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Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien (R) welcomes Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Adylbek Kasimalyev upon his arrival at Noi Bai International Airport on March 5 evening for an official visit to Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister Adylbek Kasimalyev begins Vietnam visit

Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Adylbek Kasimalyev arrived in Hanoi on March 5 evening, beginning an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Kasimalyev and his entourage were welcomed at Noi Bai International Airport by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, and other Vietnamese officials.

This is Kasimalyev’s first visit to Vietnam since assuming office as Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister in December 2024.

During his stay in Hanoi, the Kyrgyz Prime Minister is expected to hold talks with the Vietnamese Prime Minister and meet with other senior leaders.

Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations on June 4, 1992. However, their friendly ties date back much earlier, when Kyrgyzstan was still part of the Soviet Union.

Over the past 33 years, the two countries have seen many new opportunities for cooperation in trade, economy, and investment, cited VOV.

Economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is currently at a moderate level. In the period from 2017 to 2021, bilateral trade turnover maintained an average of US$1.36 million per year. However, the figure rose significantly to US$4.5 million in 2022, US$7.5 million in 2023, and US$13.5 million in 2024.

Vietnam’s main exports to Kyrgyzstan include pepper, tea, cashew nuts, computers, electronic products, and components, while its imports consist of machinery, equipment, spare parts, tobacco products, silk, and alcohol.

Kyrgyzstan is one of the few countries in the world that unilaterally grants visa exemptions to Vietnamese citizens for a period of 60 days.

The two countries have also effectively utilized the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Belarus as member countries. This agreement officially came into effect on October 5, 2016.

Vietnam to support Laos in forming UN peacekeeping force

At the talks between General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National defense, and Lieut. Gen. Saichay Kommasith, Deputy Minister of National defense and Chief of General Staff of the Lao People's Army (LPA), the two sides pointed to a number of focal points for future cooperation between the two armies.

Based on the agreements signed between the leaders of the two Ministries of National defense, both sides will focus on promoting the effective implementation of the cooperation contents following the common perceptions reached by the two countries' high-ranking leaders, particularly the Vietnam-Laos high-level agreement signed in 2024, and the meeting among leaders of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia on February 22, 2025, while further enhancing strategic dialogue through high-level meetings and the defense Policy Dialogue mechanism.

Both sides also emphasized the need to enhance cooperation between their armed forces and border protection units, strengthen human resources training, and foster collaboration in logistics, information technology, and defense industry. They also reaffirmed their mutual support at international forums.

At the talks, both sides also exchanged views on global and regional developments of mutual interest, as well as the situation of their respective armed forces, according to VNA.

General Nguyen Tan Cuong (left), Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, and Lieutenant General Saichay Kommasith, Deputy Minister of National Defense and Chief of General Staff of the Lao People's Army, review the Guard of Honor of the Vietnam People's Army at the welcome ceremony for the Lao official in Hanoi on March 5. (Photo: VNA)

General Cuong congratulated Lieut. Gen. Saichay Kommasith on his new position, and expressed confidence that, in his new role, Lieut. Gen. Saichay Kommasith will contribute to the continued development of the LPA and further strengthen the military cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

General Cuong emphasized that, in recent years, the defense cooperation between the two countries, particularly between the two General Staffs, has achieved tangible results, becoming one of the key pillars in the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Laos.

He noted that the two sides have worked closely on advising leaders of both countries on strategic military and defense matters. Military collaboration has been effectively implemented, particularly along the border areas, where the armed forces and border guards of both countries have cooperated to maintain security and public order. Additionally, cooperation in human resources training has been given special focus, emphasising both quantity and quality. Furthermore, logistics and defense industry cooperation have been promoted, he added.

For his part, Lieut. Gen. Saichay Kommasith highlighted the importance of the meeting between the two Chiefs of General Staff of the Vietnam and Lao People's Armies. He confirmed that the defense cooperation between Vietnam and Laos has increasingly deepened and become more practical.

Last year, the two sides saw comprehensive growth in bilateral cooperation, including delegation exchanges, training, and meetings among armed forces. Both sides have actively supported each other at international forums, he noted.

The Lao officer agreed on the need for the continued promotion of the partnership based on signed agreements, contributing to strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations and their armies, ensuring this bond remains evergreen and everlasting.

Da Nang tops list of most searched destinations by US tourists

Da Nang, a tourist city in central Vietnam, surpassed the likes of Tokyo of Japan and Bangkok of Thailand to become the most searched destination by American tourists in January, recording an annual rise of 1,538%, according to digital travel platform Agoda.

The travel platform reveals that Da Nang made it into the Top 5 most searched cities among North American travelers starting in July last year and has stayed in the Top 5 every month since.

Overall, Agoda notes that Vietnam is already the top destination for searches among Americans, climbing from the fourth most popular destination in 2023 to reach top place in 2024, even surpassing Japan, reported VOV.

The central city of Da Nang is the most-searched destination by American tourists in January.

The number of searches made by US tourists for accommodation in Vietnam increased by 174% compared to the same period from 2024.

“This aligns with Vietnam Government efforts to bring in 1.3 million American tourists and position the US among the top three markets for inbound tourism to Vietnam by 2028,” says Agoda.

In addition, Americans are currently the second largest source of tourists to Vietnam, just behind the Republic of Korea.

Vietnam, Uzbekistan strengthen bilateral cooperation in multiple fields

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang visited Uzbekistan from March 3-4 for a political consultation, at the invitation of the host country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On March 4, Hang and her Uzbek counterpart I. Khaydarov co-chaired the political consultation. Both sides provided updates on their respective countries' recent socio-economic development and expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in bilateral traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

The two deputy ministers agreed to continue working closely to strengthen the bilateral relations in all fields, capitalising on each other's potential and advantages to contribute to the development of both nations and their respective regions.

They underscored the importance of fostering exchanges via the Party, State, parliamentary and people-to-people diplomacy channels.

Trade between Vietnam and Uzbekistan have shown growth, increasing by approximately 25% per year since 2021. In 2024 alone, bilateral trade surpassed 200 million USD, an annual rise of 26.5%. However, both officials acknowledged that this figure remains modest, failing to catch up with potential and aspirations of the two nations. They agreed to further facilitate business and investment cooperation, particularly in the oil and gas, mining, and agricultural product processing sectors.

Additionally, they said it is necessary to bolster collaboration in science-technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation, education-training, culture, tourism, people-to-people exchanges, and locality-to-locality cooperation through research-sharing activities, cultural events, tourism promotion, scholarship programs, and Vietnamese language courses at Uzbek universities.

The deputy ministers agreed to maintain regular political consultations and strengthen direct and online exchanges between the leaders of their ministries to coordinate and promote bilateral relations effectively.

Discussing global and regional issues, they commended Vietnam’s and Uzbekistan's foreign policies of openness, balance, and diversification and multilateralization. They acknowledged the rapidly evolving global landscape and agreed on the need for close coordination, regular exchanges of views, and mutual support in international organisations and multilateral forums, including the United Nations, for peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

Hang affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to serve as a bridge in enhancing ASEAN's relations with Uzbekistan, as well as with regional organisations of which Uzbekistan is a member, cited VNA.

At the meeting between Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang and First Deputy Chairman of the Uzbek Senate S. Safoev. (Photo: Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

She also expressed her gratitude to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for supporting the Vietnamese community living and working in the country and called for continued assistance. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work closely with the Uzbek ministry and relevant agencies to facilitate travel, residency, education, investment, and business opportunities for their citizens and coordinate efforts to protect their legitimate rights and interests.

During her visit, the Vietnamese diplomat also paid courtesy calls on Uzbek Minister of Foreign Affairs B. Saidov and First Deputy Chairman of the Uzbek Senate S. Safoev.

Saidov pledged to closely coordinate with the Vietnam side in preparing for upcoming visits of high-ranking leaders of the two countries.

Meanwhile, Safoev affirmed Uzbekistan’s wish to strengthen ties with Vietnam, including inter-parliamentary cooperation. He proposed Vietnam establish a friendship parliamentary group to enhance legislative exchanges between the two nations.

Hang also toured the Technopark industrial park in Tashkent, where the Uzbek side informed her of their interest in connecting with Vietnamese enterprises and future preferential policies to attract Vietnamese investors.

Vietnam enjoys 35.5% growth in FDI inflow in 2 months

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam exceeded 6.9 billion USD in the first two months of 2025, marking a 35.5% year-on-year surge, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance.

The agency reported that by the end of February, FDI disbursement was estimated at approximately 2.95 billion USD, reflecting a 5.4% increase compared to the same period last year.

The report also highlighted a decline in investment capital for new projects, while additional capital for existing projects and share purchases showed significant growth, cited VNA.

Production activities at Cellmech International Vina Company in Khai Quang Industrial Park, Vinh Yen city, Vinh Phuc province. (Photo: VNA)

From January to February, 516 new investment projects were registered, totaling more than 2.19 billion USD. This represented a 10% increase in the number of projects, but a 48.4% decrease in registered capital. On the other hand, 256 ongoing projects received additional investment capital of 4.18 billion USD, marking a 42.2% rise in project numbers and nearly a 7.4-fold increase in capital. In terms of share purchases and capital contributions, 553 transactions were made, totaling nearly 529.8 million USD. This was a 26.3% drop in the number of transactions, but an 88.8% increase in capital.

The agency explained that the sharp increases in capital adjustments (up 635.7%) and share purchases and capital contributions (up 88.8%) offset the 48.4% decline in new investments, resulting in the overall 35.5% growth in FDI this year. The decrease in new capital was attributed to fewer large-scale projects being registered. Only four projects exceeded 100 million USD in scale in the first two months, compared to eight during the same period in 2024.

The rise in new investment projects, along with the increase in capital adjustments and share purchases, reflects Vietnam's continued standing as a trusted investment destination, the agency stated.

Vietnam’s largest investors were from Asia, with the Republic of Korea leading the way. During this two-month period, Korean investments amounted to more than 1.5 billion USD, accounting for 21.7% of total FDI registered in Vietnam, representing a 5.4-fold rise year-on-year. Singapore followed closely with 1.48 billion USD, or 21.4% of total FDI. Other key investors included China, Japan, and Thailand.

China led in the number of projects, making up 31% of new investments and 18.8% of capital adjustments. Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea dominated share purchases and capital contributions, accounting for 27.1% of these transactions.

Foreign investors directed funds into 18 out of 21 sectors in Vietnam’s national economy. The manufacturing and processing industries attracted the largest share, with nearly 4.72 billion USD, representing 68.3% of total registered FDI, up 50.6% year-on-year.

The real estate sector followed closely, drawing nearly 1.5 billion USD, or 21.4% of total investment, although this represented a 3.4% decline compared to the same period last year. Other notable sectors included professional activities, science and technology, and wholesale and retail, with registered capital of 354.6 million USD and nearly 149 million USD, respectively.

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