Politics

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 28

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

☕ Afternoon briefing on May 28

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

- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam held talks with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in Bangkok on May 28.

At the talks, PM Anutin warmly welcomed Party General Secretary and State President Lam on his official visit to Thailand, emphasising that the visit holds important significance as the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1976 –2 026), while also reflecting the high level of political trust between the two nations. Read full story

- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam and Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between ministries and agencies of the two countries in Bangkok on May 28.

The documents include an Action Programme for implementing the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2026-2031 period, and a diplomatic note notifying that Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation will assume the functions and tasks previously undertaken by the former Ministry of Science and Technology and continue implementing agreements signed with Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology. Read full story

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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue. (Photo: VNA)


- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam’s state visit to Singapore from May 29–31 is expected to inject fresh momentum into the newly-established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries while further highlighting Vietnam’s rising role and position in the region and the world.

The visit, made at the invitation of Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, comes just more than a year after the top Vietnamese leader’s official visit to Singapore and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s official visit to Vietnam in March 2025. This demonstrates the mutual respect and strong commitment of the two countries’ leaders to effectively advancing the substance of the Vietnam-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the time to come. Read full story

- The invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam to deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, slated for May 29–31 in Singapore, is widely viewed as an important milestone reflecting Vietnam’s increasingly prominent role and standing in regional and international affairs amid complex global and regional developments that are posing new issues for the Asia-Pacific region.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Singapore, Dr Mohamed Effendy B Abdul Hamid, senior lecturer in Southeast Asian studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue is taking place at a moment of profound geopolitical significance. Read full story

- Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), has called on the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states to defend the group’s founding principles by upholding the spirit of solidarity and speaking out strongly against the blockade and sanctions imposed on Cuba.

Addressing a NAM meeting in New York on May 27, Viet expressed profound sympathy for the challenges facing the fraternal Cuban people. He affirmed that Vietnam opposes unilateral coercive measures imposed on Cuba which run counter to the fundamental principles of international law, including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, freedom of international trade and navigation, and each nation’s right to choose its own development path as well. Read full story

- The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee convened a national conference on May 28 to launch orientations and tasks for People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure.

The conference was held in person in Hanoi and connected online with 33 provinces and cities nationwide. NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man chaired the event. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung has approved a project to develop national digital identification application VNeID for the 2026-2030 period, with a vision to 2045, positioning the platform as a “super app” at the centre of Vietnam’s national digital ecosystem.

Under Decision No. 940/QD-TTg dated May 26, 2026, the project aims to transform VNeID into a modern, secure and highly scalable national digital platform capable of effectively serving citizens, businesses, agencies and organisations in handling administrative procedures, accessing online public services, conducting electronic transactions and using digital utilities./. Read full story

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