Governor-General of Australia David Hurley. (Photo: abc.net.au) 
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung hosted a reception in Hanoi on May 21 for the Group of African Ambassadors to Vietnam, ahead of the 63rd anniversary of Africa Day (May 25).
Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong described the late leader as a noble symbol of genuine patriotism harmoniously combined with proletarian internationalism. She stressed that the legacy he left behind is not only national independence, but also a rich treasure of ideology, morality, culture and lifestyle, embodying the spirit of self-reliance and resilience.
National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man asked the NA Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs to take the lead in legal thinking, uphold high legislative drafting standards, sharpen policy appraisal work, strengthen oversight of law enforcement, and proactively contribute to building institutions for development.
Vietnam would actively participate in the ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit and contribute to its success, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.
Vietnam always puts solidarity and friendship with Cambodia at the top of its agenda, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung while hosting newly-appointed Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Touch Sopharath in Hanoi on May 21.
Vietnam’s materials industry has recorded important progress in recent years. Sectors such as steel, cement, construction materials, basic chemicals, fertilisers, plastics, rubber, textiles and industrial wood processing have developed rapidly. Vietnam also possesses significant reserves of rare earths, bauxite, titanium, tungsten, graphite, silica sand and limestone.
A meeting of the standing board of the Central Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Vietnam's participation in the 23rd ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting, and the opening of a series of international exhibitions on the automotive industry and transport infrastructure are among news highlights on May 21.
General Nguyen Tan Cuong highly valued the meeting’s theme – “Navigating Our Future, Together”, describing it as timely and reflective of ASEAN’s aspiration for solidarity, shared development and a prosperous community actively and effectively responding to present and future challenges.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasised that quantum technology is an entirely new, highly complex and rapidly evolving field closely linked to science and technology, national security, digital transformation, strategic industries and the country’s long-term competitiveness.
A delegation from the Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence led by its Deputy Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam, has paid a working visit to Slovakia and attended the International Defence and Security Exhibition (IDEB 2026) at the invitation of the Slovak Ministry of Defence.
The NA leader underlined the need to renew law-building mindset and improve the quality of appraisals of draft laws, ordinances, and resolutions, especially those directly affecting ethnic minority communities.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's meeting with the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health to look into traditional medicine, PM Le Minh Hung's phone talks with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, and the 2026 Ho Chi Minh City – RoK investment cooperation and business networking forum are among news highlights on May 20 evening.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung suggested that the two countries work together towards raising bilateral trade turnover to 10 billion USD in 2026 and eventually 15 billion USD through expanded market access for each other’s goods.
The Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission considered and decided disciplinary measures for several Party members with wrongdoings in the Party organisations of Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh during its six session in Hanoi on May 8 and 20.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung affirmed that the Party, State and people of Vietnam always attach importance to and wish to continuously nurture and promote the Vietnam–DPRK relationship in a more substantive and effective manner in the new development era, in line with the common aspirations of the two peoples and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
At a reception for Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Rogelio Polanco Fuentes in Hanoi on May 20, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung stressed that the Party, Government and people of Vietnam always remember and treasure the solidarity and wholehearted support that the Party, Government and people of Cuba have extended to Vietnam during its past struggle for national liberation as well as the current cause of national construction and development.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung proposed six major orientations for future collaboration, including further strengthening political trust through increased delegation exchanges, high-level contacts and bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and promoting more substantive defence and security cooperation through enhanced exchanges and stronger naval and maritime security capabilities.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man asked the NA Committee for Deputy Affairs to shift strongly from procedural consultation to strategic consultation, moving beyond the mindset of merely “following procedures correctly” towards policy design, process standardisation, quality control and forecasting.
The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
Public resources must lead and activate private resources, while public investment should stimulate broader social investment. FDI, meanwhile, should move from quantity-based attraction toward quality-based absorption linked with technology transfer and stronger domestic linkages, said top leader To Lam.
