The Foreign Ministry is working intensively with China and countries along the Mekong River on together using the river’s water resource in a sustainable manner for harmonious interests of both the countries and their people living along the river.

 The French Chamber of Deputies on March 17 officially ratified the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Vietnam and the European Union.

 President of the National Assembly (NA) of France Claude Bartolone started his official visit to Vietnam on March 18.

A preliminary list of candidates standing for the upcoming National Assembly election was drawn up during the second consultation conference held by the Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee in Hanoi on March 17.

VietNamNet Bridge - In an effort to improve the training quality and reduce the unemployment rate, many universities and junior colleges haven decided to train students according to orders set by businesses.

New investment plans have been prepared by foreign investors for Vietnamobile and Gmobile with hopes of remapping the telecom market, which has been dominated by big Vietnamese players.

 The Republic of Korea considers Vietnam one of its four strategic export markets, along with China, Iran, and Brazil.

 Hanoi will host a series of activities on March 19 in response to the 2016 Earth Hour, which promotes how a small individual action can make a big influence.

M_Service JSC, the operator of mobile e-wallet MoMo, on March 17 announced it has received an investment worth $28 million from Standard Chartered Private Equity and the global investment banking firm Goldman Sachs.

 The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Endurance-class Landing Ship Tank (LST), RSS Endurance, led by Lieutenant Colonel Noel Chen Xin Yi, arrived at Cam Ranh Bay on March 17 to start a five-day port call.

 VN Index will climb to reach the highest level since 2008 as a rising economy and earnings draw investors, Bloomberg Business news reported on March 15.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Foreign investors have shown their interest in the value of the hotline of the HCM City Party Secretary Dinh La Thang and expect that the transparency of the investment environment will improve.

 The upcoming visit to Vietnam by President of the National Assembly of France Claude Bartolone is expected to further the strategic partnership between the two countries – which was signed in September 2013.

VietNamNet Bridge - 1988 is considered the peak year of Vietnam's difficulties when the economic crisis in the country worsened and Vietnam’s main supporter, the Soviet Union, was in a difficult situation.

VietNamNet Bridge - A new drug for cancer treatment produced by Vietnam at the price which is equivalent to one third of the similar one processed by the US will be available soon. The medicine has been successfully tested on animals in laboratory.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said nearly 300,000 households lost their income in recent months or were affected by drought and saltwater intrusion, the worst in the Mekong Delta in the last 100 years.

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City have launched a new bus route (No. 109) from 23/9 Park in District 1 to the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Tan Binh District.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Bloomberg has quoted a close source as saying that Aeon - the giant retailer from Japan – is approaching an agreement to acquire the Big C Vietnam chain of France’s Casino Group.

Vietnam will become a new industrial center in the world, while its products such as footwear and garments will enjoy big benefits when TPP takes effect.

 Vietnam spends about 3.4 billion USD on medication every year, officials of the Ministry of Health said on March 16.