Embassies and representative offices of Việt Nam in foreign countries have held ceremonies to pay tribute to former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 85.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân will attend the 138th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-138) and related meetings in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 24-25 and pay an official visit to the Netherlands from March 26-28.

Former Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải’s State funeral began this morning at Thống Nhất (Reunification) Palace in HCM City.

President Trần Đại Quang yesterday received the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Việt Nam Khalid Ibrahim Abdulaziz Shohail Al-Qahtani, who came to say goodbye before ending his tenure.

The visit of the foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov in Việt Nam, which was to begin Monday, was postponed to a later period, according to the Việt Nam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Law drafting agencies should ask for more time to prepare documents for laws if necessary instead of trying to complete the process in six months, Minister of Justice Lê Thành Long said at a National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) meeting yesterday.

The Hà Nội People’s Court on March 19 opened a trial for Đinh La Thăng, former Chairman of the Member Council of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), and six accomplices for their wrongdoings in investing PetroVietnam’s capital in Ocean Bank. 

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia to intensify co-operation and mutual trust in the interest of each side, as well of the region as a whole.

A working group comprised of officials from Việt Nam and China held its ninth round of negotiations on the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin, while a working group on co-operation in sea development held its sixth round of negotiations, both in the central city Đà Nẵng on March 15-16.