The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a workshop on 50 years of relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands, and their achievements and prospects, in Hanoi on December 15, as part of activities marking the 50th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

Military Hospital 103 of the Vietnam People's Army and Central Military Hospital 103 of the Lao People's Army joined hands to conduct nine successful kidney transplants from December 31, 2022 to December 15, 2023, heard a ceremony held in Vientiane on December 15.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a working trip to the Japanese prefecture of Gunma on December 15, immediately after arriving in Japan to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities there.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has stressed the need to develop the defence industry into a spearhead in the national industry, serving as both the backbone and the leading force of the sector.

Gunma has the largest number of Vietnamese people in proportion to the local population in Japan, with a community of 12,000 Vietnamese nationals. 

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnam plays an important role in Japan’s policy on ASEAN as well as its efforts to maintain order in the Indo-Pacific, stated Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency.

A conference to seek ways to tap resources of overseas Vietnamese (OV) and connect localities and businesses is scheduled to take place in the northern port city of Hai Phong from December 26 to 28, heard the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regular press conference in Hanoi on December 14.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on December 15 chaired a meeting of the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee to consider disciplinary measures on some Party organisations and members.

Vietnamese students who studied and are pursuing study in Russia’s Stavropol Region will have an important role to play in enhancing the relations between the two sides, Governor of the region Vladimir Vladimirov has said.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Tokyo on December 15, starting his four-day trip to Japan for the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities in Japan, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

Two-way trade rose 16.5 per cent last year to more than US$7 billion.

Vietnam wishes to promote its comprehensive partnership with Canada in an effective and substantive manner, towards a higher level, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told visiting Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison in Hanoi on December 14.

The two sides issued a joint statement on continuing deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and building a Việt Nam-China community with a shared future of strategic importance.

PM Phạm Minh Chính Chính held that the two sides should continue perfecting legal corridors to create safety and trust to encourage their businesses to invest in the areas of shared interest.

The first Việt Nam-Laos-Cambodia border defence friendship exchange aims to strengthen political trust, build friendship and solidarity, and promote practical cooperation between the three countries' border protection forces, local governments and people in border areas.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Hanoi on December 15 for Japan to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities in the East Asian country.

In the first 11 months of 2023, seven commodities of Vietnam posted export value of over USD10 billion, accounting for over 60 percent of the country's total export turnover.

A consultation workshop was held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Hanoi on December 14 with a focus on policy choices to promote sustainable development in Vietnam.

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