Business

Bilateral trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam reached US$3.5 billion last year, up 40 per cent from 2011 and is expected to increase to $7 billion in 2013, officials said.

The private carrier Air Mekong has received approval from the Civil Aviation Administration to halt operation of its flights.

The Vietnam National Petroleum Group has set up a corporation which will focus on waterway transport under its restructuring plan.

A new policy drafted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and relevant agencies is expected to fuel foreign direct investment flows into Vietnam.

PetroVietnam will increase international co-operation in coming years and pay more attention to attracting foreign investment and exporting technical services, senior officials say.

Several firms have decided to expand their business despite unpromising forecast for this year.

Auto producers are trying to put last year’s disappointment behind them and are hoping for a prosperous 2013.

For the first time since the 1990s, sales of the 100 biggest arms dealers declined in 2011, a think tank said.

The president of the WB warned the world's leading economic powers that global warming is a real risk to the world economy.

HCM City aims to post export turnover of US$34 billion this year, a year-on-year increase of 13.5 per cent, according to the city's department of industry and trade.

Many coffee shops and restaurants have raised their prices following the new lunar year.

A lot of work remains to be done in 2013 before energy prices can be fixed properly in line with the development of market economy.

Vietnam topped foreign investment in Laos with 429 projects totalling USD4.9 billion, said the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Competition in the free chat software market has become stronger than ever with the participation of a lot of large technology groups, both foreign and domestic.

As part of a scheme to improve the country’s sovereign credit rating by 2020, the government has set a target of achieving a GDP per capita level of USD3,000.

The CEO of Trung Nguyen, one of Vietnam's leading coffee brands, expressed confidence in competing with other companies in foreign markets, especially Starbucks.

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is implementing plans to build three industrial zones with a total area of 1,400 hectares.

In 2013, the tourism sector expects to further gain better performance when Vietnam continues to be a friendly and attractive destination for international tourists.

Investors have used dozens of power projects in Phu Yen Province to exploit local forests, causing losses to hundreds hectares over the past decade.