☀️ Morning digest on August 5

The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.

☀️ Morning digest on August 5

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

- State President Luong Cuong led a high-ranking delegation to the Arab League (AL) headquarters in Cairo on August 4, underscoring Vietnam’s wish to foster more substantive and effective ties with the AL and all of its member states, most of whom are long-standing friends and key economic partners.

Meeting with AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit right after the Vietnamese flag hoisting ceremony at the AL headquarters, President Cuong praised the AL’s active role in promoting peace, stability, and development across the Middle East, Africa, and the world. He expressed confidence that the AL will continue to achieve greater successes in building a united, prosperous, and dynamic community across various sectors. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, head of the national steering committee for implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on private economic development, chaired the committee’s first meeting on August 4 evening.

As heard at the event, on May 4, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW. To implement it, the National Assembly (NA) adopted Resolution No. 198/2025/QH15 outlining special mechanisms and policies to support growth of the private economic sector, followed by the Government’s Resolution No. 139/NQ-CP detailing the implementation plan of the NA’s document. Read full story

- Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien held official talks with his visiting Lao counterpart Malaithong Kommasith in Hanoi on August 4.

Dien commended the progress made in trade cooperation, noting that bilateral trade reached 2.25 billion USD last year, marking an annual increase of 38.2% and surpassing 2 billion USD for the first time. In the first half of 2025 alone, the turnover reached 1.78 billion USD, a year-on-year rise of 92.2%. Laos continued to record a trade surplus with Vietnam. Read full story

- The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) urged commercial and foreign banks to stabilise deposit rates and slash lending rates at a conference in Hanoi on August 4, in line with Government directives to drive economic recovery amid the robust 7.52% GDP growth in the first half of 2025.

The SBV has maintained a proactive, flexible, timely, and effective monetary policy in close, harmonious, and coordinated combination with fiscal and other measures to ensure stability, Deputy Governor Pham Thanh Ha said. Read full story

- Vietnam’s state budget revenue soared to over 1,572 trillion VND (60.4 billion USD) in the first seven months of 2025, hitting 79.9% of the annual target and jumping 27.4% year-on-year, the Ministry of Finance reported.

Domestic revenue reached 1,363.5 trillion VND, up 31.6% annually and meeting 81.7% of the yearly goal. Of 34 provinces, 24 exceeded 68% of their targets, while 33 reported year-on-year growth. Read full story

- Vietravel Airlines on August 4 officially welcomed its second owned aircraft, an Airbus A320, at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, marking a new milestone in the airline’s efforts to enhance operational capacity and pursue sustainable development.

The newly acquired plane, registration number VN-A136, features a 182-seat configuration and is scheduled to enter service this August following the completion of technical maintenance procedures. Read full story

- The Hue Central Hospital on August 4 held a ceremony to discharge and congratulate a 56-year-old patient on his successful heart transplant, marking the hospital’s 19th successful surgery of this kind.

Born in 1969, he is the oldest person to have undergone a heart transplant at the hospital in the central city of Hue. Read full story./.

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Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil and Guyana Bui Van Nghi speaks at the event. (Photo courtesy of the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil)

Vietnam highlights diplomatic gains, growing ties with Brazil, Guyana

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam – Guyana diplomatic ties, Ambassador Bui Van Nghi described the milestone as an opportunity for both sides to deepen political trust, broaden cooperation in potential areas, and make positive contributions to peace, cooperation and sustainable development in the regions and beyond.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the third National Forum on Digital Economy and Digital Society in Hanoi on December 20. (Photo: VNA)

Digital economy as driver, digital society as foundation of growth: PM

The forum, themed “Developing an inclusive and comprehensive digital economy and digital society to achieve double-digit GDP growth in the 2026–2030 period,” brought together leaders of ministries and localities, technology enterprises, research institutions, experts and representatives of international organisations in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (R) and Benoit Guidée, Director of the Asia–Oceania Department at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs meet in Hanooi on December 19. (Photo: VNA)

Deputy FM meets French official

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang stressed that Vietnam attaches great importance to its relationship with France, the first European Union country with which Vietnam has established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, noting that the two sides enjoy a solid foundation and significant potential for further cooperation.

Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu speaks at the event in Hanoi on December 19 (Photo: VNA)

Senior Party official reviews preparations for 14th National Party Congress

Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu expressed his belief that relevant agencies will continue to make efforts to basically complete organisation- and service-related preparations by December 31, ensuring readiness for the final rehearsals ahead of the opening of the 14th National Party Congress.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addressing the conference of the the Ministry of Industry and Trade on December 19 (Photo: VNA)

PM urges industry, trade sector to pioneer in six key areas

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that to make a substantive contribution to national development, the industry and trade sector must also achieve double-digit growth, generate new jobs, strengthen traditional growth drivers such as export and consumption, and accelerate emerging engines of growth, including the green, digital, circular, knowledge-based and sharing economies.

State President Luong Cuong (middle) presents congratulatory flowers to the two promoted officers (Photo: VNA)

Two military officers promoted to rank of Senior Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General Do Xuan Tung, Vice Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), and Lieutenant General Do Van Banh, Political Commissar of the National Defence Academy were promoted to the rank of Senior Lieutenant General at a ceremony in Hanoi on December 19.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (R) hosts a reception for Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam Nguyen Huy Tien. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam–Laos step up cooperation in procuracy sector

They highly valued the effective and substantive cooperation results achieved by the Supreme People’s Procuracies of Vietnam and Laos in recent years, and called on both sides to continue enhancing coordination, stepping up exchanges of delegations at all levels, sharing professional and technical experience, and maintaining and expanding training and capacity-building programmes for officials.