☕ Afternoon briefing on May 4

Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on May 4.

– Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has asked participants at the ongoing fifth plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee to focus on reviewing the project on building Party organisations and developing membership, thus making a new progress in strengthening the quality, strength and combativeness of the Party. It is necessary to sketch out orientations, tasks and solutions to renovate Party organisations at the grassroots level and further improve the quality of the Party members, the leader said at the opening of the meeting on May 4. Read full story

– Since its election by the 14th National Assembly in April 2021, the Government has experienced an unprecedented year full of challenges in the 36 years of Doi Moi (Reform). However, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and with reasonable decisions and policies adopted in different periods, the Government has firmly sailed through the tough year, recovering economic activities and ensuring social welfare. Read full story

Vietnamese Ambassador to France and Monaco Dinh Toan Thang (L) presented his credentials to Prince of Monaco Albert II. (Photo: VNA)

– Vietnamese Ambassador to France and Monaco Dinh Toan Thang presented his credentials to Prince of Monaco Albert II, pledging to contribute to enhancing bilateral friendship and conveying regards from President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the host. During the May 3 ceremony, the diplomat affirmed Vietnam always wishes to maintain and expand cooperation with Monaco through support for each other at multilateral forums, exchanges of delegations and bolstering partnership in the fields of green economy, maritime, digital transformation, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, tourism development and cultural exchanges. Read full story

– Remittances to Ho Chi Minh City in the first quarter of this year reached nearly 1.8 billion USD, according to the State Bank of Vietnam’s branch in the city. The volume showed a 14.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Read full story

Shrimp processing for exports. (Photo: VNA)

- Total foreign trade in agricultural, forestry and aquatic products hit some 31.8 billion USD in the first four months of 2022, an increase of 7 percent against the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Exports were worth 17.9 billion USD, up 15.6 percent year-on-year, while imports totalled 13.9 billion USD, down 2.3 percent. Read full story

- Vietnam produced over 2.6 million tonnes of aquatic products in the first four months of this year, a year-on-year rise of 2.2 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Of the total, its aquaculture output was over 1.36 million tonnes, an increase of 5.3 percent compared to the same period last year while catching nearly 1.2 million tonnes, down 1 percent. Read full story

Sprinter and hurdler Quach Thi Lan (centre) will be the cauldron lighter at the opening ceremony of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) in Hanoi later this month. (Photo: VNA)

- Sprinter and hurdler Quach Thi Lan has been selected to light the cauldron of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) at the opening ceremony in Hanoi on May 12, according to the organiser. The organiser initially selected marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh for the role. However, the Olympic medalist will not compete at the upcoming games as an athlete so the honour was transferred to Lan who championed the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2018 Asian Games (ASIAD). Vinh is the most successful sportsperson in Vietnam's history. He won one gold and one silver at the 2016 Rio Games, Vietnam's best result at the world's largest sport festival./. Read full story

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