Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.
- President Luong Cuong received Belarusian Minister of Defence Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich in Hanoi on December 17 as the latter is in Vietnam for an official visit and attendance at the Vietnam Int'l Defence Expo 2024.
Welcoming the Belarusian delegation led by the minister, President Cuong affirmed that the Party, State, Army, and people of Vietnam value the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Belarus, which has been nurtured by the leaders and people of both countries over many generations. He also expressed deep appreciation for the sincere and effective assistance that the Soviet Union, including Belarus, provided to Vietnam during its past struggle for national independence and reunification. Read full story
- State President Luong Cuong on December 17 sent a message of sympathy to French President Emmanuel Macron over severe human and asset losses caused by Cyclone Chido in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent sympathies to his French counterpart François Bayrou. Read full story
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 17 requested the development of regimes and policies to ensure the legal and legitimate rights and interests of officials, civil servants, public employees, and labourers in the restructuring of the organisational apparatus, with no one left behind.
Chairing the fourth meeting of the government steering committee to review the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW, issued by the 12th Party Central Committee in 2017, which seeks to streamline the political system for greater efficiency, Chinh stressed that the policies should be consistent and build upon previous policies, particularly Government Decree No. 29 regulating the streamlining of civil servant positions, but they must be more advanced, suitable to the current national context and conditions, and ensure compatibility between the public and private sectors. Read full story
- National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man on December 17 expressed his confidence that Bac Giang will successfully implement the restructuring of district- and commune-level administrative units, and soon achieve its goal of becoming a developed province in Vietnam.
Speaking at a conference to announce Resolution No. 1191/NQ-UBTVQH of the NA Standing Committee on the reorganisation of district- and commune-level administrative units in the northern province for the 2023–2025 period, Man said that in recent times, the NA Standing Committee has completed the work for 51 provinces and cities with units subject to restructuring in the 2023-2025 period, including 37 district-level administrative units and 1,178 commune-level administrative units. Read full story
- The UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vietnam (Vietnam APPG) made its debut in London on December 16, expected to help strengthen the two countries’ comprehensive cooperation as they prepare to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their strategic partnership next year.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Do Minh Hung expressed his delight that the friendship group is among the first of its kind formed just months after the European nation’s general election in July. It has attracted more than 30 members of the UK House of Commons and House of Lords, including Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Catherine West - a close friend of Vietnam. Read full story
- The Ministry of National Defence on December 17 conducted the final rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Vietnam International Defence Expo, scheduled to take place in Hanoi from December 19 to 22.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defence and head of the steering committee for the expo, commended the efforts and dedication by the forces participating in the rehearsal, praising the effective management and organisation of the event. Read full story
- With sustained economic growth over years, Vietnam continues to impress and attract an increasing number of Chinese investors, participants said at an investment and trade forum between Ho Chi Minh City and China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in the southern economic hub on December 17.
Addressing the forum, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan highlighted the robust development of cooperation between Vietnam and China, particularly the GBA, across various fields, including economy, trade, investment, and tourism. Read full story
- A mid-term review meeting has taken place recently in Hanoi to look into the first phase of the Vietnam - Japan Joint Initiative in the new era, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).
Co-chairing the event, MPI Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc noted the initiative, launched in 2003, is a long-term effort to build up the foundation for the two countries’ economic cooperation. It is also an important dialogue channel and a special mechanism between the Vietnamese Government and Japanese enterprises. Read full story
- Eleven rare monkeys were released into the Pu Huong Nature Reserve in the central province of Nghe An on December 17.
The undertaking was carried out by the reserve’s management board in coordination with the Centre for Rescue, Conservation and Development of Creatures at the Cuc Phuong National Park encompassing the three provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, and Thanh Hoa that borders Nghe An. Read full story
- The presentation ceremony of the 2024 press awards on the economical and efficient use of energy was held on December 17.
The annual contest, part of the Vietnam National Energy Efficiency Programme for the 2019 - 2030 period, is organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Journalists' Association. It aims to promote the community's awareness and sense of responsibility towards energy conservation and efficiency while honouring outstanding reporters and works on the economical and efficient use of energy at both central and local levels./. Read full story
