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PM Pham Minh Chinh (right) meets with National Secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) Fabien Roussel in Paris on June 10. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam treasures Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with France: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received National Secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) Fabien Roussel in Paris on June 10 afternoon (local time), affirming that the Vietnamese Party and State highly value the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with France, with cooperation with the PCF being one of the traditional foundations.

The two sides expressed their delight at the fine development of the bilateral relations since the upgrade to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as demonstrated by regular visits of the two countries' leaders and the signed agreements in all fields.

They appreciated the results of cooperation between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the PCF through the regular exchange of delegations, the maintenance of the rotating organization of theoretical seminars between the two Parties, and cooperation at multilateral political party forums.

Wishing the PCF to have an increasingly important position and role in the French political arena and society, PM Chinh said that Vietnam always remembers the support and assistance of the PCF and progressive people of France for its past struggle for national independence and reunification and the current cause of national construction, development and protection.

He thanked the PCF for always preserving relic sites related to the CPV, the relationship between the two Parties, especially the monument of President Ho Chi Minh – one of the founders of the PCF – in the city of Montreuil.

The PM suggested the CPV and the PCF continue to strengthen cooperation, maintain delegation exchanges, share information and experiences in the Party building, and educate the younger generations about the friendship between the two countries, their people, and the two Parties; closely coordinate at multilateral political-party forums; actively contribute to promoting the Vietnam-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and support relations between localities, organizations, associations, and people of the two countries.

In particular, PM Chinh asked the PCF to support Vietnam in searching for and collecting documents and artifacts related to the history of the CPV and President Ho Chi Minh to contribute to the construction of a CPV museum on the occasion of the CPV's 100th founding anniversary, in helping develop the display contents, and in training museum staff, cited VNA.

For his part, Roussel conveyed greetings and regards to General Secretary To Lam and other CPV leaders. He once again congratulated Vietnam on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, expressing his delight to see the good relations between the two countries as well as the increasing opportunities for their businesses to cooperate with each other.

Roussel said that the PCF, with many members being people-elected parliamentarians, has played a very active role in promoting relations with Vietnam, especially locality-to-locality ties and people-to-people exchanges.

He noted that many young talents and French engineers have requested support to come to work in Vietnam, which shows Vietnam is becoming one of the destinations of the French youth.

Welcoming this, PM Chinh said leaders of the two countries have agreed that France will cooperate with and support Vietnam in implementing many large projects, thereby creating jobs for the youth of both countries.

Bright outlook for Vietnam - Sweden strategic cooperation

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse are scheduled to pay an official visit to Sweden from June 11 - 13 at the invitation of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

This is the first visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Sweden in seven years which is expected to create breakthrough momentum for the development of bilateral cooperation across multiple fields.

Vietnam and Sweden share a deeply rooted and time-tested friendship, with over 56 years of diplomatic relations. Sweden was the first Western country to recognize and establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1969. It was also among the most vocal opponents of the US-waged war in Vietnam, with widespread protests as early as August 1966.

Between the early 1970s and 2013, Sweden provided Vietnam with a total of US$3.46 billion in non-refundable aid, significantly supporting Vietnam’s post-war reconstruction, poverty reduction, renovation efforts, and international integration.

The year 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of Vietnam - Sweden diplomatic relations, during which both sides engaged in frequent high-level exchanges and meetings on the sidelines of various international forums and conferences, according to VOV.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the sidelines of the World Climate Action Summit at COP28 in Cairo in December 2023.

In 2024, Vietnam and Sweden celebrated 55 years of diplomatic ties with a range of high-level delegation exchanges, cultural and artistic activities, and business forums. Notably, on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification this year, the Swedish Embassy in Vietnam gifted a valuable documentary titled Victory Vietnam, directed by Swedish filmmaker Bo Öhlen. The film captured the jubilant scenes on the streets of Stockholm on April 30, 1975, as Swedish citizens celebrated the liberation of Saigon and the end of the war.

Two-way trade between the two countries reached US$1.48 billion in 2024, including US$1 billion worth of Vietnamese exports. Sweden’s main exports to Vietnam include telecommunications equipment, machinery, and pharmaceuticals, while Vietnam’s key exports to Sweden are electronics, footwear, textiles, seafood, furniture, handicrafts, computers, and accessories.

Sweden currently ranks 29th out of 149 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 111 valid projects totaling US$743.39 million in registered capital. These projects are mainly focused on manufacturing, information and communication technology, and hospitality services. Around 70 Swedish enterprises are operating in Vietnam, primarily in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong.

In the cultural sector, Sweden has been one of Vietnam’s largest and most effective development aid partners. Its contributions include preserving and promoting cultural heritage, and improving skills and professional capacity in radio, television, and journalism. Sweden has also supported the training of many Vietnamese experts, engineers, and PhDs in fields such as forestry, paper production, energy, biotechnology, medicine, and media.

The Prime Minister’s visit is anticipated to open a new chapter in Vietnam - Sweden relations, bringing fresh and breakthrough opportunities for cooperation and development in diverse areas.

Vietnamese trade minister works with US businesses

Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien had working sessions with representatives of US businesses on June 9 as part of his working visit to the US.

At the meeting with Chief Executive Officer of Warburg Pincus Investment Fund and Chairman of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) Jeffrey Pearlman, Dien highly appreciated the results of economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and the US in recent times, and affirmed that the US is one of the leading important economic partners of Vietnam.

He emphasized that the Vietnam - US economic relations are complementary, helping to create competitive advantages, promoting sustainable development, in line with the orientation of building an independent, self-reliant economy and deep international integration of Vietnam.

The minister called on the USABC and the US business community to continue to support Vietnam in the process of negotiating a reciprocal trade agreement with the US, and coordinate to promote the investment and business potential and opportunities in Vietnam to US partners.

For his part, Pearlman expressed his confidence in Vietnam's economic development prospects and affirmed that Vietnam is currently Warburg Pincus' second largest market in Asia.

He said that Warburg Pincus is committed to long-term investment in Vietnam and will have a positive voice to support Vietnam in promoting bilateral economic and trade relations.

Pearlman also said that he will soon work with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to propose three contents. Specifically, the USABC supports a balanced and harmonious trade agreement between Vietnam and the US; the US needs to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN - a region that plays a strategic role in the US policy; and the current trade deficit is a natural result of the relationship between a developed economy like the US and an economy in the early stages of development like Vietnam, which needs to be assessed objectively and comprehensively.

The two sides also discussed potential areas of cooperation such as energy, industry, digital transformation, green transition, logistics and supply chain development. The USABC is committed to continuing to accompany Vietnam in its efforts to maintain macroeconomic stability and sustainable development.

On the afternoon of the same day, Dien had a working session with leaders of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) and leading US textile, garment and footwear enterprises such as Gap, Levis Strauss, Harnes Brands, Under Amour, among others.

Dien highly appreciated the role of the AAFA in promoting Vietnam-US trade relations, and thanked the association for always being an effective bridge between US enterprises and manufacturers in Vietnam, VNA reported.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has a working session with Chief Executive Officer of Warburg Pincus Investment Fund and Chairman of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) Jeffrey Pearlman. (Photo: VNA)

He affirmed that Vietnam is ready to be a reliable partner in the global supply chain and wants to strengthen coordination to build a fair, highly adaptive and sustainable trade environment.

At the meetings, Dien asked large US associations and corporations, with strong influence, to help give opinions to the Trump Administration to convey Vietnam's message that the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the US has been strongly promoted, creating favourable conditions for US companies to invest and do business in Vietnam. Therefore, cooperation with Vietnam will bring long-term strategic benefits and contribute to improving the trade balance towards fairness, harmony and sustainability between the two countries. Vietnam needs to be treated as a priority trade partner of the US.

Vietnam proposed the US work with the Southeast Asian country to resolve current trade and economic issues, promptly recognize Vietnam as a market economy and remove Vietnam from the strategic export control list (D1-D3), thus helping to bring practical benefits to the two countries in both the short and long terms.

Chinese cruise ship brings 1,000 tourists to Ha Long city

The Piano Land cruise ship of China carrying approximately 1,000 Chinese tourists docked at Ha Long International Passenger Port in northern Quang Ninh province's Ha Long city on June 10, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

This marks the fourth visit made by the Piano Land cruise ship to Ha Long this year and the Ha Long International Passenger Port is expected to welcome 10 trips by the Piano Land this year.

Since the beginning of the year, Quang Ninh has welcomed a total of 35 international cruise ships, carrying nearly 50,000 cruise tourists, representing an increase of 25% against the same period from last year. Tourists mainly come from various countries such as the United States, Germany, the UK, France, Japan, and China.

The continuous arrivals of international cruise ships have provided Quang NInh with the opportunity to promote the development of cruise tourism all year round, making an important contribution to the province's goal of welcoming 4.5 million international visitors this year, cited VOV.

China's Piano Land cruise ship docks at Ha Long International Passenger Port (Photo: VNA)

Moreover, with a close geographical proximity to markets such as China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, the locality has promoted its advantages of synchronous and convenient infrastructure, unique natural landscapes, and rich indigenous culture to attract cruise lines to its ports.

The arrival of super cruise ships to Ha Long over recent times signals its growing appeal to international visitors, thereby strengthening the nation’s standing on the global tourism map.

According to statistics released by the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province welcomed about 60 international cruise ships last year, bringing with them more than 100,000 visitors of various nationalities to Ha Long.

Vietnam braces for storm: Government urges evacuation in flood-prone areas

Vietnam's government has directed ministries and localities to evacuate people in high-risk areas as a tropical depression may intensify into a storm.

On June 10, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Directive No. 86 on behalf of the Prime Minister, calling for urgent preparedness measures.

Vietnam's government has directed ministries and localities to proactively evacuate residents from areas at high risk of landslides, flash floods, and deep flooding, in response to a tropical depression that may strengthen into a storm.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 1:00 p.m. on June 10, the center of the tropical depression was located at 15.3 degrees North latitude and 114.8 degrees East longitude, about 360 kilometers southeast of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands. Wind speeds near the center ranged from 39 to 49 km/h (level 6-7), with gusts up to 75 km/h (level 9), moving slowly northwest at around 5 km/h.

The depression is forecast to strengthen into a storm on June 11. From the night of June 11 onward, provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai may experience heavy rainfall totaling 100 to 300 millimeters, with some areas exceeding 450 mm. The northern Central Highlands may receive 70 to 150 mm, with localized downpours possibly surpassing 200 mm within a six-hour window.

To prepare for potential severe weather and flooding, the Prime Minister has instructed provincial leaders to closely monitor forecasts, ensure the safety of all vessels at sea - including tourist boats - and evacuate people from high-risk zones to safer locations. Protective measures must also be taken for vulnerable infrastructure, ongoing construction projects, industrial zones, residential areas, and agricultural operations in low-lying regions, VNN reported.

A forecast map shows the tropical depression near the Paracel Islands, expected to intensify into a storm by June 11. Photo: National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have been tasked with providing accurate, real-time forecasting to support disaster response efforts. They must also ensure the safety of dikes, irrigation reservoirs, and agricultural activities.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is responsible for overseeing safety protocols in industrial production and hydroelectric dams, particularly small-scale hydro plants.

The Ministry of Construction must coordinate transportation logistics and ensure road safety in affected regions, rapidly addressing disruptions to maintain open and safe travel routes.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security will support local authorities in executing evacuation plans, emergency response, and search and rescue efforts.

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