What you need to know in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Countries in the Asia-Pacific region should have a comprehensive and effective security structure built upon the respect of each other’s independence, sovereignty and interests, Vietnamese State President Truong Tan Sang said in a speech delivered at the Koerber Institute in Berlin, Germany on Thursday. He added that would help solve disputes and territorial conflicts, including East Vietnam Sea issues, by peaceful means via dialogue and in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

-- Parties concerned in Turkey’s recent downing of a Russian jet should exercise restraint and refrain from acts that may escalate the tension, Le Hai Binh, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during a regular press conference in Hanoi on Thursday. Binh noted that all parties should deal with this issue based on international law and make responsible contributions to maintaining peace in the region and the world.

Society

-- The southern province of Ben Tre has received US$171,000 in non-project aid from many foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 2015, according to the provincial Department of Planning and Investment. As many as 37 NGOs have registered for aid activities in the Mekong Delta province, including the Japanese cleft lip and palate association, the Japanese association for supporting Vietnamese children and the United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam.

Business

-- The Central Highlands region will need about VND115.06 trillion ($5.06 billion) to invest in its transport infrastructure during 2016-20, Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang, who is head of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region, said at a conference on Thursday.

-- The exports of garments and textiles in 2015 are expected to reach $27.5 billion, up 11.3 percent against last year, according to data released at a congress of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group in Hanoi on Thursday.

-- Airbus president Tom Enders said in a letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung recently that the aircraft maker is willing to consider setting up a manufacturing center in Vietnam to produce Airbus components. The Airbus president said he came up with the idea after a meeting with Prime Minister Dung in July 2015.