The United Nations (UN) appreciates Vietnam’s active participation in peacekeeping operations and believes the country will be a reliable peacekeeping partner, UN high-level officials said.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had a full schedule during his trip to Milan, Italy, holding a number of bilateral meetings with leaders who also attended the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting ASEM Summit (ASEM-10) on October 16-17.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung proposed strengthening regional, inter-regional and global mechanisms on dialogue and cooperation at a session of the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit that closed in Milan, Italy on October 17.

All disputes should be settled peacefully and in line with international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said.

 Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh held talks with Vice Chairman of the Chinese Party Central Committee’s Military Commission Fan Changlong in Beijing on October 18 before concluding his visit to China.

 On the sidelines of the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Milan, Italy, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met leaders from Myanmar, Thailand, Mongolia, Bulgaria and Norway on October 17 to seek ways for closer bilateral ties.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has confirmed Vietnam’s recognition of high importance to enhanced relations with the Vatican while meeting with Pope Francis and His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See on October 18.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Many Vietnamese billionaires will refuse to talk about themselves and their business, keeping the public out of the know and preferring to stay away from the stock market.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The pass of Sa Mu in the central province of Quang Tri is nearly 1,400 meters above sea level and very near the Vietnam-Laos border. It is a big challenge for drivers on the north-south route.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Located in a spacious setting of lush trees and diversified species of flowers, the ancient church named Hanh Thong Tay is a haven away from the bustling life in the largest urban centre in Vietnam.

Vietnam will have to open its food&beverage (F&B) market beginning in January 2015 under its WTO commitments. However, dozens of F&B brands have been present in Vietnam for years, some entering through the “front door”.

VietNamNet Bridge - A 60-day deferral of Value Added Tax payment on imports and Value Added Tax refunds are tax incentives that Viet Nam applies to investment projects facing financial problems.

The standard of living for residents in five communes along the Chay River in Yen Bai province in northwestern Vietnam has deteriorated as a cassava-processing plant has damaged crops and polluted water sources.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A Vietnamese dictionary for students that is riddled with errors has been added to the lookup list of the Vietnam National Library.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Video blogs (vlog) reflecting the maker's take on various social and cultural issues are now a popular draw among Vietnamese youth.

 Hai Au Aviation, the first private airline company to offer seaplane service for tourism in Viet Nam, is providing a new luxury tourism package that features Ha Long Bay.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The domestic tobacco industry hopes that the Government can be more effective in fighting an impending surge in smuggling that causes losses amounting to trillions of dong to the State Budget.

While Facebook engineers believe that the sticker feature in the Comments section allows people to express opinions in a fun way, many Vietnamese netizens, with some exceptions, have found the new feature annoying.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Whoever they are – a mountain kid, newlyweds or a miner - they all share a sunny smile.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Associate Professor Nguyen Le Ninh, a member of the Advisory Board on Science – Technology – Environment, talks to Dai Doan Ket newspaper about measures to cut motorbike exhaust fumes.