☕ Afternoon briefing on December 15

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

- The book "Several issues about military policy, national defence strategy in the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnam Fatherland in the new period” authored by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, published in July, marks a breakthrough in military and national defence policies.
With 39 articles, speeches, and interviews by the Party chief, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, the book reflects his consistent ideology on leadership, guiding principles, and strategies for protecting the homeland in the new era which inherits the national tradition and draws on practical experiences in the past struggle for national construction and defence.Read full text

– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Tokyo on December 15, starting his four-day trip to Japan for the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities in Japan, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (left, front) arrives at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on December 15 (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese Government leader was welcomed at Haneda International Airport by Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Komura Masahiro and Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, among others.Read full text

– Vietnam plays an important role in Japan’s policy on ASEAN as well as its efforts to maintain order in the Indo-Pacific, stated Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio (Photo: VNA)

Japan will welcome Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s trip to Japan for the summit, and hopes to foster cooperation with Vietnam to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership in the coming time, said the ambassador.Read full text

– Vietnam wishes to promote its comprehensive partnership with Canada in an effective and substantive manner, towards a higher level, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told visiting Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison in Hanoi on December 14.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and visiting Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison. (Photo: VNA)

Son briefed the guest on remarkable achievements the two countries have recorded since they established diplomatic ties 50 years ago, noting regular contacts and good relations between their leaders have created a firm premise for the bilateral ties to grow further.Read full text

– The south-central province of Binh Thuan has continued to intensify measures to address shortcomings and outstanding problems in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, in a bid to have the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning against Vietnam’s seafood exports lifted.
One of the key tasks is to closely manage local shipping vessels and resolutely prevent fishing vessels and fishermen from illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters.Read full text

- The People's Committee of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to provide technical support in developing a dossier seeking UNESCO recognition for its Kon Tum plateau as a World Biosphere Reserve.
According to Dao Xuan Thuy, Director of the Chu Mom Ray National Park in Kon Tum, the Kon Tum Plateau Biosphere Reserve has a core area of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve and Chu Mom Ray National Park, which boasts a diverse ecosystem with numerous rare and endangered animal and plant species listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Threatened Species.Read full text

– Rice export volume and value during the first 11 months surpassed the figures of the entire 2022, and this year’s revenue is expected to reach 5 billion USD, authorities said.
In 2023, the rice farming area nationwide is 7.1 million ha with productivity estimated at 6.08 tonnes of unmilled rice per ha and total output at 43.1 million tonnes, up about 420,000 tonnes from last year.Read full text/.

VNA