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 Central Committee and President To Lam on August 18 affirmed that the most meaningful tribute to previous generations is the responsibility and concrete actions of today’s generation to build a stronger and more prosperous Vietnam.
He made the statement at a meeting with former members of the Party Central Committee's Politburo and Secretariat in different terms, as well as members of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee who are not continuing their positions in the 14th tenure, and to present Ho Chi Minh and Independence Orders and Party membership badges on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). Read full text
- Prime Minister Le Minh Hung led a delegation representing the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) to the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam on August 18 morning to pay respects to former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and sign the condolence book.
Zhu was also a former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPV) Central Committee. Read full text
- Vietnam attaches importance to its traditional friendship with Uruguay and stands ready to work with the South American country to deepen bilateral ties and expand inter-regional cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung told Uruguayan Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi Cabrera on August 17.
At a reception for the Uruguayan official, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from August 16-18, Trung spoke highly of her delegation’s activities in helping concretise the bilateral agenda and deepen ties. He stated that Vietnam highly values Uruguay’s role, position, and contributions to the regional and international communities, as well as the achievements the country has made under the administration of President Yamandú Orsi. Read full text
- Vietnam has overtaken Thailand to become Southeast Asia's second-largest commercial aviation market by available seats in August, according to OAG, a global provider of aviation data and analytics.
Vietnam moved into second place with 7.3 million seats, up 10% from a year earlier, the fastest growth rate among the Southeast Asian aviation markets analysed by OAG. Read full text
- Vietnam’s tax authority said on August 17 that it is cutting processing times for value-added tax (VAT) refunds, aiming to raise the rate of refunds before inspection to 90% in the last four months of 2026 and 95% in the first quarter of 2027 from the current 70%.
It will introduce expedited refunds in September and automated refunds in December. Tax refunds have been a priority for supporting production and trade. In 2026, tax agencies at all levels have intensified coordination to ensure VAT refunds are processed promptly and in line with the law. Read full text
- Nearly 17 years since the launch of the “Vietnamese people prioritise Vietnamese goods” campaign, the position of Vietnamese products in the domestic market has improved significantly.
However, amid increasingly fierce global competition, the goal is no longer simply to increase domestic consumption of Vietnamese goods, but to develop strong Vietnamese brands capable of winning consumers through quality, innovation and added value, thereby creating a stepping stone for expansion into international markets. Read full text
- Vietnam’s aviation authorities have been instructed to establish an official communication channel with Germany's authorities to coordinate the investigation into an incident involving Vietnam Airlines flight VN34 at Munich International Airport on August 15, while strengthening safety oversight to prevent similar incidents.
Under a document freshly signed by Deputy Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) is required to immediately establish the channel and coordinate with Germany’s aircraft incident investigation authorities and relevant agencies to obtain information and join the investigation in accordance with regulations./.Read full text
