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	Vietnam News Today (Jul. 25): State Funeral of Vietnamese Party Leader Nguyen Phu Trong Begins in Hanoi

PM Pham Minh Chinh (right) receives General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy PM and Minister of National Defense of Laos, in Hanoi on July 25. (Photo: VNA)

PM Pham Minh Chinh hosts Lao Deputy PM, Defense Minister

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 25 received General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy PM and Minister of National Defence of Laos, who came to attend the state funeral for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Party, State, Government, and people, PM Chinh thanked the Lao Party, State, Government, and people for sharing this great loss, as well as their sentiments towards Vietnam in general and the General Secretary and his family in particular.

Highlighting the sentiments and the top priority General Secretary Trong consistently gave to the special Vietnam - Laos relations, he said the late leader considers cooperating with and assisting Laos as a task of Vietnam, cited VNA.

The Party chief used to affirm that defense - security is one of the most important pillars of the special bilateral ties, according to PM Chinh.

The Vietnamese Government leader asked the two countries’ armies to keep strengthening solidarity and cooperation in improving the defense capacity; protect the shared borderline of peace and stability, thus actively enhancing the material and spiritual life of border residents and boosting cross-border trade; increase high-level mutual visits and meetings; work together to hold the border defense friendship exchanges between the two countries; and step up partnerships in education, training, and human resources development.

PM Chinh also congratulated Laos on its successful organization of meetings during the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2024, affirming Vietnam’s consistent support for and readiness to give assistance within its capacity to help Laos successfully hold the ASEAN Chairmanship this year.

Offering condolences to the Party, State, and people of Vietnam and the bereaved family, Chansamone Chanyalath said the Lao Party, State, and people grieved the passing of General Secretary Trong.

He agreed with his host’s opinions and said the Laos Ministry of National Defence will coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to effectively carry out cooperation activities, especially all-level delegation exchanges, ideological education, the sharing of defense experience, border management and safeguarding, logistics, military technique, and military medicine, among others, thereby contributing to the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Vietnam and New Zealand discuss new cooperation fields

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and New Zealand Special Envoy Donald McKinnon discussed new cooperation fields between the two countries during their meeting in Hanoi on July 25.

At the reception, McKinnon first extended New Zealand’s condolences to Vietnam over the recent passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, noting the Vietnamese leader paid due attention to developing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and New Zealand Special Envoy Donald McKinnon at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

He said since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1975, Vietnam-New Zealand relations have always developed positively based on mutual trust and understanding. He expressed his belief that the two countries would increasingly understand and trust each other, support each other’s development, consolidate and enhance their role and position in the international arena.

Quang for his part thanked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Governor General Cindy Kiro, as well as the people of New Zealand for sending their condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam over the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, according to VOV.

He highly appreciated New Zealand’s practical assistance to Vietnam over the past decades, especially in the fields of plant varieties breeding, high-tech agriculture and English training for officials.

New Zealand is a good and trustworthy friend of Vietnam, said the Deputy Prime Minister, while proposing that the two countries promote cooperation in new areas, such as climate change response and green growth.

Vietnam attends 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet, who is also head of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam, led a Vietnamese delegation to the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-57) in Vientiane, Laos on July 25.

In his speech, Viet commended Laos for its chairmanship role and expressed support for the theme and priorities of ASEAN this year. He said ASEAN's resilience lies in its ability to maintain unity, centrality, strategic autonomy and capacity to respond to shifts in the global and regional landscapes.

Understanding the importance of ASEAN connectivity, Viet highlighted a community-wide approach, the expansion of agenda connectivity in the fields of sustainable infrastructure, electricity networks, electric vehicle ecosystem, cross-border payment, and supply chain resilience. He also highlighted the need to align sub-regional cooperation with ASEAN's overall progress to help sub-regions optimize their development potential and leverage new growth drivers, reported VNA.

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet, head of SOM delegation of Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

In its relations with partners, the bloc should request countries to respect its central role both in words and actions, ensuring effective and meaningful cooperation, he said. Viet reaffirmed ASEAN's principled stance on global and regional issues, and laid stress on the necessity of adhering to and fully and effectively implementing all provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and at the same time creating an environment conducive to negotiations on a quality, substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (UNCLOS).

At the meeting, heads of delegations discussed ways to further deepen ASEAN’s relationship with partners, bolster cooperation in traditional areas while expanding into new potential ones. They also underlined the importance of maintaining an open, transparent, inclusive, rules-based regional structure with ASEAN at its core.

ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings with partner countries under the ASEAN 1 framework will continue on July 26.

Hanoi's cuisine ranks among the World's Most Alluring by TripAdvisor

The platform, renowned for its travel guides, has recognized Hanoi's unique and sophisticated cuisine, distinguishing it from the bold and spicy flavors of southern Vietnam.

TripAdvisor emphasized that one of the best ways to truly experience a city is through its food. Visitors to Hanoi have the opportunity to savor traditional dishes passed down through generations, as well as modern culinary concepts crafted by young chefs.

The platform highlighted the subtle and refined flavors of Hanoi's cuisine, which contrast with the bold and spicy tastes commonly found in southern Vietnamese dishes. Hanoi's culinary style enhances the natural flavors of local ingredients using light broths, fresh herbs, and simple spices.

A quintessential example of Hanoi's culinary art is the iconic dish "bun cha," which TripAdvisor noted as perfectly embodying the spirit of the city's cuisine. The platform suggested that visitors explore the Old Quarter to sample street food and local specialties such as "banh cuon" and "cha ca la vong."

Bun cha is one of the dishes that Tripadvisor highlights as best representing the "spirit" of Hanoi cuisine. Photo: Serious Eats

Hanoi offers a rich culinary experience, ranging from humble street food stalls to Michelin-starred fine dining establishments. This diverse food scene provides unique gastronomic adventures for all kinds of food enthusiasts.

In addition to Hanoi, TripAdvisor's list of must-visit culinary cities includes Hawaii and New Orleans in the USA, Jamaica in the Caribbean, Mexico City, Brussels in Belgium, Naples in Italy, Athens in Greece, Barcelona in Spain, Paris in France, Bangkok in Thailand, Kyoto in Japan, New Delhi in India, Istanbul in Turkey, and Marrakech in Morocco.

This recognition by TripAdvisor not only cements Hanoi's status as a culinary capital but also encourages food lovers from around the world to explore the rich and diverse flavors that the city has to offer.

Bun cha is a traditional Vietnamese dish that originated in Hanoi. It consists of grilled pork (cha) served over a bed of vermicelli noodles (bun) with a variety of fresh herbs and vegetables. The dish is typically accompanied by a side of dipping sauce (nuoc cham) made from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chili.

Banh cuon is a traditional Vietnamese dish consisting of thin, steamed rice flour pancakes filled with a mixture of ground pork, minced wood ear mushrooms, and shallots. It is often served with a side of Vietnamese pork sausage (cha lua), fresh herbs, and a dipping sauce (nuoc cham).

Cha ca La Vong is a famous Vietnamese dish originating from Hanoi, known for its rich flavors and unique method of preparation. This dish features grilled fish, typically catfish or snakehead fish, marinated in turmeric and dill, then served with fresh herbs, vermicelli noodles, and a variety of accompaniments.

RoK promotes MICE tourism in Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City this August

A tourism promotion program is set to be launched in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City this August as part of efforts to introduce popular destinations and unique tourism products in the Republic of Korea (RoK), with a specific focus on meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism.

The event, to be organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), is expected to attract around 150 delegates. It is scheduled to take place at Ariyana Convention Center in Da Nang on August 7 before heading to Nikko Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City on August 9.

Representatives of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the Vietnam Tourism Association, international airlines and tour operators, as well as both Vietnamese and foreign media outlets will be in attendance at the function.

According to the KTO, the Korean Government declared 2023 and 2024 to be the Visit Korea Year to boost visitor numbers. In response, the KTO has worked out tourism promotion events in Asian countries, especially Vietnam.

Many promotions have also been planned this year in a bid to attract more Vietnamese tourists, cited VOV.

Delegates attending Korea MICE Roadshow held in Vietnam last year. (Photo courtesy of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism)

The RoK is currently viewed as a major MICE tourism hub in Asia thanks to its high-quality infrastructure system which can be found in many cities, including Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon.

In the first quarter of the year, nearly 120,000 Vietnamese tourists traveled to the RoK, an annual increase of 8.5%, respectively, from the same period in 2019 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year witnessed the RoK attract more than 420,000 tourists from Vietnam, thereby making it the largest tourist source of the RoK in Southeast Asia and the fifth largest source of tourists for the North-East Asian country worldwide.

Meanwhile, the RoK remained the largest source market for Vietnamese tourism as 3.6 million Korean visitors traveled to the Southeast Asian nation last year.

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