Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 10

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 10

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 met with Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on January 10, part of his visit to co-chair the 47th meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation.

Welcoming the Vietnamese PM, the host leader emphasised that the visit marks an important milestone for the Intergovernmental Committee. Read full story

⁃ Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Park, a symbol of the solidarity between the two nations, in Vientiane on January 10.

vietnam-laos-friendship-park.jpg
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (second, left, front) and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone (second, right) break the ground for the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Park in Vientiane on January 10. (Photo: VNA)

The park, covering over 30,000 square metres, is located in Xaythany district, an area planned to be a new urban centre following the expansion of the capital. At the heart of the park is a large square and an artificial lake surrounded by green spaces. Read full story

⁃ State President Luong Cuong attended an art performance programme themed “Spring in border areas warms people's hearts” to celebrate the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and welcome the Lunar New Year of 2025 (the Year of the Snake), in Pa Tan commune in Sin Ho district of the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau on January 9 evening.

Hosted by the Border Guard Command in collaboration with the provincial People's Committee and Vietnam Television, the event aims to support ethnic minority communities in border and island areas in celebrating a warmer, more joyful and well-off Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival. Read full story

⁃ Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin is going to pay an official visit to Vietnam on January 14 - 15.

The visit will be made at the invitation of PM Pham Minh Chinh. Read full story

⁃ Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien has affirmed that Vietnam is willing to help Laos improve its capacity for participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Chien made the statement at his meetings in Vientiane on January 9 with Laos’s Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Khamlieng Outhakaysone and Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Vongkham Phommakone on the occasion of accompanying Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the 47th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Intergovernmental Committee for Bilateral Cooperation. Read full story

⁃ Police have launched legal proceedings against former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang and 11 other individuals for their alleged involvement in the case of taking bribery and violating bidding regulations that led to serious consequences at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Hoang Dan Company, and several related localities and entities.

The Ministry of Public Security said on January 9 that the Police Department for Investigation of Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes (C03) found Thang, and Tran To Nghi, former Acting Director of the MARD's Construction Management Department, had taken bribes from Hoang Dan Company and its consortium of contractors. Read full story

⁃ The Hanoi People’s Court sentenced a lawyer to three years in prison for “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to violate interests of the State, rights and legitimate interests of organisations and individuals” at a first-instance trial held on January 9 - 10.

Tran Dinh Trien, born in 1959, worked as a lawyer and was head of the Vi Dan Law Office under the Hanoi Bar Association. Read full story

⁃ The average wages for 2024 and projected bonuses for workers during the New Year and Lunar New Year (Tet) holidays are expected to see steady growth across all business sectors compared to 2023, according to Nguyen Huy Khanh, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Labour Confederation.

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Tet bonuses increase across all business sectors in the capital city of Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

Notably, bonuses for the 2025 New Year are projected to increase by 3–200% compared to the previous year, while bonuses for the 2025 Lunar New Year are expected to rise by 2.86–12.5% year-on-year. Average wages for 2024 expanded by 6.76–7.35%, he noted. Read full story

⁃ With just over two weeks to the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, made-in-Vietnam products are having a dominant presence at supermarkets and convenience stores across the country, showcasing the growing strength of such brands as Kinh Do, Huu Nghi, Bibica, Cau Tre, and Vissan.

According to the Hanoi Trade Corporation, BRGMart supermarket chain has worked with its suppliers to increase the holiday inventory by two or three times compared to normal months. BRGMart is offering discounts of up to 50% on its high-quality Vietnamese products, ranging from rice, beef, chicken, seafood to confectionary and beverage from January 2 to 28. Read full story./.

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#Laos #Pham Minh Chinh #Russian Prime Minister #Lunar New Year #Tet bonuses
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