Politics

☀️ Morning digest on September 21

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

☀️ Morning digest on September 21

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

- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, departed Hanoi on September 20 morning to attend the high-level general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81), engage in bilateral activities in the US, and pay a state visit to Canada at the invitation of Canadian Governor General Louise Arbour.

The trip will take place from September 20 to 25. Read full story

- General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam has sent a letter to Vietnamese children at home and abroad, as well as foreign children living in Vietnam, expressing his best wishes to them on the occasion of the mid-Autumn festival which falls on September 25.

In his September 19 letter, he extended his warmest wishes and affection to Vietnamese children at home and abroad, as well as foreign children living in Vietnam, expressing his hope that each Mid-Autumn Festival would leave them with beautiful and lasting memories. Read full story

- With its journey of transformation—from war to peace and from underdevelopment to prosperity—and its experience in combining economic growth with social progress and environmental protection, Vietnam can offer valuable lessons for efforts to foster trust and enhance the effectiveness of multilateralism, said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

During an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Wignaraja, who has over 30 years of experience within the UN system and previously worked in Vietnam during the early 2000s, considers the country’s development story, spanning domestic transformations to its opening-up and deep integration into the world, an impressive narrative in its own right. Read full story

- Authorities in central Quang Ngai province are urgently coordinating measures to respond to an incident involving the Greek-flagged ore carrier Merchant Mariner, which took on water in its ballast tanks while approaching Dung Quat waters.

According to the Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority and the Dung Quat Port Border Guard Station, the incident occurred about 15 nautical miles from the anchorage area at around 4pm on September 18, 2026, when the vessel was carrying more than 174,000 tonnes of iron ore from Malaysia to Dung Quat Port. Read full story

- Vietnam has clinched its first medal at the 2026 Asian Games (ASIAD 2026) as the duo Nguyen Hoang Minh Tan and Trinh Gia Nghi obtained a bronze in the teqball mixed doubles event on the Games' first official day of competition.

In the bronze-medal match on the morning of September 20, Tan and Nghi put on a confident display, overcoming their Indian opponents with a straight-sets victory of 2–0 (12–9, 12–6). Read full story

- A festival in France has offered visitors a vibrant glimpse into Vietnamese culture through traditional music, dance, martial arts, folk crafts and cuisine.

Held on September 19–20 in Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France, the fourth edition of the Maintenon/Pierres Japan Festival featured Vietnam as its honoured guest country, alongside Japan. .Read full story/.

VNA
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Vietnamese Ambassador to France Trinh Duc Hai addresses the ceremony in Paris on September 18. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, France look towards shared future

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Trinh Duc Hai noted that the two countries share a long and eventful history, along with deep exchanges in people-to-people ties, culture, intellectual life and science. Bilateral relations today have moved beyond the framework of their shared history and are firmly looking towards the future.

Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam can offer valuable lessons to support more effective multilateralism: UN official

Assessing the significance of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam’s attendance at the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, a UN official noted that Vietnam’s presence consistently reflects a development and foreign policy vision that places peace, stability, security, and the well-being of the people at the centre.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam departs Hanoi on September 20 morning to attend the UNGA 81 high-level general debate, engage in bilateral activities in the US, and pay a state visit to Canada. (Photo: VNA)

Top leader departs for UNGA 81 high-level debate, state visit to Canada

The trip is expected to make an important contribution to further strengthening and deepening Vietnam’s relations with the UN, the US and its partners; promoting more substantive and closely connected Vietnam–Canada ties; and affirming Vietnam’s proactive, active and responsible role in global issues, as well as its active contribution to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Nguyen Hoang Linh, Director of the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, delivers Vietnam’s national statement at the plenary sitting of the 70th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Austria. (Photo published by VNA)

Vietnam affirms safe, peaceful development of nuclear energy

Delivering Vietnam’s national statement, Nguyen Hoang Linh, Director of the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, said the Southeast Asian nation is implementing its strategy for the development and application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes through 2035, with a vision to 2050, while preparing the necessary conditions for its Ninh Thuan nuclear power projects, nuclear sci-tech centre, and new research reactor.

Chairwoman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Obuchi Yuko speaks at the ceremony marking 81st National Day of Vietnam in Tokyo, Japan, on September 18, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Japan move forward together in new era of development

Minister of Finance Katayama Satsuki affirmed that Vietnam-Japan relations have entered a new stage of development. She said cooperation in areas such as finance, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals and energy would not only promote mutual growth but also contribute to regional peace and prosperity.

Politburo Member and Standing Member of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu congratulates newly-appointed officials (Photo: VNA)

Political Bureau, Secretariat’s personnel decisions announced

The Party Central Committee’s Political Bureau and Secretariat convened a conference in Hanoi on September 18 to announce a series of personnel decisions, which was attended by Politburo Member and Standing Member of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (centre) and delegates pose for a photo with the two newly appointed ambassadors (Photo: VNA)

Top leader hands over appointment decisions to two Vietnamese ambassadors

Amid a rapidly changing and complex world, the top leader asked the diplomatic sector, particularly ambassadors, to remain steadfast in principles while being flexible in tactics, maintain independence and self-reliance, proactively safeguard national interests, and seek new advantages and opportunities for the country while contributing to common peace and development.

Delegates attend the ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day (September 2, 1945 – 2026) (Photo published by VNA)

Vietnam, Bulgaria seek to turn Strategic Partnership into tangible results

Speaking at a recent ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day (September 2, 1945 – 2026), attended by more than 350 delegates, the ambassador highlighted the establishment of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Strategic Partnership during General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam’s official visit to Bulgaria in October 2025 as opening a new chapter in bilateral relations.

The two sides exchange a memorandum of understanding at the talks (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, China strengthen cooperation in combating cross-border crimes

The two sides agreed on key cooperation priorities for the coming period, including strengthening border management, strictly implementing the three legal documents on the Vietnam–China land border, stepping up efforts to combat and suppress cross-border crimes, enhancing information sharing and coordination in handling cases emerging in border areas, and facilitating customs clearance.