Politics

☀️ Morning digest on March 18

PM Pham Minh Chinh's meeting with the task force for energy security, a working session on international trade relations, and Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines named the official carriers of the Hue Festival 2026 are among news highlights on March 17 evening.

☀️ Morning digest on March 18

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

– Party General Secretary To Lam on March 17 chaired a working session with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), and relevant ministries and sectors to discuss international trade relations and trade connectivity with key partners amid the current global geopolitical and geo-economic context.

After hearing reports from the MoIT and comments from participants, General Secretary Lam acknowledged and commended the sector’s achievements in 2025, urging the ministry to continue its efforts to fulfil key tasks in 2026 and live up to its role as a core pillar of the national economy. Read full story

– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 17 received a visiting delegation from Eisenhower Fellowships, during which he called for closer and more effective cooperation between Vietnam and the US in education and training through new and breakthrough approaches, contributing to the development of high-quality human resources in various sectors, particularly emerging fields.

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The meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) and a delegation from the Eisenhower Fellowships on March 17 (Photo: VNA)

The PM spoke highly of the contributions by the Eisenhower Fellowships to Vietnam over the years, as well as the support provided by the US in education and training through prestigious scholarship programmes such as the Eisenhower Fellowships. Read full story

– Crude oil supplies for domestic refineries have been maintained, and petrol supplies for the coming months remain secure, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said while chairing a meeting in Hanoi on March 17 with the task force for energy security.

Petrol prices have been kept under control and aligned with global trends, while overall energy supplies have continued to meet production and consumption needs without major fluctuations, said the PM at the meeting, which focused on discussing measures to safeguard national energy security amid the impact of the Middle East conflict on the global energy supply chain. Read full story

– National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man has called for stronger coordination between the National Assembly's Standing Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) in law-making, supervision, and social feedback activities in 2026.

Chairman Man made the request while co-chairing a joint conference on March 17 reviewing coordination between the NA Standing Committee and the Presidium of the VFF Central Committee in 2025 and outlining priorities for 2026. Read full story

– Vietnam attaches importance to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US, with cooperation in science, technology, innovation and digital economy serving as one of the key groundbreaking pillars, Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang said on March 17.

Receiving Daniel Rosen, CEO of Rosen Partners, a privately held, industry-leading investment firm in the US, Arik Alcalay, CEO of R-MOR and representatives of the US–ASEAN Business Council (USABC), Quang affirmed that the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) welcomes US enterprises and technology partners to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, contributing to the country’s digital transformation goals and the development of high-quality human resources. Read full story

– The 35th Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2026), one of the country’s most prestigious and long-established events of its kind, will be held from April 8 – 11 at the Vietnam Exposition Centre in Hanoi's Dong Anh commune.

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Visitors to the 34th Vietnam International Trade Fair in 2025 (Photo: VNA)

Hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, directed by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and organised by the Vinexad National Trade Fair & Advertising JSC, the expo will feature around 500 booths from more than 420 enterprises representing 20 countries and territories. It is expected to attract some 20,000 visitors and trade delegates from over 50 countries and territories. Read full story

– National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines have been named the official carriers of the Hue Festival 2026 under a sponsorship agreement signed with the festival organising committee on March 17.

Under the agreement, the two airlines will provide support worth more than 1.1 billion VND (nearly 42,000 USD), helping to improve connectivity and promote the image of the former imperial capital to domestic and international visitors. They will assist in transporting international art troupes, delegates, invited guests and personnel participating in the festival's activities. Read full story./.

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