Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on July 31

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on July 31

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

- The 16th National Assembly (NA)’s first extraordinary session is expected to last around 17 days, starting August 3, the NA Office announced on July 30.

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The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee gives opinions on preparations for the NA first extraordinary session at its 4th session in Hanoi on July 8, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

The session will begin with a preparatory meeting and opening ceremony on the morning of August 3, and is scheduled to conclude on August 24, with August 25 reserved if necessary. Read full text

- An ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony took place in Hanoi on July 31 to mark the bloc’s 59th anniversary (August 8, 1967–2026) and the 31st anniversary of Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN (July 28, 1995–2026).

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The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony takes place in Hanoi on July 31, 2026. (Photo published by VNA)

The event saw the presence of ambassadors and chargé d’affaires of ASEAN member states and partner countries, along with officials from the National Assembly, Government agencies and the Hanoi People’s Committee. Read full text

- Dutch businesses have expressed strong confidence in Vietnam's growth prospects, applauding the country's institutional reforms, innovation agenda and plans to develop an international financial centre.

The remarks were made at a business roundtable chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang in Amsterdam on July 30, part his working visit to the Netherlands. Read full text

- President of the Cambodian National Assembly (NA) Samdech Khuon Sudary’s official visit to Vietnam from July 27–29 has helped further strengthen the two countries’ relations under the motto of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability,” with people-centred development at its core.

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National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (R) welcomes Cambodian National Assembly President Samdech Khuon Sudary, who paid an official visit to Vietnam from July 27 to 29. (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s correspondent in Phnom Penh cited a press release as saying that President Khuon Sudary expressed satisfaction with the steady progress in bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade. She described the expanding economic partnership as a source of pride for both nations and reiterated the shared aspiration to raise two-way trade to 20 billion USD in the coming years. Read full text

- International media outlets and leading global financial institutions have shown confidence in Vietnam's economic prospects, citing stronger foreign investment quality, sustained structural reforms and the country's improving position in the global economy.

The Business Times of Singapore recently reported that Vietnam moving up the value chain is attracting high-quality investment from Asia in the first half of 2026 despite shifts in the composition of foreign direct investment (FDI). Read full text

- Industry associations have called on authorities to work more closely with businesses to remove bottlenecks so agro-forestry-fishery exports can achieve its 2026 export target of 74 billion USD.

The calll was made at a conference on promoting agro-forestry-fishery exports in the second half of 2026, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Ho Chi Minh City on July 30. Read full text

- The European Union (EU)'s imports of agricultural and food products from Vietnam rose 9% in value in the first five months of 2026, driven primarily by higher coffee imports, according to the European Commission’s (EC) latest agri-food trade report released on July 30.

Vietnam was among the few bright spots in the EU’s import landscape, underscoring the country’s growing role as a key supplier of agricultural products to the bloc./. Read full text

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#National Assembly #extraordinary session #ASEAN #National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man #President Khuon Sudary
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