☕ Afternoon briefing on January 13

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 13

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 urged authorities to rein in commercial housing prices, particularly for apartments, stressing that prices should better reflect household income levels, prevailing economic conditions, and market fundamentals.

Addressing the fifth meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Housing Policy and the Real Estate Market virtually connected to all 34 cities and provinces on January 13, PM Chinh praised ministries, agencies, and local authorities for drastically following resolutions, conclusions, and directions from the Party Central Committee, its Politburo and Secretariat, National Assembly, and Government. Efforts to expand housing supply and manage real estate market have been pursued with strong determination, clear priorities, and focus on key tasks. Read full story

- Vietnam has obtained historic achievements in foreign affairs over 40 years of "Doi moi" (renewal) under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), which is set to continue to build on these successes to proactively seize opportunities and surmount challenges to further strengthen diplomatic efforts, thereby safeguarding national interests and affirming Vietnam’s role as a responsible and active member of the international community in an ever-changing world.

Looking back, one of the Party’s most significant achievements is to break through isolation and embargoes, and gradually normalise and expand relations with all countries, transforming Vietnam from a marginalised state into a nation with a broad diplomatic network spanning most regions of the world. Today, Vietnam maintains diplomatic relations with 194 countries and territories, and holds strategic or comprehensive partnerships with 38 nations, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, G7 countries, and most G20 economies. Read full story

- In the period leading up to and during the 14th National Party Congress, hostile forces are exerting all efforts and employing every possible tactic in an attempt to “poison” personnel affairs and undermine the Party’s unity.

When personnel work is the most critical task, especially at the Party Congress, then unity is the very lifeblood of the Party - a matter of survival, the “heart” of the Vietnamese revolution. Read full story

- A preliminary review of preparations for the 14th National Party Congress was held under the chair of Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on January 13 morning.

The Permanent member and other officials examined the main hall of the congress, slated for January 19–25, an exhibition of publications serving the event, a photo display themed “Under the Party’s flag, the nation advances to a new era”, functional rooms, the press centre, the command centre, and medical services, among others. Read full story

- The Government and Prime Minister, under the Party leadership, have focused on steering the country with a “proactive, flexible, creative, decisive and effective” approach, stressing action over retreat. They have pursued sweeping institutional, regulatory and policy breakthroughs designed to reverse setbacks and fundamentally reshape the country's development path.

Throughout 2025, the Party and State accelerated institutional reforms, easing constraints on production and business activities, while effectively unlocking and pooling all available resources to drive breakthroughs across multiple sectors. Read full story

- To achieve sustainable double-digit growth and fulfill its ambition of becoming a developed country by 2045, Vietnam must take a hard look at its current economic model, carefully identifying its strengths to leverage and weaknesses to address, and fundamentally rethinking its approach and build a new development model for the new era, said insiders.

- The European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Vietnam on January 13 released the Q4/2025 edition of its Business Confidence Index (BCI), which climbed to 80 points, the highest level recorded in the past seven years.

The result marks a clear and sustained recovery in business sentiment among European enterprises in Vietnam, even as the global economic environment continues to face significant uncertainties. Read full story

- Ahead of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Pasaxon, the official newspaper of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, published an article on its electronic edition highlighting the countries’ significant cooperation outcomes across multiple fields.

According to the article, during the terms of the 11th LPRP and the 13th CPV national congresses, under the close attention and direction of the two Parties and States, bilateral cooperation in the 2021-2025 period achieved many significant results across various sectors. Ministries, agencies, and local authorities of both countries actively coordinated to effectively implement agreements reached by senior leaders in line with practical conditions, thereby basically fulfilling the set objectives. Read full story

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Vietnam earn three consecutive victories and a maximum nine points at 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. (Photo: AFC)


- Vietnamese football fans were left jubilant after the U23 team topped Group A with a perfect record to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

With three consecutive victories and a maximum nine points against Jordan (2-0), Kyrgyzstan (2-1), and hosts Saudi Arabia (1-0), Vietnam defied expectations to finish first in what had been widely dubbed the tournament’s “group of death”./. Read full story

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The appointment decision handover ceremony is held in Hanoi on March 12. (Photo: VNA)

PM appoints new leader for Vietnam’s top science academy

PM Pham Minh Chinh asked the VAST to continue to serve as the Party and State’s strategic advisory body on science – technology in key areas such as artificial intelligence, energy, marine economy, water security, and aerospace, alongside building a national sci-tech database.

Do Thanh Hai (right), Deputy Director-General of the East Sea Institute under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, speaks at the dialogue. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, India promote maritime security cooperation through blue economy development

Through four rounds of bilateral “Track 1” Maritime Security Dialogue, the two sides have outlined priority areas of cooperation, including marine scientific research, blue economy development, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, naval and coast guard cooperation, maritime law enforcement, capacity building, and maritime connectivity.

Ha Thi Nga (right), Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, meets with V.G. Kalganov, Deputy Chairman of the External Relations Committee of Saint Petersburg, in Hanoi on March 12. (Photo: mattran.org.vn)

Vietnam, Saint Petersburg step up people-to-people exchanges

The VFF will continue strengthening bilateral ties and promoting cooperation activities, while seeking closer coordination and support from Saint Petersburg to expand people-to-people exchanges in the coming period, VFF Vice President and General Secretary Ha Thi Nga has said.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Top legislator asked for thorough preparations for NA, People’s Council election

With only three days left before voters head to the polls on March 15, the top legislator described the election as a particularly important political event and a major national occasion that demonstrates the people’s right to exercise their democratic power by directly choosing qualified representatives to the NA and People’s Councils at all levels.

Ship 17 of Brigade 171 under Naval Region 2 of the Vietnam People’s Navy. (Photo: VNA)

Navy ship completes Milan 2026 multinational exercise in India

Over a journey covering more than 5,000 nautical miles, the ship’s officers and crew combined operational participation with extended sea training aimed at enhancing command coordination capabilities, combat readiness, mastery of weapons and technical equipment, and overall physical endurance.

An overview of the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly which opens on October 20, 2025. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

France-based expert suggests elevating parliamentary diplomacy to support national development

Inter-parliamentary cooperation should be closely aligned with the country’s development priorities, including institutional reform, trade and investment, digital transformation, green transition, energy security, high-quality human resources development and the implementation of international commitments, said Le Van Tranh, a Vietnamese doctoral researcher in law at Paris Panthéon-Assas University in France.

Residents visit polling stations in their wards to review the list of candidates for deputies to the 16th National Assembly and members of People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term. (Photo: VNA)

📝OP-ED: Resolutely removing discordant voices ahead of national election day

When March 15 arrives, one will see elderly voters approaching a hundred years old making their way to the polls, young voters casting their ballots with enthusiasm, and multi-generational families going together to fulfil their civic duty. Together, these moments will create a vibrant atmosphere, resembling a national celebration.

Le Thuong, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the Kansai region, Japan. (Photo: VNA)

OV in Japan place high expectations on NA, People’s Council election

Le Thuong, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the Kansai region, said overseas Vietnamese are closely following the upcoming election, viewing it as an important opportunity to strengthen the effectiveness of governance and ensure that development policies meet the country’s evolving needs.