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Photo: VNA

State funeral of Vietnamese Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong begins in Hanoi

Vietnamese authorities are holding the State funeral of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral House in Hanoi where his body is lying in state.

The funeral began on July 25 and is scheduled to last for two days for Vietnamese and foreign leaders as well as people to come and pay their respects to the Party leader, cited VOV.

Many countries have sent senior leaders to Hanoi to attend the funeral. Among them are Chairman of the National Assembly of the People’s Power of Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernandez; Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning; Republic of Korea Prime Minister Han Duck-soo; State Secretary Antony Blinken of the United States; and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and former Prime Minister of New Zealand Don McKinnon are scheduled to arrive in Hanoi for the Vietnamese Party leader’s funeral.

After the memorial service to be held on July 26, the Party leader's coffin will pass major streets and historical landmarks in Hanoi for one last time.

The convoy of vehicles carrying the coffin will then head towards the Mai Dich national cemetery where many senior Vietnamese leaders rest in peace for the committal service.

Alongside the State funeral in Hanoi, the funeral is also taking place in several localities, including Dong Anh district of Hanoi where the Party leader was born, and in Ho Chi Minh City which is the country’s largest financial-economic hub.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away in Hanoi on July 19 at the age of 80 due to his old age and serious illness.

Vietnam attends ASEAN meetings within AMM-57 framework in Laos

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, who is also head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam, attended the Meeting of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Interface with the Representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in Vientiane on July 24.

These were the first activities within the framework of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-57) and related meetings, according to VNA.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, who is also head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Interface with the Representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in Vientiane on July 24. (Photo: VNA)

At the beginning of the meeting, delegates observed a minute of silence to commemorate General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong. The Foreign Ministers of ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretary General sent their deep condolences to the government, people of Vietnam and the General Secretary's family over this great loss, expressing their admiration and respect for his life and career, as well as his great contributions to the process of national construction and development and to promoting friendship and cooperation in the region and the world.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith announced that Laos will hold a national mourning on July 25 and 26 to express the boundless sadness at the passing of General Secretary Trong.

On behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, Viet thanked the countries for their sharing and sympathies with Vietnam in this moment of grief.

At the SEANWFZ Commission's Meeting, Viet highlighted the significance of the SEANWFZ Treaty, suggesting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) soon prepare and submit a resolution on the SEANWFZ Treaty to the United Nations General Assembly and continue to call on nuclear-armed countries to join the SEANWFZ Protocol.

At the interface with the representatives of the AICHR, Viet welcomed the results that AICHR has achieved recently. He proposed the AICHR continue a balanced approach that is suitable for all member countries, and increase exchanges and cooperation with partners to share experience, enhance capacity, while promoting and ensuring the leading role of ASEAN.

HSBC raises Vietnamese GDP growth forecast to 6.5% this year

HSBC had raised its forecast for Vietnam’s GDP growth for this year to 6.5% and maintained its growth projection for next year at 6.5%, according to its latest report “Vietnam at a glance: Bring it all back”.

After recording a slightly disappointing first quarter, Vietnamese GDP growth accelerated to 6.9% on-year in the second quarter, well above the market expectations of 6%.

Beyond the headline numbers, its recovery has started to show signs of broadening out. In terms of trade, the tech recovery continues at a rapid pace, while other sectors have also bottomed out to return to recording decent growth.

Experts pointed out that the biggest upside surprise came from the manufacturing sector, which expanded by 10% annually. This is also reflected in the strong growth seen in the second quarter’s exports of 15% on-year, VOV reported.

Photo: VOV

Economists have been flagging an uneven recovery in the trade sector, which has been predominantly led by the electronics recovery. While the trend continues to hold, non-electronics shipments have started to show green shoots. In particular, exports of textiles and footwear, which are typically more exposed to disruptions in the Red Sea, also bounced back to see double-digit growth in the second quarter.

While near-term trade has started to take off, long-term FDI prospects remain a bright spot. Despite moderating from its peak in 2017, new FDI continues to pour into the Vietnamese market. Undoubtedly, manufacturing accounts for the lion’s share, with new registered FDI reaching close to US$10 billion in the first half of the year.

While investments from mainland China and the Republic of Korea are often highlighted, investment from ASEAN peers continues to be strong, particularly from Singapore. In fact, Singapore tops the list as the country’s largest FDI provider. For example, CapitaLand is planning to deploy up to US$110 million in the Vietnamese market to help facilitate the shifts taking place in manufacturing supply chains.

Furthermore, tourism-related services continue to shine after the nation welcomed more than 8.8 million tourists in the first half of the year. That said, recovery in domestic sectors continues to lag behind external-facing ones, which experts expect to continue to happen ahead in the fourth quarter of the year.

Unlike growth, inflation appears to be an imminent concern. While cheaper oil prices provided some relief, higher pork prices, a result of the ongoing spread of African swine fever (ASF), kept the inflation elevated on an annual basis in June. That said, inflation is likely to subside in the second half of the year as favorable effects start to kick in. But this is barring the further spread of ASF which has the potential to impact the supply of pigs, particularly as previous episodes of ASF drove inflation to breach the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s target.

Given the better-than-expected outcomes during the first half of the year, experts are upgrading their yearly GDP growth forecast to 6.5% for 2024. This will likely put the country back in the position of ASEAN’s fastest-growing economy, a spot that it had previously lost to regional peers Malaysia and the Philippines in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

In addition, think tanks also recently trimmed their 2024 inflation forecast to 3.6%. They also maintain their view that the SBV is likely to keep its policy rate steady at 4.50% this year despite lingering foreign exchange concerns that may prompt the SBV to hike.

PM Pham Minh Chinh receives Indian National Security Advisor

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received in Hanoi on July 24 National Security Advisor of India Ajit Doval, who is now in Vietnam to attend the funeral for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

Chinh expressed his sincere gratitude to the Indian Government and people for their heartfelt acts to the deceased, sending of a high-ranking official to Vietnam to attend the funeral, and the Indian Parliament’s observation of commemoration of Trong on July 22. These show the sentiments of the close friends and the valuable tradition between the two nations, he said.

The Government leader proposed the two countries continue to work together so as to make the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership further develop, and stressed that cooperation in science and technology, information – telecommunication, and digital technology are very potential which should enjoy attention for further promotion, cited VOV.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives in Hanoi on July 24 National Security Advisor of India Ajit Doval, who is now in Vietnam to attend the funeral for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong. (Photo: VNA)

The Indian official stressed that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a wise leader respected by international people, including Indian people, and expressed appreciation to the late leader’s important contributions to the strengthening of the Vietnam-India relations in various positions.

He affirmed the Indian government attaches importance to the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership and hopes to further deepen the bilateral relations, especially in the traditional fields such as national defense and security, and trade – investment, as well to broaden cooperation in the new fields as Prime Minister Chinh proposed.

Vietnam gears up for AFF Cup 2024 with friendlies against Thailand, Russia, and more

Vietnam's national football squad is intensifying their preparation for the AFF Cup 2024 with a strategic schedule of international friendlies, including anticipated matches against Thailand and Russia or Panama.

As Vietnam prepares for the AFF Cup 2024 with championship aspirations, the national team will engage in a series of high-profile friendly matches in September and October.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and Head Coach Kim Sang Sik have outlined a detailed plan for the last six months of 2024, focusing on key tournaments including the AFF Cup 2024 and the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The team’s preparation includes two FIFA Days camps in September and October, featuring international friendlies designed to test players and strategies, VNN reported.

The Vietnam national team has several highly anticipated friendly matches ahead of the 2024 AFF Cup. Photo: S.N

In September, Vietnam is scheduled to compete against Thailand and either Russia or Panama in a triangular tournament. October will see potential matchups with India and Lebanon.

The friendly matches include formidable opponents, providing Vietnam with valuable competitive experience. Among these, the clash with Thailand is particularly anticipated, given their status as a strong rival in Southeast Asia.

With meticulous preparation, Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are confident heading into the AFF Cup 2024, where Vietnam is grouped with Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.

In 2024, after the Southeast Asian Women’s Championship was rescheduled to 2025, the Vietnam Women’s National Team will have no international competitions. Despite this, the VFF is ensuring thorough preparation for the team, led by Coach Mai Duc Chung, with plans to participate in a European training camp and an international tournament in China.

This preparation aims to prepare the team for significant events in 2025, including the 33rd SEA Games, the Southeast Asian Women’s Championship, and the 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The Vietnamese U16 and U19 teams are set to compete in the qualifiers for the U17/U20 Asian Championships, with the goal of reaching the final stages. The U19 team will train in Japan before the September 2024 qualifiers, and the U16 team is scheduled for an international tournament in China followed by a training camp in Japan.

Additionally, the Vietnam futsal team will participate in the Southeast Asian Championship and the AIMG6 (Indoor Games) in Thailand in November 2024, aiming to secure a spot in the finals and the top four respectively.

The U23 team will also continue with training camps and international friendlies to gain valuable match experience.

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