Vietnam, Saudi Arabia seeks food, energy security programmes

The second meeting of the Vietnam-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation opened on March 25 in Hanoi, with agenda focusing on joint programmes to ensure food and energy security.
The second meeting of the Vietnam-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee onEconomic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation opened on March 25 inHanoi, with agenda focusing on joint programmes to ensure food andenergy security.

According to Deputy Minister ofIndustry and Trade Le Duong Quang, who headed the Vietnamese team at thecommittee, the two countries will drive their future coordination insuch areas as agriculture and oil and gas.

Meanwhile, the two sides will also exert more efforts to realise theagreements reached during this meeting. They will work to speed up thenegotiations for a number of agreements, including those on visaexemption for state officials and diplomats, investment encouragementand protection and affiliation between the two foreign ministries andtwo central banks.

Vietnam and Saudi Arabiaalso pledged to work harder for the prompt signing of an aviationtransportation agreement, he added.

During themeeting, the two sides reviewed the partnership between the twocountries since the first meeting, while discussing practical measuresto boost partnership in various areas, including trade, industry,banking, investment, transport and communications.

Ahmed H. Salah, Deputy Minister of Economics-Planning, leader of theSaudi Arabian delegation, noted that strong growth has been seen in thebilateral cooperation since the previous sitting, emphasising that thereis room for them to further their ties in other promising areas ofstrength.

According to statistics from theVietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, two-way trade betweenVietnam and Saudi Arabia has grown rapidly, hitting 1.71 billionUSD in 2013 from 1.04 billion USD from 2011.

Lastyear alone, Vietnam ’s exports to Saudi Arabia reached 471.4million USD, with major currency earners being agricultural products,seafood, rice and apparel.

Meanwhile, it imported 1.2 billion USD worth of goods from the Middle East country.

Deputy Minister Quang also presented a number of proposals to beef upcooperation between the two countries, including the increase ofdelegation exchanges and trade promotions.

He alsosuggested that Saudi Arabia continue realising the agreement on oiland gas and mining partnership, while creating more favourableconditions for the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group to expand its affiliationwith Saudi Arabian partners.

Saudi Arabia should also encourage its businesses to invest more in Vietnam , he added, especially in agriculture.

Sharing Quang’s ideas, Ahmed H. Salah held that more efforts should be made to specify joint cooperation plans in the future.-VNA

See more

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with his counterpart from Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasimalyev on June 25 on the sidelines of the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Tianjin city, China (Photo: VNA)

PM meets with Kyrgyz counterpart on WEF Tianjin sidelines

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed enhancing economic and trade cooperation, including the development of railway connectivity between Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan, which will also strengthen links with Central Asian nations.

The National Assembly adopts the Law on amendments and supplements to certain articles of the Penal Code (Photo: VNA)

Death penalty for eight criminal offenses lifted

The new law abolishes the death penalty for eight criminal offenses: the crime aimed at overthrowing the people’s government; the crime of sabotaging state infrastructure and technical facilities; the crime of producing and trading counterfeit medicines for treatment and prevention; the crime of destroying peace and causing aggressive war; the crime of espionage; that of illegally transporting narcotics; embezzlement; and bribe taking.

Party General Secretary To Lam speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Party chief urges young lawmakers to drive innovation, reform

Young lawmakers must be remain true to revolutionary ideals, loyal to the Party, nation, and people, and to resist the temptations of personal gain or power. They must dare to think, dare to act, dare to innovate, and dare to take responsibility.

The article titled “58 Years of Diplomatic Relations Between Cambodia and Vietnam” by scholar Uch Leang published on Cambodia’s Khmer Times on June 24, 2025. (Photo published by VNA)

Vietnam–Cambodia relations thriving across all sectors: Cambodian scholar

Through many ups and downs of history, Cambodia-Vietnam relations have become increasingly closer and stronger. The ties are currently developing based on the motto of “Good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability” from 2005 until today.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu (middle) chairs the meeting as SPLOS 35 Chair (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam elected Chair of 35th meeting of State Parties to UNCLOS

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu stressed the need to enhance the performance of institutions established under the Convention, thereby reinforcing the role and vitality of UNCLOS, referred to as the “Constitution for the Oceans,” in maintaining maritime order, conserving and sustainably utilising marine resources, and contributing to global peace, stability, and sustainable development.

Assoc. Prof. Ma Jie at Tianjin University. (Photo: VNA)

China - Vietnam relationship at its best ever: Chinese scholar

Regarding PM Chinh’s attendance at the WEF’s meeting in China for the third year in a row and Vietnam’s contributions to the forum, Ma said the Vietnamese leader has shared practical experiences and proposals on green economy aimed at facilitating trade and attracting foreign investment within the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); and offering fresh ideas for shaping strategies in economics, trade, and sustainable development.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Vinh Quang (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese community on Canada’s Prince Edward Island stays connected to homeland

In 2019, the Vietnamese association in PEI was established as a non-governmental organisation to support integration and development within the community. It has since organised a range of activities to maintain cultural identity, foster community cohesion, and strengthen ties with the homeland, while also contributing to the development of the host society.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is welcomed at the Tianjin Binhai International Airport. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese PM arrives in Tianjin for WEF meeting, working visit to China

Vietnam’s participation at the meeting underscores the country’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, and proactive international integration in a broad, deep, and effective manner. It also conveys Vietnam’s ambition and determination to enter a new era - the era of the nation’s rise.