☕ Afternoon briefing on May 25 hinh anh 1
Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

– State President Vo Van Thuong offered greetings to Buddhist dignitaries and followers on the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, while visiting Hue Nghiem and Minh Dao pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City on May 26.
The anniversary is celebrated by Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers in the fourth lunar month every year to not only pay tribute to Lord Buddha but also honour the fine ethical and cultural values of Buddhism in society.Read full text

– Vietnam should take more actions, including the facilitation of immigration procedures, in an effort to make itself a top destination for international tourists, the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) has suggested.
The board said it supports amending e-visa granting for citizens of all countries and territories, and prolonging the duration of e-visas granted to foreigners entering Vietnam from 30 days to a maximum of three months with single and multiple entries applicable.Read full text

- Governor General of Canada Mary Simon has rejoiced at the development of the Vietnam-Canada relationship over the past time, noting the bilateral economic-trade ties have been still growing despite COVID-19 impacts.
This brings hope that economic cooperation will maintain its role as an important collaboration channel, and that partnerships in other spheres will be promoted in the time ahead, Simon told outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Cao Phong on May 25.Read full text

- The Government Inspectorate of Vietnam and the Cambodian Ministry of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation (amended), as part of their talks in Hanoi on May 26.
According to Vietnamese Inspector General Doan Hong Phong, since the bodies’ first MoU was inked in 2005, regular exchange activities and coordination in organising personnel training courses have facilitated the sides’ sharing of information and experience, contributing to improving the effectiveness of inspection work in each country.Read full text

– Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, on May 25 chaired a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (May 29, 1948-2023).
The event gathered members of Vietnamese representative agencies in New York, commanders and officers of the Vietnamese army and police forces on duty at the UN peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Abyei region, and four Vietnamese peacekeeping officers on secondment at the UN headquarters.Read full text

– The UN Day of Vesak was celebrated at Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi on May 25, or the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, with the joint effort of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), the Hanoi chapter of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association, and the Indian Embassy.
The event drew Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Standing Vice Chairman of the VBS Executive Council, and other VBS officials, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya, Mongolian Ambassador to Vietnam Jigjee Sereejav, President of the Hanoi chapter of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association Nguyen Ngoc Ky, the Buddhist delegations from India and Bhutan, as well as a large number of local Buddhist followers.Read full text

– The 2023 Vietnam – ASEAN Culture and Food Festival, the first of its kind, kicked off at Hoa Lu Sports Centre in Ho Chi Minh City on May 25 evening.
Hosted by the Institute for Research Development and Conservation of Southeast Asian Art and Culture (IRSAC), the four-day event is one of a series of events designed to realise the goals of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025 and strengthen the ASEAN identity towards the 56th founding anniversary of ASEAN (August 8, 1967 – 2023).Read full text/.
VNA