☕ Afternoon briefing on April 1

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

☕ Afternoon briefing on April 1

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

- Vietnam always attaches importance to and wants to strengthen multi-faceted cooperation with Belgium, a member country with an important role and voice in the European Union (EU), State President Luong Cuong has said.

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Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong (R) meets with Belgian King Philippe in Hanoi on April 1 morning. (Photo: VNA)

President Cuong made the statement while meeting with Belgian King Philippe after hosting an official welcome ceremony for the latter in Hanoi on April 1 morning. Read full story

- State President Luong Cuong and his spouse Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, together with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium went for a tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel at noon on April 1 as part of the latters’ state visit to Vietnam.

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The distinguished guests tour the Thang Long Imperial Citadel on April 1. (Photo: VNA)

The distinguished guests walked through the Doan Mon gate (main gate) to visit the archaeological excavation site and stairways railed with stone dragons at the Kinh Thien Palace, which preserve numerous historical traces of the imperial citadel across different eras. Read full story

- National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga and a high-level NA delegation left Hanoi on April 1 afternoon for their upcoming attendance at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150) and official visits to Uzbekistan and Armenia.

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National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga leave Hanoi for attendance at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and official visits to Uzbekistan and Armenia. (Photo: VNA)

The visits are made at the invitations of IPU President Tulia Ackson, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, President of the Senate of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva, and President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan. Read full story

- Politburo member, Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang attended and delivered an important speech at the Organised Immigration Summit held in London, the UK on March 31.

Within the framework of the conference, Quang participated in sessions on combating human trafficking and cybercrime, and preventing the financial resources of criminal groups. Read full story

- More than 13,000 people are expected to join a grand military and civilian parade in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2025).

The event will commence at 8 am, featuring a military parade organised by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security, along with a civilian march overseen by the municipal authorities. In addition to 11 marching contingents as per central directives, the city has proposed the inclusion of an overseas Vietnamese group. Read full story

- Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic product exports reached 6.14 billion USD in March, bringing the total export value in the first quarter of this year to 15.72 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 13.1%.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of 4.4 billion USD in agro-forestry-aquatic products in the first quarter, up 13.1% compared the same period last year. Read full story

- Vietnam and Japan signed a landmark 25-year production sharing contract (PSC) for oil and gas exploration in Block 15-2 of Cuu Long basin in Vietnam’s southern waters on March 31.

The contract, secured by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Limited (JVPC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan’s ENEOS Xplora), and PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP), will begin on April 7, 2025. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has directed the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to consider commercial banks’ proposals on implementing Basel III international banking standards.

The direction is under the newly-issued Prime Minister's Directive 09/CT-TTg on the tasks and solutions of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) to contribute to the Government’s double-digit economic growth target. Read full story

- The Ministry of Public Security provided nearly 3 tonnes of relief supplies to Myanmar earthquake victims on April 1 while its rescue teams have worked tirelessly to locate survivors.

Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong, head of the ministry’s delegation, handed over the supplies to Sa Weli Frag, Director of the Disaster Management Department under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement./.Read full story

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NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

NA Chairman chairs meeting on preparations for 16th NA’s first session

The 16th National Assembly’s first session will elect finalise key state leadership positions, including the State President, Prime Minister, NA Chairman, NA vice chairpersons, Deputy PMs, Cabinet members, members of the NA Standing Committee, head of the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs and heads of NA committees.

Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh (standing, left) and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin (standing, right) witness the signing of the agreement between the two governments on cooperation in building a nuclear power plant on the territory of Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

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Vietnamese mission staff and overseas Vietnamese in Australia visit Ship 016–Quang Trung (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese naval ship completes mission at Kakadu Exercise 2026

Ship 016–Quang Trung of Brigade 162 under Naval Region 4 departed Sydney Harbour on the morning of March 25 for home after successfully completing activities within the framework of the Exercise Kakadu Fleet Review 2026 marking the 125th anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy and the multilateral naval exercise Kakadu 2026.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has wrapped up the official visit to Russia from March 22 to 25. (Photo: VNA)

PM arrives in Hanoi, concluding official visit to Russia

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 25. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese Prime Minister meets Russian President in Moscow

President Putin said Vietnam remains a sincere friend and an important partner of Russia in the Asia-Pacific, stressing that Russia attaches importance to further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung (Source: MoFA)

Vietnamese, Philippine foreign ministers hold phone talks

They agreed to further elevate cooperation across all areas, including politics, diplomacy, defence, security, economy, and people-to-people exchanges, contributing to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (July 12, 1976 – 2026).

Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh (R) receives Chay Borin, Minister of Cult and Religion of Cambodia, in Hanoi on March 25 (Photo: VNA)

Deputy PM receives Cambodian Minister of Cult and Religion in Hanoi

Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh welcomed Cambodian Minister of Cult and Religion Chay Borin and his entourage on their working visit to Vietnam to implement the cooperation agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and Cambodia’s Ministry of Cult and Religion for the 2026–2030 period.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam (R) and Thongly Sisoulith, member of the Lao Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union at a photo exhibition held as part of the ceremony marking he 95th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in Vientiane on March 25. (Photo: VNA)

95th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union marked in Laos

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam described Vietnamese and Lao youth as the “architects” of the future of bilateral ties and called on young Vietnamese in Laos to strengthen their political awareness, pioneer digital transformation and entrepreneurship, and act as ambassadors of friendship between the two countries' people.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu pays a New Year visit to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Cambodia foster friendship, solidarity

At a meeting on March 25 at the headquarters of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces High Command, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu conveyed his best New Year wishes to General Vong Pisen and all officers and soldiers of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets with Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozyorov (Photo: VNA)

PM works with leading Russian infrastructure enterprises

At the meeting with AFK Sistema Chairman Vladimir Petrovich Evtushenkov and the group’s executives, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hailed the corporation’s proactive engagement with major Vietnamese enterprises to promote cooperation programmes in recent times.