Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 16

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 16

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 and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra held talks and co-chaired the fourth Vietnam – Thailand Joint Cabinet Retreat in Hanoi on May 16 following the official welcome ceremony for the Thai leader.

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Hanoi on May 16 (Photo: VNA)

At the meeting, PM Chinh highlighted the special significance of PM Paetongtarn's official visit – her first trip to Vietnam since taking office, and the first Joint Cabinet Retreat between the two countries' PMs in nearly a decade. Read full story

- Vietnam and Thailand have officially upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, heard a press conference co-chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Hanoi on May 16.

PM Chinh told the press following the 4th Vietnam-Thailand Joint Cabinet Retreat the same day that the meeting took place successfully, stressing the two sides reached consensus on many key strategic orientations. Read full story

- Candidate for the position of President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Annalena Baerbock, former German Foreign Minister, held an informal dialogue in New York on May 15 (local time) with the Asia-Pacific Group and all UNGA members to share her vision and priorities if elected.

Annalena Baerbock affirmed her commitment to advancing the UN reform and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring a transparent process in selecting the next UN Secretary-General, accelerating climate action, and upholding human rights. Read full story

- Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Do Minh Hung has recently held a meeting with representatives of communist parties and left-wing friends in the country, including the Communist Party of Britain (CPB) and the New Communist Party of Britain (NCP), to discuss the Vietnam-UK bilateral relations, as well as promote cooperation between communist parties.

The May 14 meeting took place in the context that Vietnam has been celebrating many important historical milestones in 2025, such as the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930), the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975), the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890) and the 80th anniversary of the National Day (September 2, 1945). Read full story

- The US Department of the Treasury hopes to enhance economic and financial relations with Vietnam and stands ready to address outstanding issues, said Robert Kaproth, Assistant Secretary for International Finance at the US Department of the Treasury.

He made the remark at a recent working session with a delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance (MoF) in Washington D.C. during which the two sides discussed measures for strengthening the two countries' economic and financial ties, according to the MoF. Read full story

- The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) and global payment technology company Mastercard have jointly launched the country's first co-badged card, combining domestic and international payment capabilities.

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The launch ceremony of the NAPAS – Mastercard co-badged card (Photo: VNA)

The announcement was made on May 15 in Hanoi, with the participation of six commercial banks Agribank, BIDV, TPBank, Nam A Bank, PVcomBank, and Vikki Bank. Read full story

- Chu Lai Port under Truong Hai International Logistics Limited Liability Company (THILOGI), a member of Truong Hai Group, and Regional Container Lines (RCL) - a Bangkok-based container shipping line – signed a cooperation agreement on launching a direct call service from Chu Lai to India on May 16.

The same day, Chu Lai Port welcomed the Chana Bhum, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by RCL, marking the opening of the Chu Lai–India shipping route. The Chana Bhum carried nearly 800 containers of import and export goods, including spare parts, garments, furniture, and agricultural products, from Vietnam to India and vice versa. Read full story

- The 4th national writing contest on defending the ideological foundation of the Party in the new context was rounded off with an awards ceremony held in Hanoi on May 15.

A total of 30 outstanding entries were honoured, including three first prizes, six second prizes, nine third prizes, and 12 consolation prizes. Additionally, three media organisations received collective awards for submitting a significant number of high-quality entries./. Read full story

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☕ Afternoon briefing on May 14

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