Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on March 10

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on March 10

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

- Party General Secretary To Lam chaired a conference in Hanoi on March 10 to announce the Politburo’s decision to establish the Central Theoretical Council for the 2026–2031 tenure.

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Party General Secretary To Lam speaks at the conference to announce the Politburo’s decision to establish the Central Theoretical Council for the 2026–2031 tenure. (Photo: VNA)

A decision of the Secretariat on the council’s membership was also unveiled at the conference. Read full story

- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a telephone conversation with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on March 9 evening to discuss the regional situation and promote bilateral relations.

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds a telephone conversation with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on March 9 evening. (Photo: VNA)

PM Chinh conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary To Lam and other Vietnamese leaders to the President and leaders of the UAE. Read full story

- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held phone talks with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, on March 9 evening.

During the call, PM Chinh conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary To Lam and other Vietnamese leaders to the Emir and leaders of Qatar. Expressing his deep concern over the current conflict in the Middle East, he shared his sympathy for the difficulties and challenges facing the people in the region. Read full story

- As the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure (March 15) is approaching, hostile forces have stepped up the spread of misleading information on social media. Although not always directly related to the election, such information shares a common trait: it is deliberately painted in dark colours.

Diminishing the significance of the national festival of democracy, dampening voters’ enthusiasm, and distracting society from this important national event by “greying” the country’s socio-economic picture is also a form of sabotage. In essence, hostile forces themselves realise that it is difficult to directly attack the election mechanism effectively, especially as preparations by authorities at all levels have become more thorough with each term and the public’s knowledge and awareness continue to improve. Read full story

- The Government on March 9 issued Decree No. 72/2026/ND-CP adjusting preferential import tariff rates on several fuel products and raw materials used in fuel production, aiming to help businesses secure supply and stabilise the domestic fuel market.

Rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, have significantly affected the global energy market, especially shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz – a strategic route for transporting crude oil from the region. Disruptions along this route have directly impacted Asia, which is heavily dependent on crude oil supply from the Middle East. Read full story

- A total of nearly 34.5 trillion VND (over 1.3 billion USD) was mobilised through government bond auctions in February, up 32.44% from the previous month, according to the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX).

During the month, the HNX organised 12 auctions of government bonds issued by the State Treasury of Vietnam. Read full story

- Vietnam’s exports of agro-forestry-fishery products maintained positive growth momentum in the first two months of 2026, supported by recovering demand in major markets. However, complex geopolitical developments, volatile logistics costs and rising trade barriers are creating an urgent need for market diversification and proactive risk management.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, agro-forestry-fishery export turnover in February was estimated at 4.71 billion USD, down 28.4% from the previous month due to seasonal factors but still up 1.9% year-on-year./.Read full story

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