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Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam (right) and Czech Deputy Minister of Defence Daniel Blazkovec at their meeting on March 19. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Czech Republic eye stronger defense partnership

The Czech Republic sees great potential to expand defense cooperation with Vietnam and is keen to deepen ties in the defense industry, its Deputy Minister of defense Daniel Blazkovec has said.

During talks on March 19 with visiting Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National defense Sen. Lieut. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam, Blazkovec congratulated Vietnam on successfully hosting the 2024 International defense Expo, which saw the participation of the Czech Ministry of defense and many businesses of the country's defense industry.

For his part, Nam praised the progress in relations between the two countries, including their defense ministries, cited VNA.

He welcomed the Czech Republic’s proposal for strengthening defense cooperation, and reaffirmed Vietnam’s interest in boosting connections in the defense industry and human resources training.

Nam called on both defense ministries to enhance substantive and effective collaboration in the existing fields while identifying new areas of cooperation that match their respective strengths and demand, thus elevating bilateral defense relations to a new level, particularly when the two nations have upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership.

Vietnam gains highest-ever place in global happiness ranking

Vietnam has climbed up eight spots to reach 46th out of more than 147 countries and territories included in the 2025 World Happiness Report.

This marks the highest rankings the country has reached so far.

Vietnam gains highest-ever place in global happiness ranking (Photo: laodong.vn)

The findings were announced on March 19 to mark the UN International Day of Happiness and are powered by data compiled by the Gallup World Poll and analyzed by some of the world’s top wellbeing scientists.

The report, which has been published for over a decade, ranks over 147 countries based on factors such as life satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption, according to VOV.

Finland took the top spot in the rankings as the happiest country in the world, followed by Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden.

Afghanistan remains bottom of the overall rankings as the world’s ‘unhappiest’ nation.

Vietnam restores position in Russian tourism market

Vietnam is ranked as the third most popular summer destination after Turkey and Egypt. Its appeal is rising as Thailand faces overcapacity.

The resumption of charter and regular flights from Russia to Vietnam has fueled growing interest in the Southeast Asian destination.

According to Travelata.ru, tour sales have increased 9% in one month and multiple times compared to the same period last year. Vietnam is now the fastest-growing destination in hotel bookings, surpassing Thailand and approaching pre-pandemic demand levels.

Sletat.ru recorded a 3.4-fold increase in tour sales from February 1 to March 18, while Level.Travel reported a fourfold rise in March. Russian Express noted a 5.5-fold year-on-year rise in February and March, and Let’s Fly CEO Lyubov Voronina expected demand to grow by 20%, driven by expanded flight routes.

Direct flights between Russia and Vietnam resumed in winter 2024 after being suspended in 2020 due to Covid-19. Aeroflot now operates flights to Ho Chi Minh City and will fly to Nha Trang from March 22. Azur Air and Pegas Touristik have launched charter services, while Vietnam Airlines plans the Moscow-Hanoi route in May, cited VNA.

On March 17, 2025, flight ZF2577 operated by Azur Air LLC, departed from Irkutsk International Airport, Russia, and landed at Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa province with 231 Russian tourists. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam ranks among the top 10 destinations in March, according to OneTwoTrip, with flight and hotel bookings doubling compared to the same period last year. Yandex Travel reported a 49% year-on-year increase in air ticket sales, while Aviasales posted a 62.5% growth in Vietnam's market share. Hotel booking platform Ostrovok saw Vietnam as the fastest-growing destination, with a 25% increase in reservations.

Anex Tour ranked Vietnam as the third most popular summer destination after Turkey and Egypt. Analysts said Vietnam’s appeal is rising as Thailand faces overcapacity. Voronina noted that resorts in Mui Ne and Nha Trang offer an attractive alternative, even in summer.

Oleg Kozyrev, marketing director at Travelata.ru, believed that Vietnam’s organized tourism is on track to regain its pre-pandemic status.

Party Secretary General To Lam reaffirms US as key partner of Vietnam

Party General Secretary To Lam reiterated that the US remains one of Vietnam’s key partners during a meeting with visiting US Senator Steven Daines in Hanoi on March 20.

At the meeting, the Party chief welcomed Washington’s efforts to step up cooperation with Vietnam and its support for the country’s goal of becoming a strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous nation.

Regarding the progress in Vietnam–US relations over the past three decades, the Party leader described the partnership as a model of international cooperation. He acknowledged the positive outcomes achieved since both nations elevated ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023, particularly in diplomacy, trade and investment, education, culture, and people-to-people exchange.

Outlining key priorities for future cooperation, he emphasized that economic, trade, and investment relations should remain a cornerstone of the partnership. He also highlighted science and technology, innovation, energy, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture as key areas for expanded cooperation, given the US’s strengths and Vietnam’s increasing demand.

He also thanked the US Congress and leaders of both the Republican and Democratic parties for their support and urged Daines to continue advocating for a harmonized, sustainable, and effective partnership, cited VOV.

Party General Secretary To Lam (R) receives US Senator Steven David Daines.

For his part, Senator Daines congratulated Vietnam on its socio-economic progress and recalled the phone conversation between Party General Secretary To Lam and US President Donald Trump following Trump’s November 2024 election victory. He stated that the call underscored Vietnam’s priority status in the Trump administration’s regional strategy.

Daines expressed strong support for deepening bilateral cooperation, particularly in economy, trade, agriculture, and energy. He also called for broader cooperation in combating drug trafficking, especially synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and joint efforts against illegal migration.

He pledged to convey To Lam’s regards to Trump and reaffirmed his commitment to propelling Vietnam–US ties forward.

WHO, UNICEF commend Vietnam’s measles prevention efforts

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) commend the recent swift and strong actions taken by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam in response to the ongoing measles outbreak.

In a Joint Statement which was released by the two UN organizations yesterday, WHO and UNICEF said that following the Prime Minister's new directive on vaccination and infection and control measures, and with leadership from Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, efforts will now include expanding vaccination to other provinces and strengthening vaccine supply, not only for routine vaccination but also for outbreak response and preventive mass campaigns, which are critical steps towards measles elimination.

The national online conference on March 15, chaired by Minister Dao Hong Lan, also demonstrates the Government's strong commitment to addressing this public health challenge, VGP reported.

Photo: VGP

Latest data indicates that the measles outbreak in Vietnam is still very much ongoing, and we are seeing continued surges in cases in central and northern Vietnam – including new outbreaks in parts of the country that have not reported cases or clusters of cases before. Due to the highly contagious nature of measles and the significant immunity gaps, many un- or under-vaccinated children are exposed to infection.

National vaccination campaign must reach all susceptible children

With fatal cases already reported and anticipated surges in measles cases in remote areas, it is critical to implement a national vaccination campaign reaching all susceptible children as soon as possible.

It is also essential to ensure hospitals and healthcare facilities have sufficient supplies of treatment products (including Vitamin A) to ensure the recovery of sick children, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas.

In addition, both WHO and UNICEF encourage healthcare facilities to implement appropriate clinical management and infection prevention and control measures to reduce severity of illness for those who do become infected and protect the most vulnerable children.

Immunization is the best way to prevent measles and given the scale of the outbreak it is essential to speed-up and expand the eligible age group and locations for vaccination. Engaging non-health sectors is also crucial in identifying un-or under-vaccinated children and mobilizing parents to bring their children to healthcare facilities for vaccination.

Minister Dao Hong Lan's call for prioritizing resources, enhancing communication, and mobilizing communities to speed up vaccination for outbreak response and to ensure full vaccination coverage is vital.

WHO and UNICEF stand ready to continue our support to Vietnam in its endeavours to bring the current outbreak under control and prevent further spread of measles.

This includes developing a measles elimination strategy, a clear plan for reaching those currently unreached with vaccination, communication for the measles campaign, and strengthening systems for vaccine supply, procurement, and distribution of vaccines, including the cold chain system.

"Together, we can protect the health and well-being of children and communities across Vietnam," they said.

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