Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on February 14

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on February 14

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

- The National Assembly (NA) listened to a proposal and a verification report on specific mechanisms for building nuclear power plants in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan at the 9th extraordinary session on February 14.

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The 9th extraordinary session of the National Assembly (Photo: VNA)

Presenting the proposal, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien laid stress on the exceptional significance of the project while noting that nuclear power technology remains in the possession of very few nations. Given the project’s complexity and substantial investment needs, Dien underscored the need for specific and strong enough mechanisms and policies to accelerate progress and reduce the implementation duration. Read full story

- A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet attended the 31st ASEAN – China Senior Officials' Consultation held in Ningbo city, China's Zhejiang province, on February 12–13.

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Participants at the 31st ASEAN – China Senior Officials' Consultation held in Ningbo city, China's Zhejiang province, on February 12–13. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

The meeting was part of a series of annual dialogues between ASEAN senior officials and partners to review and discuss directions for promoting cooperation, and prepare for the ASEAN Summit and ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings with partners, slated for the second half of 2025. Read full story

- Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E.Knapper discussed ways to strengthen bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation, with a focus on energy and industrial sectors, at their working session held recently in Hanoi.

Dien spoke highly of the two countries’ robust trade ties right from the outset of the year, reaching a bilateral agreement to resolve disputes over anti-dumping duties on Vietnamese tra and basa fish at the World Trade Organisation. He praised this achievement as a result of goodwill and negotiation efforts from both sides, particularly the constructive approach from the Department of Commerce and the US Trade Representative. Read full story

- The Lao Government and Chitchareune Construction Co., Ltd. on February 13 signed an agreement to develop a 1,200 MW wind power plant in Nong district, Laos’ Savannakhet province which aims to supply electricity to Vietnam from late 2027.

The signing ceremony saw the participation of Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam; Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Phet Phomphiphak; representatives of the Lao Government Office and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, agencies and units of Vietnam and Laos. Read full story

- Vietnam’s agricultural product exports emerged as a shining beacon in the country’s economic landscape, cementing its position as one of the world’s leading agro-forestry-aquatic product exporters.

The agricultural sector wrapped up 2024 with 62.4 billion USD in export turnover, marking an 18.5% increase against 2023, while achieving a record trade surplus of 18.6 billion USD, surging 53.1%. Notable, 11 product categories maintained turnover of more than 1 billion USD each, with seven groups surpassing the 3 billion USD mark. Read full story

- Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Real Estate Association (VNREA) Nguyen Van Dinh has outlined two scenarios for Vietnam’s property market in 2025, influenced by the ongoing scheme to streamline the political system’s organisational apparatus.

In the optimistic scenario, the apparatus streamlining efforts will reduce administrative time and costs, and legal policies will be eased, providing vital support for the real estate market. This will allow the sector to enter a new phase of growth and development. Read full story

- Vietnamese and Thai businesses explored trade and investment opportunities at an industrial trade exchange event in Ho Chi Minh City on February 13.

Hosted by the Thai Trade Office in HCM City, the event is part of the efforts to expand exports of industrial products to the Southeast Asian nations by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) under the Ministry of Commerce./. Read full story

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#nuclear power plants #ASEAN – China #Marc E.Knapper
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