Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 17

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on December 17

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

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to proactively, flexibly, promptly, and effectively manage the monetary policy in combination with the expansionary fiscal policy and others.

In an official dispatch, sent to the SBV Governor, the Minister of Public Security, and the Government Inspector General on December 16, the leader noted that the move aims to enhance State management over the banking sector, thus spurring economic growth and achieving all the main targets set in the 2024 socio-economic development plan and another for the 2021-2025 period. Read full story

- Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang on December 17 held talks with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin who is leading a high-level delegation from the Belarusian Ministry of Defence to pay an official visit to Vietnam and attend the Vietnam International Defence Expo 2024 from December 16-19.

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Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang (left) and his Belarussian counterpart Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin review the guard of honour during the welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on December 17. (Photo: VNA)

Welcoming the guests, Giang underscored that the Vietnamese people and the Vietnam People’s Army always remember and value the significant support and assistance that people of the Soviet Union, including the Republic of Belarus, had given to Vietnam’s past struggle for national liberation and reunification. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on December 17 had meetings with Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on the occasion of his visit to Laos to co-chair the 11th Vietnam-Laos political consultation at foreign ministerial level.

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Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith receives Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (left) on December 17. (Photo: VNA)

At the meeting with Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, Son reported to the Lao leader on the outcomes of the political consultation with Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane on December 16. Read full story

- Foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction has been a bright spot in the Vietnamese economic panorama in 2024, as the country has recorded 41,720 valid FDI projects worth 496.7 billion USD funded by investors from 147 countries and territories.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) reported FDI projects have been present in all 63 cities and provinces nationwide, with Ho Chi Minh City leading the way with over 58.4 billion USD, followed by southern Binh Duong province with nearly 42.4 billion USD, and Hanoi with nearly 42.2 billion USD. Read full story

- Amid Mexico’s increasing import taxes on countries without a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Vietnam is gaining recognition as a promising trade partner for this Latin American nation.

In an interview with a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Mexico, Vietnamese Trade Counselor Luu Van Khang highlighted that in 2024, many leading Mexican importers and distributors have turned to Vietnam for goods supplies, especially apparel, footwear, plastics, and furniture - the country's strengths. Read full story

- Two newspapers of the Vietnam News Agency - VietnamPlus and Tin tuc (News) - are among the 28 press agencies in Vietnam rated “excellent” in digital transformation maturity by the Authority of Press under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The authority has announced the results of its 2024 digital transformation maturity evaluation, highlighting notable progress in awareness, revenue models, and audience engagement among Vietnamese press agencies. Read full story

- The northern region of Vietnam will experience severe cold spells, with frost and ice in the first two months of 2025, especially in mountainous northern areas.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the ENSO phenomenon is currently in a neutral state and is expected to remain neutral during the first quarter of 2025. Read full story

- Flooding continued in five southern provinces of Thailand, affecting at least 128,000 families, the country’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported on December 16.

Director-General Pasakorn Boonyalak said 1,998 villages in Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Ranong, and Surat Thani provinces reported flooding, and 128,035 households were in trouble./. Read full story

VNA
#Pham Minh Chinh #Bui Thanh Son #Phan Van Giang #Thongloun Sisoulith #FDI
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