☀️ Morning digest May 18

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

- Mongolia is proud to be a friend of Vietnam - a country with increasing international prestige and position in the region and the world, which has a vital position in Mongolia's foreign policy in Southeast Asia, Secretary of the National Security Council of Mongolia Jadamba Enkhbayar told President Vo Van Thuong at their meeting in Hanoi on May 17.

President Vo Van Thuong (R) receives Secretary of the National Security Council of Mongolia Jadamba Enkhbayar. (Photo: VNA) 

President Thuong highlighted the fruitful friendship between the two nations in the last nearly seven decades, saying that the bilateral relations have been continuously consolidated and developed strongly. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception for  Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Karl Van Den Bossche and Francois Michel, CEO of John Cockerill Group - a mechanical engineering firm of Belgium, in Hanoi on May 17.

At the reception (Photo: VNA)

At the meeting, PM Chinh affirmed Vietnam is consistent with its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, and extensive, intensive, practical and effective international integration. Read full story

- Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee's Secretariat Truong Thi Mai hosted a reception for a high-ranking delegation from the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution of Cuba (CDR) led its National Coordinator Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo in Hanoi on May 17.

During the reception, Mai expressed her joy at the fruitful development of the special solidarity and friendship between the two Parties, States and peoples, saying that the relationship is a valuable common property that needs to be preserved and constantly developed. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang hosted a reception in Hanoi on May 17 for Nicholas Moore, Australia's Special Envoy for Southeast Asia, who is on a working visit to Vietnam.

Quang spoke highly of the fine development of bilateral relations, with two-way trade hitting 15.7 billion USD in 2022, up 26.7% year-on-year, making Australia Vietnam’s seventh largest trade partner, and Vietnam the 10th largest trader with Australia. Read full story

- The 20th ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea (SOM-DOC) was held in the northern province of Quang Ninh on May 17 after nearly two years of hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened a meeting to coordinate their stances. Read full story

- Despite uncertainties in the global economy, Vingroup will continue focusing on winning over international markets this year, the company said at the 2023 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 17. 

VinFast, a Vingroup subsidiary that specialises in the design and production of electric vehicles (EVs), and Black Spade Acquisition Co. announced a merger on May 12. Read full story

- The Vietnam-Japan joint venture Nghi Son Cement Corporation (NSCC) said it has exported 31,500 tonnes of cement to the US, its first batch to the market.

Illustrative image (Photo: Nghi Son Cement Corporation)

The shipment is considered a good sign given the gloomy situation facing the construction sector. Read full story

- Eight ministries and agencies will coordinate in conducting comprehensive, unscheduled inspections of TikTok's operations in Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

Apart from the MIC, the inspection delegation will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications. Read full story

- A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 17 to send off the Vietnamese team competing in the 12th ASEAN Para Games which is scheduled to take place in Cambodia from June 3-9.

At the event (Photo: VNA)

The event was co-hosted by the Vietnam Sports Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, HCM City's Department of Culture and Sports and the Vietnam Paralympic Association./. Read full story