Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.
– Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae held talks in Hanoi on May 2 following an official welcome ceremony.
During the meeting, PM Hung noted that the selection of Vietnam as PM Takaichi’s first Asian destination after her re-election underscores the high priority Japan places on relations with the country. Read full story
– Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on the morning of May 2 received Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Takaichi Sanae during her official visit to Vietnam.
The host leader welcomed PM Takaichi’s visit, saying it comes at an important time as both countries have new leadership teams working to advance their socio-economic goals. He expressed satisfaction with the strong momentum in Vietnam–Japan relations more than two years after their upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Read full story
– National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in Hanoi on May 2, affirming that the Vietnamese legislature will continue playing an active supervisory role in stepping up bilateral commitments and cooperation agreements, particularly in economy, trade, and investment.
Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the robust and substantive development of the Vietnam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, underscoring the importance of parliamentary cooperation. They agreed to further bolster political trust, high-level exchanges and interactions between two legislatures’ specialised committees, and cooperation among friendship parliamentary groups, young and female legislators. Read full story
– Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae visited and delivered a keynote policy speech at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) on May 2, conveying a strong message about the future of the Vietnam – Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and announcing important updates to Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Vision.
Marking 10 years since the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe first introduced the (FOIP) vision in Kenya in 2016, PM Takaichi reaffirmed the initiative’s continued relevance, particularly as ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) in 2019, which shares core values and spirits with Japan’s FOIP. She noted that last October, she and ASEAN leaders adopted a joint statement confirming the synergy between FOIP and AOIP and the promotion of further cooperation. Read full story
– Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has expressed deep sympathy over the challenges Cuba is facing, saying Vietnam has been providing practical support in agriculture and energy to help ease difficulties for the Cuban people.
Speaking at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)’s regular ambassadorial meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on May 1, Viet called on member states to uphold the movement’s spirit of solidarity, continue supporting Cuba, oppose unilateral embargoes and sanctions, and back dialogue efforts between Cuba and the US based on mutual respect, peace, stability and the interests of their people. Read full story
– Total registered foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam, including newly registered and adjusted capital, plus foreign investors’ contributions and share purchases, hit 18.24 billion USD as of April 27, up 32% year-on-year, reported the Ministry of Finance’s National Statistics Office (NSO) on May 3.
Specifically, 1,249 new projects were licensed with a combined registered capital of 12.15 billion USD, marking a 3.7% annual rise in volume and a 2.2-fold increase in value. Manufacturing and processing dominated, pulling in 8.12 billion USD, or 66.8% of the total. Electricity, gas, water production and distribution came in second with 2.31 billion USD (19%), while other sectors drew 1.72 billion USD (14.2%). Read full story
– Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of 7.11 billion USD in the first four months of 2026, according to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.
In its socio-economic report released on May 3, the office said the country’s total import-export turnover in April was estimated at 94.32 billion USD, up 0.8% from the previous month and 26.7% year-on-year. Read full story
– Soaring domestic gas prices, riding a global fuel rally, alongside steeper costs for dining-out services and construction materials drove Vietnam’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) up 0.84% in April from the previous month, the Finance Ministry’s National Statistics Office reported May 3.
The CPI in April advanced 3.31% compared to December 2025 and 5.46% from a year earlier. For the first four months of 2026, the index climbed 3.99% against the same period last year, with core inflation growing 3.89%. Read full story./.
