☀️ Morning digest February 19

The following is a list of selected news summaries reported over the weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.
☀️ Morning digest February 19 ảnh 1

Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries reported over the weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.

- PresidentVo Van Thuong on February 18 offered incense and attended the Lunar New Yearpen-brush opening ceremony at a memorial area dedicated to national hero andworld cultural eminent personality Nguyen Trai in Nhi Khe commune in Hanoi’soutlying district of Thuong Tin.

☀️ Morning digest February 19 ảnh 2President Vo Van Thuong attends the Lunar New Year pen-brush opening ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

NguyenTrai, whose pen name was Uc Trai, was born in Chi Ngai commune in Chi Linhdistrict in the northern province of Hai Duong in 1380. He followed Le Loi inthe resistance war against the Ming invaders and made great contributions tothe nation’s glorious victories.Read full text

-Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on February 17 led agovernment delegation to inspect the implementation of sub-projects under theeastern North-South Expressway project, and another on the 500kV north-centralpower transmission grid.

☀️ Morning digest February 19 ảnh 3 Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha visits the construction site of the power transmission line in Nam Thanh commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province. (Photo: VNA)

The Deputy PM made a field trip to the DienChau-Bai Vot section of the expressway project, where he presented gifts toon-duty officials and workers.Read full text

-Overthe past years, the northern province of Lang Son has actively promoted theeffectiveness of friendly exchanges, and cooperation programmes and mechanismswith China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Agenciesand localities of both sides have maintained regular exchanges and concretisedcooperation contents.Read full text

-The Vietnamese Intellectual Society inthe UK and Ireland (VIS) will contribute to the building of Vietnam's strategicpolicies while actively strengthening bilateral relations, and attracting theUK Government-funded projects in the fields of research and science-technology,said its Chairman Prof. Nguyen Xuan Huan.

☀️ Morning digest February 19 ảnh 4Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long speaks at the Lunar New Year gathering at Westminster College. (Photo: VNA)

At the VIS’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) convenedat the Judge Business School under the University of Cambridge on February 17,Huan emphasised that with its members being professors, doctors, and scientistsworking in various fields in the UK and Ireland, VIS stands ready to providecounselling to the Vietnamese Government in formulating policies tailored tothe country's context. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of aligning withglobal technological trends.Read full text

-Vietnam expects to increase itsagricultural exports to China as the neighbouring country agreed earlier thisyear to review regulations permitting the official export of Vietnamese poultrymeat, according to the Agency of Foreign Trade (AFT) at the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade (MoIT).

The agency cited statistics by the GeneralDepartment of Vietnam Customs showing that Vietnam shipped abroad 22,450 tonnesof meat and meat products worth 110.35 million USD last year, up 19% in volumeand 30.4% in value from 2022.Read full text

-The decline in domestic automobileconsumption and its drop to 5th place in Southeast Asia can be attributed toboth external and internal factors, according to industry insiders.

The Association of Southeast Asian AutomobileManufacturers Association (AAF) reported that Indonesia took the lead in carsales with more than 1 million units in 2023, down 4% over the same period lastyear. Malaysia was in second with 799,731 units, an increase of 10.9% compared to2022, meanwhile Thailand came in third with 775,780 units, a decrease of 8.7%compared to 2022.Read full text

-The number of Vietnamese billionaires inUS dollar has dropped to five in the early months of 2024 from the previoussix, reported in April 2023.

According to Forbes, the current five Vietnamesebillionaires are Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, VietJet Air ChairwomanNguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Hoa Phat Chairman Tran Dinh Long, Thaco Chairman TranBa Duong and Techcombank Chairman Ho Hung Anh.Read full text

-The first teams competing in the2023-2024 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race docked at Ha Long InternationalCruise Port in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh ahead of schedule.

☀️ Morning digest February 19 ảnh 5Qingdao team dock at Ha Long (Photo: VNA)

The first team to berth at Ha Long was Qingdao,making landfall at 1:20pm on February 18, followed by team Zhuhai at 1:55pm.Read full text

-Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin onFebruary 17 visited a memorial site dedicated to late Vietnamese President HoChi Minh in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom, affirming itshistorical significance and role as a bridge to connect and strengthening theThailand-Vietnam friendship.

☀️ Morning digest February 19 ảnh 6Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin signs the guestbook at the President Ho Chi Minh memorial site in Nakhon Phanom province on the morning of February 17, 2024. (Photo: VNA)

President Ho Chi Minh - the founder of modernVietnam - lived and worked in Thailand, including Nakhon Phanom province,in the late 1920s. The memorial site was inaugurated in Na Chok village on May19, 2016, coinciding with his 126th birth anniversary. The area isconnected to the Thai-Viet friendship village by a convenient road, forming acultural and historical tourism complex in Nakhon Phanom.Read full text/.

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President of the Lao NA Sonexay Siphandone (right) presents a souvenir to the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association (VLFA) at the meeting in Hanoi on November 2, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Top Lao legislator backs friendship activities ahead of 2027 milestones

Lao NA Sonexay Siphandone, who is on official Vietnam visit, urged the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam friendship associations to keep coordinating closely and step up messaging on the two countries’ great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion, especially around the treaty’s 50th anniversary.

President of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man speaks at the eighth session of the NA Standing Committee on November 2, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Top legislator asks for harnessing people’s power to curb crime

The top legislator stressed that to curb drug-related offences and other crimes, it is vital to leverage the collective strength of the entire people, describing every citizen as a soldier, every family as a battleground, and every locality as a fortress.

At the meeting between Nguyen Thanh Nghi, member of the Political Bureau, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee, and head of the committee’s Commission for Policy and Strategy and Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, in Beijing on November 2. (Photo: VNA)

CPV delegation pays working visit to China

The two sides discussed measures to further enhance the effectiveness of cooperation, focusing on increasing delegation exchanges, strengthening training and capacity-building for officials, establishing regular research coordination channels, and organising thematic seminars and online discussions.

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang welcomes Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, India promote law enforcement cooperation

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security called on India’s National Security Council to continue urging Indian law enforcement agencies to negotiate and sign cooperation documents with the ministry, including a draft memorandum of understanding on cooperation in personnel training and capacity building and a draft agreement on cooperation in combating transnational crime between the Vietnamese ministry and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.

President of the Lao National Assembly Sonexay Siphandone and his spouse, Vandara Siphandone, arrive at Noi Bai International Airport on November 2, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Lao NA President begins official visit to Vietnam

In an interview on the visit and bilateral cooperation, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam said that, from a strategic perspective, the visit is important in further translating the concept of “strategic cohesion” into concrete action and making it a guiding principle underpinning Vietnam-Laos relations.

Finance Minister Ngo Van Tuan addresses a discussion on the bill during the 16th National Assembly’s second session November 2 (Photo: VNA)

FDI attraction requires outcome-based support policies: minister

According to the minister, the draft law is being revised against the backdrop of projected total social investment demand for 2026-2030 being 2.21 times that of the 2021-2025 period. Disbursed foreign direct investment (FDI) alone needs to reach an average of 30-40 billion USD annually, six to seven times the level recorded in the previous period.

At the 7th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee. (Photo: VNA)

NA Standing Committee to review 35 draft laws, resolutions at 8th session

In addition, the Standing Committee is expected to consider and adopt five draft resolutions concerning the allocation of inspection-related recovered funds to strengthen inspection agencies; the functions and organisational structure of the National Assembly's Council of Ethnic Affairs and committees; salary and allowance scales for State officials and judicial personnel; policies and working conditions for People's Council deputies; and approval of the National Assembly's Digital Architecture Framework version 2.0.

National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man (R) and President of the Lao National Assembly Sonexay Siphandone in Hanoi on April 16, 2025 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese, Lao legislatures strengthen strategic ties

The official visit by Lao National Assembly President Sonexay Siphandone and his spouse will provide an opportunity for the two sides to discuss strategic measures to further deepen bilateral relations in the next phase. The visit will also reaffirm their determination to develop the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos in a more substantive and sustainable manner, for the benefit of the two countries' people.

US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750) docks at Saigon Gateway Port in Ho Chi Minh City on November 1 (Photo: znews.vn)

US Coast Guard cutter visits Ho Chi Minh City

While in Ho Chi Minh City, the commanding officer and crew of USCGC Bertholf will pay courtesy calls on the city’s leaders and the Coast Guard Region 3 Command, take part in diplomatic engagement activities and professional exchanges on maritime operations, and participate in friendly sports competitions with officers and personnel of Coast Guard Region 3.