☕ Afternoon briefing on July 28

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
☕ Afternoon briefing on July 28 ảnh 1
Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s eventsas reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Twenty-eight years since officially joining the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) on July 28, 1995, Vietnam's membership has left aprofound mark with her positive contributions to the bloc’s common development,laying the foundation for the establishment of an ASEAN community withpolitical unity, economic integration, and social responsibility sharing. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 27 signed to issue a documentclarifying measures to enhance businesses’ access to credit. He requested theState Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to coordinate with relevant agencies to continueimplementing tasks and solutions stated in relevant resolutions of theGovernment, regulating monetary policies in an active, timely and flexiblemanner to suit the reality, ensuring a systematic, close and harmoniouscombination with expanded fiscal policies, thus removing difficulties forbusiness and production, promoting growth in parallel with stabilising themacro-economy, controlling inflation and ensuring major economic balances. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has freshly signed a decision to approvethe national energy master plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to2050.

The overall objective of the plan is to ensure the country's energy security,meet the requirements of economic and social developments, industrialisationand modernisation, ensure national defence and security, improve the people'sliving standards, and protect the ecological environment. In addition, it aimsto develop an independent and autonomous energy industry, and establish acomprehensive energy industry ecosystem based on renewable and new energysources, with a goal of becoming a regional centre for clean energy industriesand renewable energy exports. Read full story

- The Vietnam – Canada Bilateral Defence Consultation 2023 was held on July 27,co-chaired by the Director of the Foreign Relations Department under Ministryof National Defense Major General Vu Thanh Van and Assistant Deputy Minister ofCanada’s Department of National Defense Peter Hammerschmidt.

The online event took place in the context that the two countries arecelebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomaticrelations (1973-2023). Read full story

- Various major Italian newspapers on July 27 and 28 continued to spotlightPresident Vo Van Thuong’s State visit to the European nation. Read full story

- Representatives of two capital cities of Hanoi and Cairo on July 27 signed afriendship and cooperation agreement in the witness of Deputy Prime MinisterTran Luu Quang, on his official visit to Egypt.

The agreement, signed by Vice chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee NguyenManh Quyen and Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel A’al, aims to promote the relationsand mutual understanding between the two cities in the areas of culture,sciences, education, health care, tourism, sports, environment, and trade. Read full story

- Ho Chi Minh City and Portugal’s Porto city on July 27 signed a memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two cities in the 2023-2025period. Under the deal, inked by Porto Mayor Rui Moreira and Vice Chairman ofthe HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc, the two sides will promotecollaboration in culture, tourism, economy, trade, urban upgrading and heritageconservation. Read full story

- Vietnam attracted approximately 16.24 billion USD from the beginning of thisyear to July 20, up 4.5% year-on-year, according to the Foreign InvestmentAgency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

In the period, there were 1,293 newly-registered projects with a combinedcapital of 7.94 billion USD, up 75.5% in the number of projects and 38.6% incapital compared to the same period last year. Read full story

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has forecast that in2023, Vietnam's rice exports will reach about 7.2 million tonnes, bringing homemore than 4 billion USD.

MARD Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam said that the world’s economic difficultiesand political instability cause significant difficulties for the export ofgoods in general and agricultural products in particular. Read full story

- Vietnam welcomed nearly 6.6 million international visitors in the first sevenmonths of this year, accounting for 83% of the yearly target, accordingto Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

During the period, the industry also served 76.5 million domestic tourists.Total revenues from tourism reached 416.6 trillion VND (17.58 billion USD). Read full story

- Nearly 399,000 Vietnamese tourists came to Laos in the first half of thisyear, the second biggest number of foreign visitors to Laos during the period,according to the Lao Tourism Development Department. Read full story

- Construction of a dormitory building started on the Laos-Vietnam bilanguageschool in Oudomxay province, Laos, on July 28.

With an investment of 6.7 billion LAK (308,000 USD), once operational, theschool will become a place to provide Vietnamese language classes for overseasVietnamese and Laos in the province and northern area, helping them pursuittheir higher education in Vietnam or for other purposes. Read full story./.
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Vice President of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Hong Dien (right) receives Bok Gi-wang, vice head of the Korean National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee in Hanoi on October 30, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, RoK step up economic, parliamentary cooperation

Speaking highly of the RoK's experience in railway development, NA Vice President Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed its businesses' interest in Vietnam’s railway projects and encouraged their participation as partners, investors or contractors in line with Vietnamese law.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (right) receives Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan Elchin Amirbayov Hanoi on October 30, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Top leader receives Azerbaijani presidential envoy

Welcoming the Azerbaijani envoy to Vietnam, the Vietnamese leader affirmed that Vietnam treasures the friendship, valuable support and assistance extended by the State and people of Azerbaijan to Vietnam during its past struggle for national independence, as well as its current process of national construction and development.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo (Photo published by VNA)

Vietnam sends condolences on passing of former Japanese PM Fukuda Yasuo

In the message, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung extended his deepest condolences and expressed profound appreciation for Mr. Fukuda’s special affection for and valuable support to Vietnam and its people, as well as his contributions to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Japan.

A view of Ho Chi MInh City (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City’s 100-year master plan gets the green light

Under the overall development model, the megacity will comprise five growth poles, namely international financial services at the centre; innovation in the East; industry, high technology and logistics in the North; seaports, free trade, international logistics and energy in the South; and urban development, education and healthcare in the West.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau writes in the condolence book. (Photo: VNA)

Deputy PM pays tribute to former Japanese PM Fukuda Yasuo

The State and people of Vietnam are deeply saddened by the passing of Japan's former Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo, a great and close friend of Vietnam. On behalf of the Government and people of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Tien Chau extended the deepest condolences to the Government and people of Japan, as well as his family.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam speaks at the meeting with female NA deputies in Hanoi on October 29. (Photo: VNA)

Top leader calls on female NA deputies to help shape national development policies

Top leader To Lam called on female NA deputies to contribute proactively to lawmaking from the earliest stages, ensuring that policies are grounded in practical evidence, constitutional, consistent and enforceable. They should identify shortcomings before laws are adopted, put forward initiatives in the common interest, maintain their independent judgement and uphold integrity to prevent group interests from distorting policymaking.