☀️ Morning digest April 18

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries last night by the Vietnam News Agency. 

- President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 17 for ASEAN ambassadors who came to congratulate him on being elected as the Vietnamese State leader.

On behalf of the ASEAN diplomats, Indonesian Ambassador Denny Abdi conveyed congratulations and greetings from leaders of Indonesia and ASEAN member states to President Thuong. Read full story

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) and Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg at the reception. (Photo: VNA)

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the first visit to Vietnam by Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg during a reception for the latter in Hanoi on April 17.

PM Chinh hailed the outcomes of the earlier talks between Schallenberg and Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, as well as a Vietnam-Austria cooperation forum with the participation of the two countries’ businesses the same day. Read full story

- Vietnam and Australia need to develop bilateral trade in a more balanced way by promoting the export of Vietnamese products to the Southwest Pacific nation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said while receiving Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell in Hanoi on April 17.

Farrell is on a working visit in Vietnam to co-chair the third Vietnam-Australia Economic Partnership Meeting together with Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, which took place on the same day. Read full story

- Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue and his entourage left Hanoi on April 18 morning for official visits to Cuba, Argentina and Uruguay from April 18-28.

The visits are made at the invitations of President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina Cecilia Moreau, and Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon Cedeira. Read full story

- Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held online talks with Mozambican Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Veronica Macamo Dlhovo on April 17.

Son spoke highly of the positive development of multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Mozambique over the past years, notably the online high-level talks between Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) Party and President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi, and the Vietnam visit by President of the Mozambican Assembly Esperanca Bias in June 2022.Read full story

- Vietnam values and looks to strengthen friendship and cooperation with Austria, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg during their talks in Hanoi on April 17.

Schallenberg, who is on Vietnam visit from April 16-18 at the invitation of Son, hailed Vietnam’s increasingly important role and position in the region and the world. He affirmed that Austria expects to reinforce ties with Vietnam, its top partner in Southeast Asia. Read full story

- Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien had a working session with Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell in Hanoi on April 17, discussing specific measures to enhance economic and commercial ties and effectively implement the Vietnam - Australia Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy.

They agreed that the bilateral economic and commercial partnership is at its best ever, with the two economies complementing one another. Read full story

A doctor takes care of a COVID-19 patient (Photo: VNA)

- Vietnam documented as many as 1,031 new COVID-19 cases on April 17, a record in the past nearly six months, confirmed the Health Ministry.

Since the pandemic broke out, Vietnam has logged 11,532,103 infections, ranking 13th out of 230 countries and territories globally. In terms of the number of cases per one million people, Vietnam is placed 121st out of 230 countries and territories with 116,541 cases on average./.Read full story