☕ Afternoon briefing on April 17

Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

-  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a meeting in the northern province of Dien Bien on April 17 with veteran soldiers, young volunteers and frontline workers who directly participated in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets veteran soldiers, young volunteers and frontline workers who directly participated in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954 (Photo: VNA)

Highlighting the significance of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, PM Chinh underlined that with the promotion of the great national solidarity and strong will, the Party led Vietnamese soldiers and people to the Dien Bien Phu Victory, a decisive victory that foiled the invasion intentions of imperialist and colonial forces, helping the revolutionary forces gain a great advantage at the negotiation table for the Geneva Agreement, and opening up a glorious new page for the Vietnamese revolution.Read full text

- President of the Czech Senate Miloš Vystrčil appreciated Vietnam’s economic potential and increasing position in the region while receiving Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam in Prague on April 16 (local time).

President of the Czech Senate Miloš Vystrčil (R) receives Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam (Photo: VNA)

The policy of developing relations with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam, has received due attention and actively implemented by Czech senior leaders to meet the aspirations and need for stronger cooperation between the two countries, in accordance with the European Union's Indo-Pacific Strategy, Vystrčil said. Read full text 

- The northeastern province of Quang Ninh again secured its top place in the Public Administrative Reform (PAR) Index ranking in 2023 which was announced by the Government’s Steering Committee for Administrative Reform on April 17.

This was the 12th year in a row the Ministry of Home Affairs compiled the index that evaluates performance of the 63 cities and provinces, as well as 17 ministries and ministerial-level agencies.Read full text

- Vietnamese citizens had greater satisfaction with the administrative services provided by State agencies last year, according to the Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) 2023 announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) on April 17.

Director of the MoHA’s Department for Administrative Reform Pham Minh Hung said the nation’s average satisfaction level in 2023 was 82.66%, compared to the 80.08% in the previous year.Read full text

-A business and investment conference was held in Dak Lak province’s Buon Ma Thuot city on April 17 with the aim of enhancing connectivity between Indian firms and Central Highlands provinces.

The event, co-organised by the provincial People’s Committee and the Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, offered a platform for the localities and enterprises to boost trade and investment links, as well as collaboration in health care, education, information-technology, and tourism.Read full text

- Japanese and Vietnamese investors of The One World urban area project in the southern province of Binh Duong received in-principal approval at a ceremony in the locality on April 17.

The signing ceremony of cooperation agreement to develop the One World urban area project in Binh Duong province. (Photo: VNA) 

The over-1-billion-USD project has a clean land fund of nearly 50 ha in Thuan An city, adjacent to Ho Chi Minh City.Read full text

- Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son is leading a delegation on a working visit to Russia from April 15-20 to bolster education and training collaboration between the two countries.

The Vietnamese delegation meets with officials of Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education.(Photo: VNA)

On April 16, the delegation met with officials of Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education led by Deputy Minister Konstantin Mogilevskyi.Read full text

- A book series titled “Vo Nguyen Giap – The People's General” with a Vietnamese version and five bilingual versions made debut at an event held in the northwestern province of Dien Bien on April 17, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

The series, released by the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House, has its bilingual versions published in Vietnamese - English/French/Spanish/Chinese/Arabic.Read full text

- The power of will is one of the most impressive lessons from the Dien Bien Phu Victory, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg Evgeny Grigoriev told Vietnam News Agency in Moscow while taking about the great victory 70 years ago.

Recalling memories of his meeting with General Vo Nguyen Giap - the top commander of the Dien Bien Phu battle - while joining a youth delegation to Vietnam in the 1990s, Grigoriev said that General Giap repeatedly mentioned the power of will.Read full text/.