Vietnam News Today (Jun. 3): PM Pham Minh Chinh to Attend UN Ocean Conference, Visit Estonia, Sweden
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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran leave Hanoi in the early morning of June 5 for attendance at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) and bilateral activities in France; and official visits to Estonia and Sweden. (Photo: VNA)

Ninh Binh seeks UNESCO recognition of Han-Nom Inscriptions on Non Nuoc Mountain

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Hanoi in the early morning of June 5 for attendance at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) and bilateral activities in France; and official visits to Estonia and Sweden from June 5-14.

The trip is being made at the invitation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal ,and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

This is the first time the Vietnamese PM has attended the UN Ocean Conference. This marks the first visit to France by the PM since the two countries upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024, following the visit to Vietnam by French President Emmanuel Macron in May 2025. This is the first visit to Estonia by a Vietnamese PM since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, and also the first visit to Sweden by a Vietnamese Government leader in the past seven years.

PM Chinh and his spouse are accompanied by Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son; Minister – Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son; Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung; Deputy Minister of Public Security, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long; Deputy Minister of National Defence, Lieutenant General Nguyen Hong Thai; Deputy Minister of Finance Ho Sy Hung; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long; Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Xuan Sang; Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Chu Hoang Ha; Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland and Estonia Pham Thi Thanh Binh; Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang; and Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden Tran Van Tuan.

PM Chinh's working trip aims to continue implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, and proactive and active international integration in the spirit of the 13th National Party Congress, as well as Resolutions No. 34-NQ/TW and No. 59-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

In particular, the PM’s attendance at the UN Ocean Conference aims to carry out Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW on the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy to 2030, with a vision to 2045; demonstrating that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community, has been actively implementing measures to conserve and sustainably use marine resources, and is ready to contribute to the common efforts of the international community on this issue. At the same time, the trip affirms Vietnam's consistent policy of attaching importance to and its wish to strengthen and promote relations with European countries, including France, Estonia, and Sweden.

Party General Secretary To Lam speaks at a working session with the Standing Boards of the Party Committees of Can Tho, and Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces on June 4 in Can Tho. (Photo: VNA)

Party chief urges merged Can Tho city to proactively set strategic breakthroughs

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho must proactively set strategic breakthroughs following the merger, paving the way for rapid and sustainable development, stated Party General Secretary To Lam at a working session with the Standing Boards of the Party Committees of Can Tho, and Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces on June 4 in Can Tho.

In his remarks, the Party chief stressed that the socio-economic development planning for the newly merged Can Tho city must go beyond merely combining the existing strengths of the three localities, focusing on creating new value chains based on their complementary advantages, with infrastructure connectivity, digital transformation, green economy, and circular economy serving as pillars for sustainable development.

The city should swiftly establish itself as a dynamic growth engine at the heart of the southwestern subregion, a key hub for trade and a driving force for regional development.

He stressed that the three pillars — institutional reform, comprehensive infrastructure development, and improving the quality of human resources - must be concretised with practical action programmes closely aligned with practical requirements and the spirit of recent key Resolutions issued by the Politburo.

Can Tho must proactively transform itself from merely a major administrative centre into a regional hub for knowledge-based economy, innovation, logistics, education, health care, and finance, becoming a magnet for new development resources by fostering flexible institutions, building modern infrastructure, and promoting a dynamic investment environment.

He urged the new city must take the lead in implementing strategic breakthroughs related to developing regional and international connectivity infrastructure, promoting comprehensive digital transformation, training and attracting high-quality human resources, as well as promoting the development of the private sector and innovative startups.

Lam said the merger of the three localities into a new and expanded Can Tho city is expected to create favourable conditions for stronger linkage in economic, cultural, and social development, adding that this aims to streamline administrative apparatus, enhance the effectiveness of state governance, and capitalise on economies of scale and the unique strengths of each locality.

It will significantly expand development space and bring together the key advantages of timing, geography, and connectivity—creating the necessary momentum for the Mekong Delta region to advance, he noted.

He highlighted the distinct strengths of each locality, saying that their unification of the three localities will allow them to complement and amplify each other’s strengths, forming a more diverse, adaptive, and sustainable economic structure.

The merger also paves the way for restructuring development space based on a new growth axis —from the central urban area of Can Tho to the industrial and hi-tech agricultural belt in Hau Giang, extending to coastal regions, seaports, and the sea, island and eco-cultural tourism zones in Soc Trang, he stressed, noting that this development axis will foster stronger internal linkages, reduce the fragmentation of resources, and enable the planning of large-scale and high-impact projects.

The Party leader ordered the Party committees and authorities of the localities, and the entire political system to thoroughly grasp the key guiding principles in implementing the merger and streamlining administrative apparatus, laying the foundation for rapid and sustainable development in the years ahead.

The merger, along with restructuring of the administrative apparatus and perfecting a two-tier governance model, presents a historic opportunity to “redesign” a more streamlined, smarter, and better-connected governance system to overcome long-standing bottlenecks caused by administrative fragmentation, scattered development, and local competition, he said.

Cambodia’s Senate President and Cambodian People's Party (CPP) President Hun Sun (R) receives Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam in Phnom Penh on June 4.

CPP leader Hun Sen affirms Cambodia’s commitment to bolstering ties with Vietnam

Cambodia’s Senate President and Cambodian People's Party (CPP) President Hun Sun affirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening the long-standing friendship with Vietnam during his reception for Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Cambodia will always preserve and promote the friendship between the two Parties, Governments, and peoples, Hun Sen told Cuong, who is also Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam.

Receiving the Vietnamese general in Phnom Penh on June 4, the CPP leader warmly welcomed Cuong’s visit, describing it as a vivid symbol of the solidarity and close relationship between the two countries and their militaries.

He also expressed deep gratitude to Vietnam for its support and sacrifices in helping Cambodia escape the genocidal Pol Pot regime and rebuild the country.

On this occasion, Hun Sen extended warm greetings to Party General Secretary To Lam and other senior leaders of Vietnam, and expressed his belief that, Vietnam, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, would continue to reap new achievements.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Cuong, for his part, congratulated Cambodia on its significant achievements in recent years, particularly in maintaining political stability, security, and socio-economic development. He expected that under the leadership of the CPP, headed by Hun Sen, and the governance of Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia would achieve even greater success in national construction and development.

He reaffirmed that Vietnam always attaches great importance to continuously consolidating and developing the fine neighbourly relations, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability with Cambodia.

Cuong expressed his delight at the increasing political and diplomatic trust between the two countries. He emphasised the importance of maintaining the high-level meetings between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Standing Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party, which serve as an essential orientation for cooperation in various fields.

He sincerely thanked Hun Sen and other senior Cambodian leaders for attending the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Southern Vietnam and national reunification, as well as for sending a contingent of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces to participate in the military parade and celebration.

During the reception, Cuong also briefed his host on the outcomes of his bilateral talks with the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. Both sides highly valued the substantive and comprehensive military and defence cooperation in recent times, recognizing it as a key pillar of the Vietnam–Cambodia bilateral relationship.

The two sides agreed to continue building trust, maintaining delegation exchanges and cooperation mechanisms, improving the quality of human resources training, and supporting each other in multilateral forums and mechanisms.

The same day, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Cuong paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Hun Manet who assured that the Government of Cambodia always supports and facilitates stronger defence ties between the two militaries, aiming to bring benefits to both peoples and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world at large.

Earlier that day, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong and the Vietnamese delegation laid wreaths and paid tribute to the heroic Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts at the Vietnam–Cambodia Friendship Monument in Phnom Penh, honouring those who fought and sacrificed their lives in Cambodia.

As part of the visit, they also called at Viettel Cambodia (Metfone) - a subsidiary of the Vietnamese military run Viettel Group. Cuong praised Metfone’s outstanding achievements in business development and acknowledged it as a successful example of Vietnamese investment abroad. He encouraged Metfone to continue expanding its digital infrastructure and services, and to support the Cambodian government and people in their socio-economic development endeavour.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet. (Photo: VOV)

Bulgaria affirms Vietnam as trusted partner, urges broader cooperation

Expressing satisfaction with recent progress in bilateral ties, President Radev said he hopes to see further growth in trade relations. He noted that ample room remains for economic, trade, and investment cooperation, and urged both sides to focus on strengthening their partnership in the time ahead.

He affirmed that Bulgaria always regards Vietnam as a trustworthy, sincere, and loyal friend.

For her part, Ambassador Nguyet reiterated that Vietnam attaches great importance to boosting relations with Bulgaria as part of its broader strategy to enhance ties with Central and Eastern Europe and the European Union.

She pledged to work hand in hand with Bulgarian agencies and make every effort to help reinforce bilateral ties in a comprehensive and substantive manner.

The two sides are also coordinating to hold the Vietnam–Bulgaria Economic Cooperation Forum, scheduled for July 3 in Sofia. The event set to take place in both in-person and online formats, will mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Ambassador Nguyet also called on the Bulgarian President to continue supporting and creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community living and working in Bulgaria.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, head of the Vietnamese Government’s negotiation delegation, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, head of the US negotiation delegation, co-chair a ministerial-level negotiation session on a bilateral reciprocal trade agreement between Vietnam and the United States in Paris on June 5. (Photo: VOV)

Vietnam and United States step up trade agreement negotiations

A ministerial-level negotiation session on a bilateral reciprocal trade agreement between Vietnam and the United States took place in Paris on June 4 to review progress following the second round of technical-level negotiations and discuss orientations for the upcoming round.

The session was co-chaired by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, head of the Vietnamese Government’s negotiation delegation, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, head of the US negotiation delegation.

Dien presented the main points of Vietnam’s response documents addressing the additional proposals from the US side. He reaffirmed Vietnam’s goodwill and strong commitment to working with the US to reach common ground and joint actions in the negotiation process.

Meanwhile, Greer highly appreciated Vietnam’s goodwill, approach, and handling of the issues raised by the US. He acknowledged the efforts and constructive spirit of the Vietnamese negotiation team and emphasised that reaching a trade agreement with Vietnam holds significant importance for both countries that are now each other’s comprehensive strategic partners.

Greer also provided positive feedback on the issues raised by Vietnam and suggested several solutions to address the more complex matters in the ongoing negotiations.

Both sides underlined the need to accelerate the negotiation process, with a strong focus on achieving substantive outcomes in the third round of technical-level talks, expected to take place in the first half of June 2025.

To do this, they agreed to enhance virtual working sessions at the technical level, organised by thematic groups, to resolve as many outstanding technical issues as possible.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination and expressed readiness to hold further high-level exchanges to push forward the negotiations toward a mutually beneficial outcome.

National public service portal to be turned into single all-in-one online platform - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

National public service portal to be turned into single all-in-one online platform

The National Public Service Portal will be upgraded into an unified digital “one-stop-shop” platform for all online public services, aiming to streamline administrative procedures for citizens and businesses, Nguyen Duy Hoang, Director General of the Administrative Procedure Control Agency under the Government Office, announced at the Government's regular press conference on June 4.

Hoang said that under the roadmap, provincial public service portals will be deactivated starting July 1, 2025, while those at the ministerial level will be phased out no later than the end of February 2026. The National Public Service Portal will be fully integrated and interoperable with the administrative procedure processing systems of ministries, agencies, and localities, enabling citizens and businesses to submit applications online anytime and anywhere via internet-connected computers, smartphones, or tablets.

Submitted applications will be forwarded via the National Public Service Portal to public administrative service centres at all levels for processing. Citizens and businesses who prefer in-person submission can still do so at these centres or all-in-one service units as they do now, Hoang noted.

The deployment of the National Public Service Portal as a single digital one-stop-shop platform does not alter the authority of ministries, agencies, or localities in handling administrative procedures, he went on.

He stressed that the entire process of receiving and processing applications will be made transparent and subject to monitoring and supervision to ensure the quality and effectiveness of administrative procedures and public service provision.

According to Hoang, from now until late 2025, ministries, sectors, and localities will focus on implementing a programme to streamline administrative procedures related to business operations in 2025-2026, with key goals such as eliminating at least 30% of business-related conditions; cutting processing time for administrative procedures and compliance costs by at least 30%; ensuring 100% of business-related procedures are conducted online in a transparent, seamless, and efficient manner with minimal paperwork; and enabling all procedures to be handled regardless of provincial administrative boundaries.

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