Vietnamplus

Below are the top 10 world events of 2019 voted for by the Vietnam News Agency.

Implementing institutional reform is a crucial and challenging task of the National Assembly, especially in the context of the country's rapid development and deeper economic integration, according to NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The organization of early Tet celebration for officials and soldiers away from home on the occasion of Lunar New Year is an encouragement for them to feel secure in accomplishing their tasks.

At a recent symposium on measures to boost the development of Vietnam’s mechanic sectors, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that the Government will establish a market for mechanic firms to develop, including facilitating the sector to seek for domestic and overseas markets for the country’s oil and gas engineering sector’s products.

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong chairs a get-together on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year on January 22 with veteran revolutionaries, current and former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, and overseas Vietnamese.

The People’s Committee of Hoang Sa district in Da Nang has received documents, maps, artifacts and research works on Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa archipelago present by organisations.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat was held in Nha Trang city in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa on January 16-17 under the chair of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on January 17 presided over a retreat of the foreign ministers of the ASEAN countries (AMM Retreat), with the participation of the foreign ministers of other ASEAN members and the bloc’s Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has asked agencies and organisations in all localities to strengthen the fight against corruption and trade fraud.

A symposium on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as a tool to address disputes in the East Sea was held in Kuala Lumpur on January 13.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited and inspected the combat readiness at Military Region 9 in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

Indonesian naval ships found many Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels remain in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Natuna waters on January 11, four days after President Joko Widodo’s visit to Natuna district in Riau Islands province.

Overseas Vietnamese in the US, Australia and Thailand have organised a wide range of activities to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on January 8 paid a visit to Natuna islands and re-affirmed the country’s sovereignty over the islands.

Indonesia’s territory and sovereignty cannot be bargained for by anyone at any given time, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on January 8.

Vietnam’s assumption of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s non-permanent membership for the 2020-2021 tenure and the UNSC’s presidency in January 2020 is a valuable opportunity for the country to contribute constructively and responsibly to the international community’s common affairs.

Indonesia is to send around 120 fishermen from the island of Java to the Natuna islands in the Riau Islands Province, said Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud on January 6.

The Government issued a resolution on January 1 outlining major tasks and solutions to realize the country’s socio-economic development plan and state budget estimates in 2020.

The Government, National Assembly, ministries and localities should focus on implementing the national security strategy in 2020 and strengthen coordination to ensure national interests and security in all fields, Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam said at the government-to-locality teleconference on December 31.

While the world saw profound instability in 2019, the Pacific – Asia region proved to be the leading region in terms of economic integration, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh has said.