☕ Afternoon briefing on April 13

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on April 13

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

- The Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee convened a national conference in Hanoi on April 13 to study, disseminate and implement the resolution of the second session of the 14th Party Central Committee.

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The national conference held on April 13 to study, disseminate and implement the resolution of the second session of the 14th Party Central Committee. (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam attended and delivered a keynote address. Read full story

- Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has requested continued refinement and greater effectiveness of the two-tier local administration model, stressing that building public trust and development momentum across society is key to turning the nation’s development aspirations into tangible strength for rapid and sustainable development in the years ahead.

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Party General Secretary and State President To Lam speaks at the national conference held on April 13 to disseminate and implement the Resolution of the 14th Party Central Committee’s second plenum. (Photo: VNA)

Addressing a national conference on April 13 to study, disseminate and implement the Resolution of the 14th Party Central Committee’s second plenum, the Party and State leader underscored the necessity for decisive, coordinated and effective actions to translate the Party’s resolutions into concrete results throughout the political system and society. Read full story

- Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico held talks in Hanoi on April 13, during which the former affirmed that Vietnam and Slovakia are traditional friends with a long-standing relationship spanning more than 76 years.

The Vietnamese leader underscored that Vietnam always remembers and appreciates the valuable support and assistance extended by the Slovak Government and people during its past struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in the national renewal and socio-economic development at present. Read full story

- Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between the two countries and chaired a joint press briefing to announce the outcomes of their earlier talks in Hanoi on April 13.

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (R, back row) and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico witness the exchange of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and the Slovak Ministry of Defence on cooperation in the defence industry. (Photo: VNA)

In the presence of the two PMs, ministries, agencies, and localities of both nations exchanged six cooperation documents. These included a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and the Slovak Ministry of Defence on cooperation in the defence industry; an MoU between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs; and another on cultural cooperation for the 2026–2030 period between Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Slovakia’s Ministry of Culture. Read full story

- The state visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam and his spouse from April 14 to 17 will create an important foundation for breakthroughs that will elevate bilateral relations to a new stage of development, with renewed momentum and expanded scope for cooperation, according to an official.

Talking to the press, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said that the trip, made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping and his spouse, will mark the first state visit by To Lam in his capacity as the top leader of the Party and the State of Vietnam. It comes exactly one year after the Chinese leader’s state visit to Vietnam, on April 14–15, 2025, and represents the third trip between the two top leaders within less than two years. Read full story

- Vietnam’s participation in the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-152) once again highlights its active, proactive and responsible engagement in the IPU as well as across multilateral platforms.

At the invitation of IPU President Tulia Ackson and Secretary General Martin Chungong, Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man, accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation of Vietnam, will attend the IPU-152 in Istanbul, Turkey, and undertake bilateral activities there from April 15 to 17, 2026./. Read full story

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Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong speaks at the ceremony marking the 136th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 – 2026) in the European country on May 19, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

President Ho Chi Minh's birth anniversary commemorated in Greece

Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong described the late leader as a noble symbol of genuine patriotism harmoniously combined with proletarian internationalism. She stressed that the legacy he left behind is not only national independence, but also a rich treasure of ideology, morality, culture and lifestyle, embodying the spirit of self-reliance and resilience.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam speaks at at a working session in Hanoi on May 21, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Top leader calls for development of green, sustainable, self-reliant materials industry

Vietnam’s materials industry has recorded important progress in recent years. Sectors such as steel, cement, construction materials, basic chemicals, fertilisers, plastics, rubber, textiles and industrial wood processing have developed rapidly. Vietnam also possesses significant reserves of rare earths, bauxite, titanium, tungsten, graphite, silica sand and limestone.

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 21

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 21

A meeting of the standing board of the Central Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Vietnam's participation in the 23rd ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting, and the opening of a series of international exhibitions on the automotive industry and transport infrastructure are among news highlights on May 21.

General Nguyen Tan Cuong attends the 23rd ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting (ACDFM-23) on May 21. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Vietnam pledges to contribute more to adaptive, future-ready ASEAN

General Nguyen Tan Cuong highly valued the meeting’s theme – “Navigating Our Future, Together”, describing it as timely and reflective of ASEAN’s aspiration for solidarity, shared development and a prosperous community actively and effectively responding to present and future challenges.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam chairs the meeting of the standing board of the Central Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation in Hanoi on May 21. (Photo: VNA)

Top leader calls for strategic quantum technology development plan

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasised that quantum technology is an entirely new, highly complex and rapidly evolving field closely linked to science and technology, national security, digital transformation, strategic industries and the country’s long-term competitiveness.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam (second from right) and delegates cut the ribbon to open IDEB 2026 (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Slovakia)

Vietnam attends international defence, security exhibition in Slovakia

A delegation from the Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence led by its Deputy Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam, has paid a working visit to Slovakia and attended the International Defence and Security Exhibition (IDEB 2026) at the invitation of the Slovak Ministry of Defence.

☀️ Morning digest on May 21

☀️ Morning digest on May 21

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's meeting with the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health to look into traditional medicine, PM Le Minh Hung's phone talks with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, and the 2026 Ho Chi Minh City – RoK investment cooperation and business networking forum are among news highlights on May 20 evening.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (R) hosts the UK's Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew in Hanoi on May 20 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam attaches great importance to ties with UK: PM

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung suggested that the two countries work together towards raising bilateral trade turnover to 10 billion USD in 2026 and eventually 15 billion USD through expanded market access for each other’s goods.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (right) and Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Vietnam Ri Sung Guk at their meeting on May 20 (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister receives DPRK Ambassador

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung affirmed that the Party, State and people of Vietnam always attach importance to and wish to continuously nurture and promote the Vietnam–DPRK relationship in a more substantive and effective manner in the new development era, in line with the common aspirations of the two peoples and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (right) and Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Rogelio Polanco Fuentes at their meeting on May 20 (Photo: VNA)

PM vows to deepen Vietnam-Cuba special ties

At a reception for Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Rogelio Polanco Fuentes in Hanoi on May 20, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung stressed that the Party, Government and people of Vietnam always remember and treasure the solidarity and wholehearted support that the Party, Government and people of Cuba have extended to Vietnam during its past struggle for national liberation as well as the current cause of national construction and development.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has a phone conversation with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on May 20 (Photo: VNA)

PM holds phone talks with New Zealand counterpart

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung proposed six major orientations for future collaboration, including further strengthening political trust through increased delegation exchanges, high-level contacts and bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and promoting more substantive defence and security cooperation through enhanced exchanges and stronger naval and maritime security capabilities.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man addresses the working session on May 20 (Photo: VNA)

NA leader urged more substantive, professional deputy affairs work

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man asked the NA Committee for Deputy Affairs to shift strongly from procedural consultation to strategic consultation, moving beyond the mindset of merely “following procedures correctly” towards policy design, process standardisation, quality control and forecasting.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam speaks at the working session in Hanoi with the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Policies and Strategies and relevant agencies on assessing national development resources. (Photo: VNA)

Top leader orders decisive action to unlock idle resources for growth

Public resources must lead and activate private resources, while public investment should stimulate broader social investment. FDI, meanwhile, should move from quantity-based attraction toward quality-based absorption linked with technology transfer and stronger domestic linkages, said top leader To Lam.