Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on April 12

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
☕ Afternoon briefing on April 12 ảnh 1
Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

-Therelationship between Vietnam and France has been thriving, and the twocountries have become accompanying, reliable partners of each other, VietnameseAmbassador to France Dinh Toan Thang has affirmed in an interview granted tothe Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of thebilateral diplomatic ties and 10 years of the strategic partnership.
The Ambassador highlighted the traditionalrelations between the two countries and their diverse, multi-sectoralcooperation, which have been strengthened and developed comprehensively.Read full text

-FrenchAmbassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery has granted an interview to Vietnam NewsAgency on the outcomes of bilateral cooperation between France and Vietnam onthe occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Francediplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnershipthis year. 
Bothcountries have had an extremely rich cooperation in the economic field and alsoin research, education, higher education, health, development, and beyond thisvery rich cooperation, their relationship was elevated to a strategicpartnership a decade ago, he said.Read full text  

-PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh asked ministries, agencies and localities to workharder in order to pave way for transport projects, saying administrativeprocedures should be streamlined, while concluding a meeting of the Statesteering committee for national key transport projects in Hanoi on April 12.
The PM, who is also head of the committee, urgedhastening transport projects from north to south so as to put relevantresolutions, guidelines and policies adopted by the Party and the State intoplace.Read full text

-A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Le Hoai Trung,member of the CPV Central Committee and Chairman of its Commission for ExternalRelations, attended the French Communist Party (PCF)’s 39th Congress inMarseille city, and paid a working visit to the European country from April7-11.
During his stay, Trung held talks with PCFNational Secretary Fabien Roussel to exchange information on the situation ofeach country and Party, and measures to strengthen bilateral ties, andexchanged views on several international issues of mutual concern.Read full text

-Thenorthern province of Quang Ninh topped the 2022 Provincial Governance andPublic Administration Performance Index (PAPI), the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) announced on April 12.
This is the second time Quang Ninh has held thehighest position in the 12 years the PAPI survey has been conducted in Vietnam.Read full text

-Precisely36% of European firms ranked Vietnam either first, within their top three, oramong their top five investment destinations on a global scale, according tothe latest Business Climate Index (BCI) report released by the European Chamberof Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) and produced by Decision Lab on April 11.
The report highlighted that Vietnam's draw as aforeign direct investment (FDI) destination remains strong among Europeanbusiness leaders, with 3% more European business stakeholders citing it as oneof their top three investment hotspots worldwide.Read full text

-VinESEnergy Solutions (VinES), a member of Vietnamese private conglomerate Vingroupand Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (Li-Cycle), an industry leader in lithium-ionbattery resource recovery and a leading lithium-ion battery recycler in NorthAmerica, have signed an agreement for a long-term recycling relationship.
Under the terms of the agreement, from 2024,Li-Cycle will become VinES' strategic and preferred recycling partner forVinES' Vietnamese-sourced battery materials.Read full text

-TheFrance-Vietnam Medical Federation (Fédération Santé France Vietnam - FSFV)has become a bright spot in the movement of solidarity and friendship betweenthe two nations, and a bridge connecting French, Vietnamese andFrench-Vietnamese doctors, said its President Dr. Dao Thu Ha.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam NewsAgency, Ha said the federation has consistently endeavored to promotecooperation between hospitals of Vietnam and France, organise exchange activities,support healthcare human resources training, and provide technical assistanceand medical equipment for Vietnam, contributing to improving the quality ofhealthcare services at Vietnamese hospitals and medical facilities.Read full text/.
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Vietnamese, Panamanian foreign ministers discuss bilateral cooperation

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Party General Secretary and President To Lam (second from right) and President of Panama José Raúl Mulino Quintero (second from left) witness the exchange of cooperation documents between the two countries. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Panama issue Joint Statement

Vietnam's Party General Secretary and President To Lam and Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero agreed to intensify high-level dialogue to provide orientations for the development of Vietnam-Panama relations through bilateral visits and meetings between high-ranking leaders of the two States, Governments, and National Assemblies, as well as ministries and sectors of the two countries.

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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (R) meets with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino in Hanoi on October 7. (Photo: VNA)

Panama regards Vietnam as leading important partner in Southeast Asia: Panamanian President

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung called on the two sides to promote exchanges of delegations at all levels, including State and parliamentary diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges; strengthen the presence and activities of diplomatic and consular missions; utilise existing cooperation mechanisms, particularly the Joint Committee on Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation; facilitate market access for each side’s key products; and enhance transport, logistics and supply-chain connectivity.

☕ Afternoon briefing on October 7

☕ Afternoon briefing on October 7

Vietnam advancing parliamentary diplomacy at IPU-153, the APEC 2027 National Committee’s 27 members unveiled, and Vietnam's national brand value jumping 45% to over 462 billion USD are among news highlights on October 7.

Vietnamese PM’s upcoming Cambodia visit to tighten bond: Minister

Vietnamese PM’s upcoming Cambodia visit to tighten bond: Minister

Dr. So Naro, Minister Delegate Attached to the Cambodian PM in charge of ASEAN Affairs mentioned that the trip aims to implement strategic guidance agreed in February by Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen and General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President To Lam. The two nations are gearing up to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2027, with their prime ministers set to exchange views on global and regional matters of mutual interest and concern.

Officers and members of Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7, who recently returned home after completing their duties at the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh and report on their achievements at the Ho Chi Minh Museum – Ho Chi Minh City Branch on October 7, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese peacekeeping force pays tribute to President Ho Chi Minh

Addressing the ceremony, Major General Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, stressed that Vietnam has consistently regarded the deployment of personnel to UN peacekeeping operations as not only a defence diplomacy task but also a political responsibility, reflecting the Party, State and military’s foreign policy of peace, independence, self-reliance and proactive international integration.

The opening session of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-153) in Arusha, Tanzania, on October 5, 2026 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam advances parliamentary diplomacy at IPU-153

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Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc, who is also Chairman of the APEC 2027 National Committee (Photo: VNA)

APEC 2027 National Committee’s 27 members unveiled

The 27-member committee will be led by Deputy PM Tuc, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung as Vice Chairman. Members include Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan, deputy ministers and other officials.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong (Photo: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Vietnam’s ties with Laos, Cambodia grow substantively, effectively: Deputy FM

The visits affirm the great importance and high priority Vietnam attaches to its relations with the two neighbours. They are expected to further deepen the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos, and the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability between Vietnam and Cambodia.

☀️ Morning digest on October 7

☀️ Morning digest on October 7

General Secretary and President To Lam's talks with President of Panama José Raúl Mulino, a forum on prospects for Vietnam–Tanzania economic cooperation, and the 2026 "I Love My Fatherland" journey drawing over 7.9 million young people are among news highlights on October 6 evening.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (right) and President of Panama José Raúl Mulino at their meeting in Hanoi on October 6. (Photo: VNA)

Top Vietnamese, Panamanian leaders hold talks in Hanoi

General Secretary and President Lam believed that the two countries will continue tapping their potential for cooperation in trade, agriculture, maritime affairs, aviation, logistics and digital transformation, thus making bilateral ties more substantive, effective and sustainable for the benefit of their people and contributing to peace, cooperation and development in both regions.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and his spouse welcome Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and his spouse (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Panama cast themselves as gateways between Southeast Asia and Latin America

In his speech, General Secretary and President Lam stressed that Mulino's official visit holds special significance for bilateral ties. He expressed his belief that the visit will not only resume high-level contacts after a long gap but also give new momentum to ties, moving them into a more substantive, effective and deeper phase.