Politics

☀️ Morning digest on April 22

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's working session with the standing board of the Ha Tinh Party Committee, President of the RoK Lee Jae Myung's beginning of a state visit to Vietnam, and 84% of Vietnam’s small businesses reporting growth last year are among news highlights on April 21 evening.

☀️ Morning digest on April 22

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

– The central province of Ha Tinh must maintain sharp focus, fully leverage its potential, spark development ambition, seize opportunities, surmount challenges, and stay resolute in pursuing sustainable growth ahead, said Party General Secretary and State President To Lam.

During a local working session with the standing board of the provincial Party Committee on April 21, General Secretary and State President Lam urged Ha Tinh to fully recognise both the responsibility and honour of a land rich in tradition, thereby fueling an even stronger development drive. Read full story

– President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse arrived in Hanoi on April 21 afternoon, beginning a four-day state visit to Vietnam.

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President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse arrive in Hanoi on April 21 afternoon. (Photo: VNA)

The visit is made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President To Lam and his spouse. Read full story

– Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 21 for Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Deirdre Ní Fhallúin to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation and preparations for the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1996–2026).

The meeting also aims to seek ways to realise the outcomes of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam's visit to Ireland in October 2024. Read full story

– ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on April 21 affirmed that both he personally and the ASEAN Secretariat stand ready to coordinate with and support Vietnam in ASEAN’s cooperation activities.

At a working session with Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kao congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term. Read full story

– Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Phan Minh Giang, who is concurrently in charge of Samoa, presented his credentials to Head of the Independent State of Samoa Tuimalealiifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II in Apia on April 21.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Office of the Head of State, the Government, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Samoa. Read full story

– The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have agreed to expand cooperation for the 2025–2030 period, with a focus on green transformation and enhancement of global competitiveness.

Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang welcomed the signing of the country programme to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Vietnam for 2025–2028, describing it as a key foundation for deepening cooperation, supporting Vietnam’s industrial sector in achieving its development goals in the new phase. Read full story

– Vietnam’s small businesses saw a strong performance in 2025, with 84% reporting growth—a slight increase from the previous year—according to an Asia-Pacific small business survey released on April 21 in Ho Chi Minh City by CPA Australia, one of the world’s largest professional accounting organisations.

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Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

The country emerged as the best-performing market among the 11 economies surveyed. Read full story

– The Vietnam women's national football team is placed 37th in the world with 1,593.71 points, according to the latest rankings released by FIFA.

The ranking reflects results from recent competitions, including SEA Games 33 and the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 finals held in March. Read full story./.

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