☀ Morning digest May 25 hinh anh 1
Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

- The 15th National Assembly (NA)’s fifth session entered the third working day in Hanoi on May 24 under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, which was televised on the NA Television's channel.

Presided over by NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai in the morning, the NA listened to Finance Minister Ho Duc Phoc’s report on State budget execution 2021, the State Auditor General Ngo Van Tuan’s report on auditing State budget execution 2021, Chairman of the NA Finance-Budget Committee Le Quang Manh’s report examining the State budget execution 2021. Read full story
☀ Morning digest May 25 hinh anh 2President Vo Van Thuong (left) receives credentials from Qatari Ambassador Khalid Ali Abdullah Abel. (Photo: VNA)
- President Vo Van Thuong on May 24 received the ambassadors of Qatar, Brazil, Slovenia, Portugal, Estonia and Guinea, who came to present their credentials.

At his reception for Qatari Ambassador Khalid Ali Abdullah Abel, Thuong said he hopes to welcome the Emir of Qatar in Vietnam soon this year, thereby creating a breakthrough for the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Read full story

- Vietnam welcomes partners, including those from India, who are interested in investing in infrastructure, especially strategic infrastructure in the country, including transportation, energy, digital, and climate-adaptive infrastructure, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told CEO of the Adani Group’s Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ) Karan Adani during a reception in Hanoi on May 14.

The PM told his guest that during the recent expanded Summit of the Group of Seven in Japan, he met with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to discuss measures and orientations to promoting bilateral cooperation that matches with the potential of their comprehensive strategic partnership. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang met with former Prime Minister of Japan Suga Yoshihide, Chairman of the Japan - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Nikai Toshihiro, and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Tanaka Akihiko in Tokyo on May 24 as part of his working visit to Japan.

At their meeting, Quang wished former PM Suga Yoshihide, who is now an advisor to the Japan - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, to pay further attention to lifting the countries’ relations to a new height, increasing the exchange of delegations this year, and supporting the Vietnamese community in Japan, whose population nears 500,000. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired the opening session of the Vietnam - Asia DX Summit 2023 themed “Driving economic growth enabled by digital data mining and smart connectivity” in Hanoi on May 24.

Addressing the event, Ha affirmed that Vietnam's digital transformation is taking place strongly, and producing practical results. However, it cannot be done by one person, one organisation, one country, one government, but requires the engagement of everyone and all sectors. Read full story

- The reputable Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda (Komsomol Truth) on May 24 published an article highlighting the potential and prospects of the Russia-Vietnam relationship in the current situation, on the occasion of the Vietnam visit by Chairman of the United Russia Party and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.

The article described Vietnam as a strong emerging country with a population of 100 million, and one of the fastest-growing digital economies in the region, with an annual growth of 38%. The country is also likely to become the second-largest digital economy in Southeast Asia by 2025. Read full story
 
☀ Morning digest May 25 hinh anh 3Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)
- Legislators on May 24 listened to a proposal and a verification report on the further application of the 2% reduction in the value added tax (VAT) under a resolution dated January 11, 2022, as part of the ongoing fifth session of the 15th National Assembly.

Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc noted that the Government submitted Resolution 43/2022/QH15 on fiscal and monetary policies in support of the socio-economic recovery and development programme for approval. Read full story

- The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS)’ Institute of African and Middle Eastern Studies and the group of African Ambassadors to Vietnam held an international seminar on promoting African Continental Free Trade Area: opportunities and challenges for Vietnam on May 24.

In his opening speech, VASS President Dr. Phan Chi Hieu said Vietnam and African countries have a long-standing relationship and always support each other, from the struggle for national liberation to national development process. Despite COVID-19 pandemic, trade volume between Vietnam and African nations still recorded positive growth./. Read full story
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