☀️ Morning digest March 15

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

– National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has suggested the northern province of Hung Yen invest more in infrastructure to draw investors as room for industrial development remains ample in the region.
During a working session with the provincial authorities on March 14, Chairman Hue asked Hung Yen to focus on provincial planning that links with regional and land planning to ensure stability and long-term sustainability.Read full text

– Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 14 for the new Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam, Chea Kimtha.
Son congratulated Cambodia on its great achievements over the past years, including the successful organisation of the fifth Commune/Sangkat Council elections in June 2022, and the successful assumption of ASEAN and AIPA Chair in 2022.Read full text

– President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien has extended congratulations to Wang Huning over his election as Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Wang Huning was elected to the position at the first session of the 14th CPPCC.Read full text

– Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 14 for Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski, during which he suggested the two sides coordinate together closely to well organise celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties this year, including thorough preparations for the exchange of delegations in the coming time.
Quang expressed his delight at the strong and practical development of the bilateral strategic partnership in various areas. In particular, two-way trade hit 16.1 billion USD in 2022, more than 30 times higher than in 2021, making Australia the 10th largest trade partner of Vietnam and Vietnam the seventh biggest trade partner of Australia.Read full text

– Vietnam together with other nine countries representing member ‎states and observers of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) have promoted their cuisines and cultures at the Francophonie month in Malaysia.‎
The annual event, held at a shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur from March 10, saw the participation of Belgium, France, ‎Guinea, Laos, Mauritius, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, ‎and Vietnam.Read full text

– The Vietnamese Association in Thailand’s Udon Thani province on March 14 held a ceremony to commemorate 64 naval officers and soldiers who laid down their lives while defending Gac Ma Reef in Vietnam's Truong Sa in 1988 as well as heroic martyrs who sacrificed for the Fatherland and those who died of natural disasters and pandemics.
The event, held at Khanh An Pagoda, a Vietnamese pagoda in the northeastern province of Thailand, saw the participation of former Vice State President Truong My Hoa who is also head of the “For Beloved Hoang Sa and Truong Sa” Club.Read full text

– The Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association on March 14 presented copies of the Vietnamese version of a book entitled “Xin chao” (Hello) , written by Angel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez, former second Secretary at the Venezuelan Embassy to Vietnam, to the Dinh Huu Du Bookcase Initiative set up by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union chapter at the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
Addressing the book handover ceremony, Le Duy Truyen, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association and former Deputy General Director of VNA, said Angel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez is a diplomat and also a journalist, who was one of the founders of the Venezuela-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity House. Read full text

– The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) on March 14 issued two decisions to reduce regulatory interest rates by 0.5% to 1%, which will come into force on March 15.
Under Decision No. 313/QD-NHNN, the rediscount interest rate will be revised down from 4.5% per year to 3.5% per year; overnight lending rates in interbank electronic payments and loans to cover capital shortfalls in clearing payments of the SBV for credit institutions will be decreased from 7% per year to 6% per year.Read full text/.