A grant ceremony was held on Jan. 30 in Huong Van Zen monastery in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue , to pray for a peaceful nation.

Vietnam has been honored as an exemplary model for agricultural development in developing countries at the current 42nd World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Thai Public Health Ministry expressed readiness to assist Vietnam in developing its universal health-care coverage scheme, scheduled to be implemented in 2014, according to National News Bureau of Thailand.

President Truong Tan Sang on Jan. 29 launched an order for ploughing the rice field at the beginning of the lunar new year at the annual Tich Dien (ploughing) festival in Doi Son commune, in the Red River delta province of Ha Nam.

Efforts to preserve traditional Vietnamese xoan singing have received a boost after the art form was listed by UNESCO as an example of world cultural heritage that need urgent protection.

Vietnam-US cooperation has made remarkable progress in various fields, particularly since bilateral relations were normalized, said National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung at a January 19 reception for Senator John McCain.

Tickets for foreign tours during the Lunar New Year festival (Tet) have been sold out as the number of visitors registering for these tours has increased by 20-40 percent, according to some travel agencies.

The Vietnamese embassy in China commemorated the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations on January 18 in the presence of many senior Chinese officials.

Vietnam has achieved an impressive economic growth in spite of the global economic downturn, according to a recent report by HSBC.

Overseas Vietnamese have contributed greatly to the nation’s achievements, especially since the Doi Moi (Renewal) Process was initiated in 1986, says Vietnamese ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong.