Vietnam News Today (Apr. 7): NA Chairman Calls for Joint Efforts to Build Sustainable World at IPU-150
	Vietnam News Today (Apr. 8): Vietnam Wishes for Stronger All-Round Cooperation with Uzbekistan

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (seconnd from right) talks to representatives of the Vietnamese community in Uzbekistan at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Top legislator meets with Vietnamese community in Uzbekistan

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA, met with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Russian Federation, which is concurrently in charge of Uzbekistan, and the Vietnamese community in Uzbekistan.

At the meeting, representatives of the Vietnamese community in Uzbekistan affirmed that they always look towards the homeland, unite and support each other, and gradually integrate into the host country. They expressed their hope that the authorities will pay attention and have favourable visa policies for citizens of the two countries, contributing to promoting people-to-people exchanges and strengthening the traditional friendship between the two countries and their people.

Informing them about the home country's achievements after nearly 40 years of Doi moi (renewal), Man said that despite many difficulties and challenges from the impacts of the world and regional political and economic situation, under the leadership of the Party and the solidarity and consensus of the entire political system, Vietnam has achieved important results in socio-economic development.

In 2024, the country’s GDP growth reached 7.09% and per capita income was nearly 4,700 USD, placing Vietnam among the countries with high growth rates in the region and the world, highly appreciated by many large and prestigious international organisations, he said.

Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with nearly 200 countries, become one of the 40 largest economies in the world, stood in the top 20 countries in terms of international trade, and ranked 32nd in the top 100 strongest national brand values in the world, Man added.

"Achieving this result is the effort of the entire Party, the entire people, the entire army, including the important contribution of the Vietnamese community abroad", he stressed.

Highly appreciating the Vietnamese community in Uzbekistan for always being united, living, studying and working stably in the host country, the NA Chairman affirmed that this is an important bridge for the relationship between the two countries in the past, present and future, cited VNA.

The consistent policy of the Party and State is to always care for and consider the overseas Vietnamese community as an inseparable part, and an important factor contributing to strengthening cooperative and friendly relations between Vietnam and other countries, he said.

The NA has amended and supplemented many new regulations and policies for Vietnamese people living abroad such as the Law on Identity Cards and the amended Land Law, stipulating that all Vietnamese citizens are granted identity cards, regardless of whether they live in the country or abroad. The land policy for Vietnamese people living abroad is the same as for citizens in the country, the top legislator elaborated.

Highlighting the visit of the high-ranking delegation to Uzbekistan with the desire to comprehensively upgrade relations with Central Asian countries in all fields, Man said that in the immediate future, the two sides will consider opening a direct flight between Vietnam and Uzbekistan, and reopening the Vietnamese Embassy in Uzbekistan soon.

The NA Chairman hopes that the Vietnamese community in Uzbekistan will continue to promote the tradition of mutual love, solidarity, and compliance with local laws, contribute to the development of Uzbekistan and the Vietnam-Uzbekistan relationship, preserve the Vietnamese language and national cultural identity, and contribute to the cause of building and developing the homeland.

2025 P4G Summit in Hanoi to spotlight green transition

Vietnam is gearing up to host the 2025 Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit in Hanoi from April 14 to 17, highlighting a people-centered approach to sustainable green transition.

Speaking at a press briefing on the summit under the theme “Sustainable and People-Centered Green Transition” held on April 8 in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu laid stress on the importance of the human factor in achieving a sustainable green transition.

“People are not only beneficiaries but also directly involved in the green transition process in various roles, from production and business to contributing cooperation initiatives and coordinating efforts. Furthermore, this year’s theme aligns with the consistent view of the Party and State of Vietnam that people are both the subject and the center of all development policies. We are organizing this summit with the goal of leaving no one behind in the green transition process,” he stressed.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu, Vietnam will be the fourth country to host the summit. This is the largest multilateral high-level forum on green growth that the nation plans to host during the 2021–2026 period, underscoring the country’s role, responsibility, and contribution to the P4G platform and to global efforts for green growth and sustainable development. Previously, the summit was held in Denmark, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and Colombia with the aim of promoting public–private partnerships and forming a coalition of political leaders committed to implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Vu expressed his hope that during the summit, delegates will actively share their visions, experience, and policies on green growth, and help spread a message of global action, thereby contributing practical, effective, and stronger solutions to common challenges faced by humanity. As the host country, Vietnam will also have the opportunity to reaffirm its determination to fulfill international commitments on climate change response, emissions reduction, and growth model transformation, while attracting international resources to achieve national development goals.

The summit is expected to be chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and welcome between 800 and 1,000 Vietnamese and international delegates, including senior leaders of P4G member countries and international organizations that are P4G partners, according to VOV.

Standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu speaking at the press conference. Photo: Pham Hai

Key events during the summit will include an exhibition on green growth, a high-level plenary session on the summit theme, a business dialogue, and five ministerial-level sessions focusing on mobilising resources, transforming food systems, innovative solutions, human resources training, and effective, sustainable energy transition.

The event is expected to adopt a number of outcome documents, including the Hanoi Declaration, a P4G Statement on strengthening cooperation with multilateral organizations and mechanisms in the green transition and sustainable development, as well as other outcomes.

P4G was launched in 2017 at the initiative of Denmark with the goal of coordinating policies, promoting public–private partnerships, and connecting governments, businesses, and civil society organizations to promote green growth and support the realization of the SDGs. The platform currently focuses on key areas such as reducing food loss and waste, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water, renewable energy, and zero-emission mobility.

P4G now has nine member countries, including Denmark, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and South Africa, along with five partner organizations. In recent years, P4G has achieved notable results in providing financial and technical support to micro- and small-sized enterprises in the field of climate change response.

Japan highlights Vietnam’s geostrategic role in 2025 Diplomatic Bluebook

Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Iwaya Takeshi presented the 2025 Diplomatic Bluebook at a Cabinet meeting on April 8, identifying Vietnam as a country of significant geopolitical importance and a promising market.

According to the report, Vietnam occupies a key geopolitical location, bordering vital maritime routes in the East Sea and sharing a long land border with China. With the third-largest population in Southeast Asia and a rapidly growing middle class, Vietnam is seen as a promising market.

The Bluebook noted that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of diversifying supply chains has prompted many foreign companies, including Japanese firms, to relocate their production bases to Vietnam. The country aims to become a developed nation by 2045 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, while actively promoting green transformation (GX) and digital transformation (DX). It is also focused on ensuring stable economic growth through macroeconomic stabilization, inflation control, foreign investment attraction via infrastructure development, and investment climate improvement.

Vietnam’s economic growth, which slowed to around 2% in 2020–2021 due to strict COVID-19 lockdown measures, rebounded strongly with an 8.02% expansion in 2022 and 5.05% in 2023, said the Japanese foreign policy report, VOV reported.

At a meeting between Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Lima, Peru, on November 16, 2024, on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week. (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations were established on September 21, 1973. In 2023, marking the 50th anniversary of relations, the two nations elevated their ties to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World," accompanied by over 500 commemorative events. High-level exchanges have been held regularly under this new partnership.

Regarding the Vietnamese community in Japan, the Bluebook highlighted a steady increase in the number of Vietnamese nationals, mainly technical interns, from about 40,000 in 2011 to over 600,000 by mid-2024, making them the second-largest foreign community in Japan after the Chinese.

Vietnamese cultural heritages introduced to French public

The "Vietnamese Cultural Night - Quintessence of Kinh Bac Heritage" event was held in France on April 7 to introduce Dong Ho folk paintings and Quan Ho folk songs to international friends and the Vietnamese community residing in France.

The event was jointly held by the northern province of Bac Ninh in coordination with the Vietnam Cultural Center in France.

It was of great significance amid the Vietnamese Government proposing UNESCO to include Dong Ho folk paintings in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. The proposal will be reviewed in India in December.

Le Xuan Loi, vice chairman of the Bac Ninh provincial People's Committee, said that the locality had invited folk painting artisans, cultural managers and officials to Paris to introduce the craft of making Dong Ho folk paintings to international friends, as well as requesting that UNESCO recognise Dong Ho paintings as a folk craft in need of urgent protection.

Anoa Suzzanne Dussol Perran, Vietnamese tourism ambassador in France, also voiced her strong support for UNESCO recognition of Dong Ho folk paintings, emphasizing their profound cultural significance, cited VOV.

Quan Ho folk songs from Bac Ninh province performed at the event (Photo: VNA)

She also pledged her assistance in promoting local Vietnamese products, stating her great honor in welcoming Vietnamese localities to Paris as a way of introducing their cultural programs and quintessence.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang underscored the importance of culture in fostering connections between nations and individuals.

He stated that cultural exchanges would contribute to deepening mutual understanding, building trust and respect, and laying a strong foundation to boost broader cooperation.

HCM City plans two firework nights ahead of national reunification celebration

Ho Chi Minh City is planning two high-altitude firework displays on consecutive Saturday nights ahead of Vietnam's Reunification Day on April 30, aiming to create a joyful and festive atmosphere for residents and tourists.

The municipal People's Committee has submitted a request to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for permission to hold the shows as part of a series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of national reunification (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025).

In its proposal, the city asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense to grant a license for the firework displays, intended to boost public morale and offer cultural entertainment during the national holiday.

The proposed location for the shows is a high-altitude launch site at the riverside park in Thu Duc City. The displays are scheduled for the evenings of Saturday, April 19 and Saturday, April 26, from 9:30 p.m. to 9:40 p.m. Funding for the events will be sourced from private and corporate sponsors.

Each night will feature 300 high-altitude fireworks, 45 low-level firework arrays, and five artistic firework circuits comprising 35 tubes each, VNN reported.

Ho Chi Minh City frequently hosts fireworks for major holidays and Tet. Photo: Nguyen Hue

Previously, as part of the city’s broader celebration plans for the 50th anniversary of reunification, Ho Chi Minh City also announced it would stage fireworks at seven locations across the city on the night of April 30.

These sites include the entrance of the Saigon River Tunnel (Thu Duc City), the Ben Duoc Martyrs Memorial (Cu Chi District), the Nga Ba Giong Martyrs Memorial (Hoc Mon District), the Lang Le – Bau Co historical site (Binh Chanh District), the football field in Can Gio District, the Historical and Cultural Park, and Dam Sen Cultural Park.

In addition, the city is encouraging districts and businesses to organize additional firework displays through private sponsorship and community participation.

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