☀️ Morning digest on July 17

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

☀️ Morning digest on July 17

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

- The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on July 16 reviewed the draft Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of 10 laws governing administrative procedures and business conditions in agriculture and environment.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep said the bill covers the laws on plant protection and quarantine, animal husbandry, dykes, geology and minerals, hydrometeorology, water resources, veterinary medicine, irrigation, fisheries and crop production. Read full story

- A legal assistance project launched in November 2022 has delivered measurable results in Vietnam’s disadvantaged mountainous provinces, particularly Dien Bien and Lao Cai, officials told a conference co-hosted by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the World Bank (WB) and the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi on July 16.

Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Ngoc, in his speech, called this one of the ministry’s key projects to raise public legal awareness. Read full story

- Vietnam and Laos have agreed to step up cooperation in finance, agriculture, natural resources and environmental management, with a focus on sustainable agricultural development, forest protection and green energy.

Receiving a delegation from Laos' Ministry of Agriculture and Environment led by Minister Linkham Douangsavanh in Hanoi on July 16, Finance Minister Ngo Van Tuan briefed the Lao side on Vietnam's socio-economic performance, noting that the country's agriculture sector expanded by about 4.8% in the first half of 2026, continuing to underpin the economy amid broader challenges. Read full story

- A delegation led by Kazakh Ambassador to Vietnam Kanat Tumysh paid a working visit to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on July 16 to explore the possibility of developing an integrated industrial complex applying technology to recycle agricultural by-products.

According to the delegation, the proposed project would use rice husks as its primary feedstock, with an estimated one million tonnes processed annually using advanced technology developed in Kazakhstan. At present, the top priority is to secure a stable supply of raw materials from rice-producing provinces across the Mekong Delta. Read full story

- More than 500 doctors and specialists from 15 countries and territories are attending the Stroke Intervention School 2026 international scientific conference and continuing medical education programme in Can Tho from July 16–18, focusing on comprehensive stroke management in the era of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

Organised by the Vietnam Society of Neurointervention, the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Neurointervention, the Ho Chi Minh City Medical Association and S.I.S Can Tho International General Hospital, the event brings together over 60 leading experts, including 32 international speakers from the US, Germany, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK and Australia. It is one of Vietnam's largest annual international forums on stroke care. Read full story

- The health condition of the last patient receiving treatment following the deadly boat capsize off the Phu Quoc special zone in An Giang province has shown positive signs of improvement after three more days of intensive care, Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City said on July 16.

Dr. Nguyen Ly Minh Duy of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit said the 54-year-old Indian patient is making steady progress. He is conscious and able to communicate, although his responses remain slow, while his brain haemorrhage has been brought under control. Read full story./.

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At the NA Standing Committee's session on August 4. (Photo: VNA)

National Assembly Standing Committee to look into 25 draft laws, resolutions

The committee will take up 25 draft laws and resolutions, including the revised Penal Code, the revised Law on Organisation of Criminal Investigation Agencies, and the review of the draft law amending Article 6 and Appendix IV on conditional business sectors and lines under the Law on Investment, among others.

ASEAN ambassadors in Beijing and the Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre pose for a group photo. (Photo:VNA)

Vietnam underscores ASEAN unity, centrality

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Thanh Binh highlighted ASEAN’s ability to listen to one another, respect diversity, manage differences and build consensus as among the key lessons underpinning the bloc’s strength and enabling it to move forward together.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (L) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (Photo: VNA)

Top Vietnamese leader’s New Zealand visit draws media attention

Reports, articles and assessments published on August 12-13 highlighted that Vietnam-New Zealand relations are shifting strongly from high-level political commitments to concrete cooperation programmes, with a focus on trade, investment, education, agriculture, science and technology, defence and security, and climate change response.

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 13

☕ Afternoon briefing on August 13

Activities during Party General Secretary and President To Lam's state visit to New Zealand, a ceremony marking the 100th birth anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Quang Tri, and a series of expos opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre are among news highlights on August 13.

Party General Secretary and President To Lam leaves Auckland on August 13 evening (local time), concluding a state visit to New Zealand. (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary, President To Lam concludes state visit to New Zealand

At the meetings during the visit, the two sides agreed to further strengthen political trust and advance bilateral relations comprehensively by stepping up high-level and all-level exchanges through Party, State, parliamentary and people-to-people channels, thereby making more effective use of existing policy dialogue mechanisms.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam (R) meets with Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee in Auckland on August 13 (Photo: VNA)

Top Vietnamese leader meets with New Zealand House Speaker

Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee welcomed the state visit by the Vietnamese leader and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, stressing that it will further deepen the Vietnam–New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across various fields, ushering bilateral ties into a new, more profound, substantive and effective phase.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon witness the exchange of cooperation agreements between the two countries on August 13, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam - New Zealand joint statement

Vietnam and New Zealand have issued a joint statement on the occasion of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam’s state visit to New Zealand from August 12-13.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (left) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at their talks in Auckland on August 13 (Photo: VNA)

Top Vietnamese leader holds talks with New Zealand Prime Minister

Welcoming General Secretary and President Lam and the Vietnamese delegation, New Zealand PM Luxon said the visit marked an important milestone in strengthening bilateral ties after more than half a century. He affirmed Vietnam is an important partner of New Zealand and expressed his impression at the Southeast Asian country’s remarkable achievements, including its strong economic growth.

☀️ Morning digest on August 13

☀️ Morning digest on August 13

Party General Secretary and President To Lam's meeting with Vietnamese Embassy staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's receptions for the Singaporean and Israeli ambassadors, and the 8th Vietnam–Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting are among news highlights on August 12 evening.