The Philippines’ navy handed over to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines a Vietnamese sailor who was recently rescued from the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf by the host country’s military.

 Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas E. Price signed a memorandum of understanding on August 23 on developing a national reference medical laboratory for Vietnam.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim discussed measures to promote trade and investment partnership between the two countries during their talks in Hanoi on August 23. 

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has stressed the need for the Vietnamese and Lao Parties to enhance cooperation, exchange information and share experience in Party inspection, and strengthen the corruption fight.

 Bridging gap in economic development and integration of remote areas for sustainable growth in the APEC region is one of the topics to be discussed by APEC senior officials in HCM City on August 24. 

SEA Games 29: Vietnam moves to second place on fourth day

Karate and athletics athletes bagged four more gold medals for Vietnam at the ongoing SEA Games 29 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on late August 23.

 Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on August 23 attended a banquet hosted by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), during which he called on Indonesian enterprises to invest more to Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge - Retailers have geared up to spend trillions of dong to expand their networks as more powerful foreign retailers enter the market. 

Most build, operate and transfer projects in the transport sector have appointed contractors and not gone through tendering.

Vietnam has attached special importance and given high priority to maintaining and developing its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Indonesia, said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. 

 Thanks to Summerfield Company Limited’s intention to take over, the long-delayed US$2-billion Happy Land entertainment complex in the Mekong Delta province of Long An may be revived.

A number of low-cost air carriers have announced the opening of air routes between Vietnam and Japan, while Japanese travel firms are planning to promote tours to Vietnam, raising hope about a new wave of Japanese travelers.

Trung Nam Group has restarted construction of the Da Nang Information Technology Park in Hoa Vang district after an agreement to buy a 65 percent stake from Rocky Lai & Associates Inc.

Unresolved issues in Vietnam’s regulations and the business environment have resulted in relatively low FDI inflows from US and European multinational companies, experts say.

 The People’s Committee of Dong Nai province has suspended the licensing of construction projects in residential areas around the planned Long Thanh International Airport in an effort to prevent speculation and higher land prices.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has approved a list of 406 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) marked for divestment from now until 2020.

The Government has called for faster than targeted credit growth in pursuit of this year’s GDP goal of 6.7%.

The slow progress of ODA fund and public investment disbursement may result in huge losses for the whole economy, thus, it is necessary to find ways to use these sources of funding efficiently and transparently to spur economic growth.

Green development projects in Vietnam are catching attention of foreign investors on account of the Government’s favourable policies on land, taxes and capital as well as a large number of potential customers in the country.