Hanoi (VNA) – Leaders of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Timor-Leste, the Republic of Korea, the US, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and France, and the ASEAN Secretary-General have extended their greetings to the top Vietnamese leaders on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 - 2025).
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent congratulations to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, while Malaysia’s Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar extended greetings to State President Luong Cuong.
In their congratulatory letters, the Malaysian leaders welcomed the 2024 upgrade of Vietnam–Malaysia ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024, a historic milestone fostering deeper cooperation across traditional and emerging sectors. They also appreciated Vietnam’s support for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 and expressed their commitment to work closely with high-ranking Vietnamese leaders for more substantive results, benefiting the two countries’ people and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region.
Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam sent congratulations to President Luong Cuong and PM Pham Minh Chinh, affirming that Brunei attaches importance to its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam, praising the tangible results of the 2023–2027 Action Plan in contributing to the development and prosperity of both countries. The King expressed his desire to further strengthen friendship and cooperation during his upcoming state visit to Vietnam.
In his letter sent to the Vietnamese State and Government leaders, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto affirmed that the two countries have built a strong and enduring relationship over seven decades. He stressed that the two countries have upgraded their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and will continue to cooperate closely, not only for their mutual benefit but also to contribute significantly to peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sent congratulatory letters to Party General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong and PM Pham Minh Chinh. Meanwhile Senate President Francis Escudero and Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez sent letters to National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
The Philippine leaders expressed admiration for the solidarity and resilience of the Vietnamese people, describing it as an inspiration for many countries, including the Philippines. They also lauded Vietnam’s international integration and rapid economic development, reaffirming the long-standing ties between the two peoples, expressing the desire to strengthen bilateral relations and expand strategic partnership between the two nations.
In their congratulatory messages to President Luong Cuong and PM Pham Minh Chinh respectively, King Maha Vajiralongkorn and acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai of Thailand praised the resilience and solidarity of the Vietnamese people in national development, and welcomed the recent upgrade of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. They affirmed their wish to further strengthen cooperation, especially in trade, investment, infrastructure, education, and culture, for the benefit of both nations and the development of the ASEAN Community.
Secretary-General of the People's Action Party (PAP) and Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong sent congratulatory letters to Party General Secretary To Lam and PM Pham Minh Chinh. Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam extended greetings to President Luong Cuong. Meanwhile, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng sent a congratulatory message to NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
The Singaporean leaders praised the friendship, political trust, and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, noting that the newly established Vietnam–Singapore comprehensive strategic partnership provides a solid foundation for stronger and more substantive cooperation, particularly in emerging areas such as food security, renewable energy, carbon credits, digital cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. They also expressed a desire to further strengthen interactions and delegation exchanges at all levels and channels; promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
In his congratulatory letter to President Luong Cuong, President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta highlighted the historical significance of the August Revolution, saying that it inspired nations worldwide in defending freedom and national sovereignty. He also spoke highly of the strong friendship between the two countries, affirming a desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation as Timor-Leste actively prepares to join ASEAN. President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung sent a congratulatory message to State President Luong Cuong, expressing confidence that the Vietnam – RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop more strongly and reach a new height in the coming time, based on solid trust and deep affection between the people of both countries.
On behalf of the US Government, Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended his heartfelt greetings to the Government and people of Vietnam. In the message, he praised Vietnam's impressive development and affirmed the country is an important regional partner, playing a leading role in addressing common global challenges. With 2025 marking the 30th anniversary of Vietnam – US diplomatic relations, the diplomat expressed his pride in the progress achieved within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, while reaffirming the commitment to strengthening the ties to promote peace, prosperity, and security for both nations and the region.
From Japan, President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru sent congratulations to Party General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, while Emperor Naruhito extended greetings to State President Luong Cuong. Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Nukaga Fukushiro and President of the House of Councillors Sekiguchi Masakazu also conveyed messages to National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
The Japanese leaders hailed Vietnam’s reform efforts and the country’s achievements, and celebrated the positive development of the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across multiple fields, noting how the two countries have become irreplaceable partners. They expressed their hope for enhanced partnership across such domains as economy, security – defence, parliamentary cooperation, and people-to-people exchange.
On the occasion, the the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party also sent congratulations to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).
Meanwhile, messages of congratulations were sent from Governor-General of New Zealand Cindy Kiro to State President Luong Cuong, from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Party General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, from Speaker of the House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee to National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. The New Zealand leaders laid stress on the significance of the September 2 celebrations, describing it as a vivid demonstration for Vietnam’s impressive development journey. The country’s standout socio-economic achievements continue to inspire the international community, they stated, expressing their confidence that the Vietnam – New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop on the back of the solid friendship, mutual respect, and shared commitment to strengthening the bilateral cooperation.
In her message sent to State President Luong Cuong on the occasion, Australian Governor-General Samantha Mostyn emphasised this as a milestone marking eight decades of nation-building and socio-economic development, with outstanding innovation and resilience of the Vietnamese people. She affirmed that Australia and Vietnam are sustainable partners, with bilateral relations built on a foundation of strategic trust. Both sides continue to concretise their vision and commitments within the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, where people-to-people connections serve as a particularly important foundation for the bilateral relations. She expressed her desire to visit Vietnam soon to witness the country's recent development.
The Communist Party of Australia also sent congratulations to the Communist Party of Vietnam.
French President Emmanuel Macron sent congratulatory letters to Party General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong, while Prime Minister François Bayrou congratulated Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. They highlighted the momentum generated through the October 2024 visit to France by Party chief and then State President To Lam, during which the two countries upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. French leaders affirmed their commitment to building an ambitious partnership with Vietnam and as well as the one between the EU and ASEAN.
The French leaders reiterated both countries' shared commitment to respecting international law, peaceful resolution of disputes, and multilateralism, reaffirming their commitment to continue promoting close relations with Vietnam while working to build an independent alliance between Europe and Asia with the EU and ASEAN at its centre.
National Secretary of French Communist Party Fabien Roussel also sent congratulations to Party General Secretary To Lam.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn congratulated Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, underscoring Vietnam’s crucial contributions during three decades of ASEAN membership. He highlighted Vietnam’s role in reinforcing ASEAN unity and centrality, spearheading sub-regional initiatives and reducing development gaps. The Secretary-General underscored that under the Prime Minister's leadership, Vietnam has consistently maintained its commitment and played a key role in promoting ASEAN cooperation across all three Community pillars.
Besides, he highlighted Vietnam’s ASEAN chairmanship role in 2020 as well as the success and significance of the ASEAN Future Forum with efforts to shape ASEAN's strategy, affirming continued support for Vietnam and other member countries in implementing the Kuala Lumpur Declaration – “ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future”./.
See more
Vietnamese, Russian cities boost cooperation in urban infrastructure development
The two sides discussed specific cooperation programmes to help strengthen collaboration in technical infrastructure and promote sustainable transport within the framework of the Vietnam–Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Prime Minister urges youth to take lead in key areas for national development
PM Chinh stressed that the Vietnamese youth must maintain firm political resolve, remain steadfast in their ideals and continuously innovate in both mindset and action. He encouraged young people to strive to realise their aspirations and ambitions.
PM’s visit helps reposition, advance Vietnam–Russia ties in new era
The two sides agreed on key directions and specific measures to elevate the bilateral relations, with Russian leaders reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation with Vietnam across traditional sectors.
☕ Afternoon briefing on March 26
The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
Law enforcement cooperation mechanism along Vietnam – China – Laos border launched
The mechanism launch comes amid increasingly close cross-border ties among local communities while also addressing growing challenges posed by transnational crimes such as smuggling, illegal migration, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
NA Chairman chairs meeting on preparations for 16th NA’s first session
The 16th National Assembly’s first session will elect finalise key state leadership positions, including the State President, Prime Minister, NA Chairman, NA vice chairpersons, Deputy PMs, Cabinet members, members of the NA Standing Committee, head of the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs and heads of NA committees.
PM’s Russia visit yields substantive outcomes: Deputy FM
During Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Russia on March 22-25, Vietnam and Russia reached strong consensus on deepening political trust and mutual understanding, building on their long-standing traditional friendship.
📝OP-ED: 14th Party Central Committee’s second plenum: Substantive governance to drive breakthroughs
Accordingly, the Party Central Committee outlined four core requirements, all centred on a single question: how to make the system operate more accurately, efficiently, and with greater real-world impact.
Vietnamese ambassador presents credentials to French President
Vietnam and France agreed on the need for closer cooperation to ensure global food and energy security, while coordinating effectively at regional and multilateral forums.
Vietnamese naval ship completes mission at Kakadu Exercise 2026
Ship 016–Quang Trung of Brigade 162 under Naval Region 4 departed Sydney Harbour on the morning of March 25 for home after successfully completing activities within the framework of the Exercise Kakadu Fleet Review 2026 marking the 125th anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy and the multilateral naval exercise Kakadu 2026.
PM arrives in Hanoi, concluding official visit to Russia
With the outcomes achieved and strong implementation efforts by both sides, the Vietnam – Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is expected to grow further, contributing to socio-economic development in each country as well as to peace, friendship and cooperation in the region and the world.
☀️ Morning digest on March 26
The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.
Vietnamese Prime Minister meets Russian President in Moscow
President Putin said Vietnam remains a sincere friend and an important partner of Russia in the Asia-Pacific, stressing that Russia attaches importance to further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Vietnamese, Philippine foreign ministers hold phone talks
They agreed to further elevate cooperation across all areas, including politics, diplomacy, defence, security, economy, and people-to-people exchanges, contributing to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (July 12, 1976 – 2026).
Deputy PM receives Cambodian Minister of Cult and Religion in Hanoi
Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh welcomed Cambodian Minister of Cult and Religion Chay Borin and his entourage on their working visit to Vietnam to implement the cooperation agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and Cambodia’s Ministry of Cult and Religion for the 2026–2030 period.
Nguyen Dinh Thang prosecuted on terrorism charge, urged to surrender
According to the indictment dated March 9, Thang, born on March 9, 1958, is prosecuted under Clause 2, Article 299. Before fleeing abroad, he resided at 14/40C Ky Dong street, Nhieu Loc ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
95th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union marked in Laos
Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam described Vietnamese and Lao youth as the “architects” of the future of bilateral ties and called on young Vietnamese in Laos to strengthen their political awareness, pioneer digital transformation and entrepreneurship, and act as ambassadors of friendship between the two countries' people.
Vietnam seeks deeper cooperation with Russian region
Vietnam seeks deeper cooperation with Russian region
Vietnam, Cambodia foster friendship, solidarity
At a meeting on March 25 at the headquarters of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces High Command, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu conveyed his best New Year wishes to General Vong Pisen and all officers and soldiers of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
Vietnam actively contributes to cooperation, solidarity in Francophone community
Vietnam views the Francophone space not merely as a linguistic sphere but also as one of sharing, solidarity and collective action for common international goals.