The Vietnamese prime minister, Phan Van Khai, has blamed a combination of natural disasters and the regional economic crisis for Vietnam's setbacks this year.

Addressing the opening of a new session of the National Assembly, he called for several initiatives to help business development, including an improvement in agricultural production and reductions in bureaucracy.

Correspondents say reformers in Vietnam were disappointed with Mr Khai's speech, and that the party -- shocked by economic and political turmoil in southeast Asia -- has hesitated over new policies.