’s largest architectural awards.

 8th annual Francophone Film Festival opens in big cities, New TV series explores challenges in globalised world, Int'l delegates participate in friendship spring tour, Youth Union to celebrate National Reunification Day

 The French airport authority Aéroports de Paris (ADP) on March 23 expressed a desire to become a strategic shareholder and buy 25-30 percent stake of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (AVC).