Banking Viet Nam 2007, t he country's largest international banking exhibition and conference, kicked off in Ha Noi on May 31.

The conference focuses on information and communication technology (ICT) applications for the banking sector as it moves rapidly to apply international standards to the industry.

Opening the event, G overnor of the State Bank of Viet Nam Le Duc Thuy highlighted the important role of the forum at a time when the banking sector is implementing the government's decree on e-transactions and is due to begin the 2nd phase of its modernisation of the banking and payment systems.

This year's theme for the conference "Modern Viet Nam Banking Systems and International Economic Integration", had delegates focusing their presentations and discussions on four major fields: non-cash payment; e-banking services within the integration process; banking security and risk prevention and monetary market modernisation and the relationship between banking operations and the stock market.

Major players in the industries such as HSBC, Citibank, Incombank and Agribank and ICT solution providers FPT, HP and Master Card took the opportunity to exhibit their services and technologies at over 40 stalls dotted through out the exhibition hall.

Banking Viet Nam is being co-organised by the International Data Group (IDG) and the Informatics Technology Department under the State Bank of Viet Nam.