Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 13

Activities during Party General Secretary and President To Lam's state visit to New Zealand, a ceremony marking the 100th birth anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Quang Tri, and a series of expos opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre are among news highlights on August 13.

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 13

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

– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam met with New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro in Auckland on August 13 (local time), following an official welcome ceremony held at the Government House as part of his state visit to New Zealand.

Impressed by Vietnam’s rapid development and growing international standing, the Governor-General said that although New Zealand and Vietnam are separated by a vast ocean, they are connected by a shared aspiration for a stable, peaceful and prosperous region. Against the backdrop of increasing global uncertainty, she stressed the need for the two countries to further strengthen cooperation. Read full story

– General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President To Lam held talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland on August 13, during which they agreed to further consolidate political trust, expand economic and trade cooperation and make effective use of shared free trade agreements.

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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (left) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at their talks in Auckland on August 13 (Photo: VNA)

Welcoming General Secretary and President Lam and the Vietnamese delegation, New Zealand PM Luxon said the visit marked an important milestone in strengthening bilateral ties after more than half a century. He affirmed Vietnam is an important partner of New Zealand and expressed his impression at the Southeast Asian country’s remarkable achievements, including its strong economic growth. Read full story

– General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam met with Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee in Auckland on August 13.

The New Zealand House Speaker congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 16th National Assembly election and spoke highly of the country’s socio-economic achievements, institutional reforms, scientific and technological development, innovation and international integration. He affirmed that New Zealand supports and stands ready to assist Vietnam during its hosting of APEC 2027. Read full story

– General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President To Lam attended the 2026 Vietnam–New Zealand higher and vocational education forum in Auckland on August 13 afternoon (local time), part of his ongoing state visit to New Zealand.

To advance partnerships in higher and vocational education more substantively, he called on the two sides to jointly develop high-quality human resources for the digital, green, circular and knowledge-based economies, prioritising areas of strong demand and high complementarity such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, digital technology, cybersecurity, biotechnology, smart agriculture, food technology, renewable energy, environmental technology, public governance and emerging occupations of the future. Read full story

– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam attended the New Zealand–Vietnam Business Roundtable in Auckland on August 13 as part of his state visit to New Zealand.

The event was attended by New Zealand Minister of Trade and Investment Todd McClay, leaders of ministries and agencies, and representatives of businesses from both countries. Read full story

– A ceremony marking the 100th birth anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro (August 13, 1926-2026) was held at Fidel Castro Park in the central province of Quang Tri on August 13.

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Participants observe a minute of silence in tribute to Cuban leader Fidel Castro Ruz. (Photo: VNA)

The event was jointly organised by the provincial People’s Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam. Read full story

– A series of events opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City on August 13, including the Vietnam Sport Show 2026, Vietnam Cycle Expo 2026 and the 14th Zhejiang Export (Vietnam) Fair 2026.

This year's events feature 520 booths operated by 400 businesses from 15 countries and territories. Participants mainly specialise in sports equipment and gear, outdoor sports, fitness, sports health and wellness, bicycles and electric bicycles, components and accessories, training-support technologies, as well as OEM/ODM manufacturing and international supply chains. Read full story./.

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