| Vietnam News Today (May 25) notable headlines Vietnam, Serbia hold political consultation French President’s upcoming Vietnam visit underscores strong partnership: Ambassador Vietnamese bookstore fosters cultural exchange in Japan Five-month foreign arrivals to Hanoi reach 3.16 million Vietnam’s PM and spouse to visit Malaysia, attend ASEAN Summit Art performance in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh in Venezuela National friendship meeting strengthens Vietnam–Russia people-to-people ties NA Vice Chairman delivers speech at 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress Reciprocal trade negotiations with US must ensure Vietnam's core interests: PM |
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| Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (L) and her Serbian counterpart Damjan Jovic. (Photo: VNA) |
Vietnam, Serbia hold political consultation
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang and her Serbian counterpart Damjan Jovic recently co-chaired the Vietnam–Serbia political consultation in Belgrade, as part of her working trip to Serbia from May 22-23.
Both sides shared updates on each country’s socio-economic development and discussed ways to further advance Vietnam–Serbia relations in the time ahead.
Expressing satisfaction with the recent progress in bilateral traditional friendship and all-around cooperation, they cited robust cooperation between the two foreign ministries, frequent high-level exchanges, mutual support at multilateral forums and international organizations. These efforts, they said, have deepened political trust and set the stage for expanded collaboration in other areas.
Vietnam always treasures its traditional friendship with Serbia, rooted in President Ho Chi Minh’s historic visit to the former Yugoslavia in 1957, Hang said.
She congratulated Serbia on being selected to host the EXPO 2027 in Belgrade under the theme “Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All”, and praised its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), a step that fosters comprehensive cooperation between Serbia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Vietnam is eager to serve as a bridge for Serbia’s deeper engagement with Southeast Asian nations, Hang added.
Both diplomats agreed to facilitate high-level exchanges via the Party, Government, and parliament channels, especially in the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2027. They also committed to regularly maintaining the political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries, while exploring new mechanisms to deepen sectoral cooperation, including through parliamentary and people-to-people diplomacy, cited VNA.
Jovic proposed the exchange of delegations at all levels, urging business representatives to boost trade promotion activities and explore opportunities in such key and complementary areas as agriculture, information technology (IT), and innovation. He encouraged greater mutual investment by both countries' businesses and invited Vietnam to attend the EXPO 2027.
The host and guest pledged to continue mutual support at global and regional forums, including the United Nations and its mechanisms, such as UNESCO and the Human Rights Council.
They shared a common stance on the importance of maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development, supporting multilateralism and free trade, and improving the effectiveness, transparency, and fairness of the UN operations. They affirmed the need to uphold international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue.
In separate meetings, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarovic and Minister for International Economic Cooperation Nenad Popovic praised Vietnam’s potential and growing role in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific. They noted the ample potential for collaboration in areas where Serbia has strengths, including IT, digital transformation, high-tech industries, innovation, and agriculture.
They proposed the two countries negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement, consider the opening of a direct air route, and facilitate Serbian attendance at Vietnam’s robotics and IT conferences, seminars, and events.
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges also drew attention. Both sides committed to stepping up cultural events, art exhibitions, film screenings, sports training, and tourism, while encouraging Vietnamese students to study in Serbia. They also agreed to expedite talks on a labour cooperation agreement, aligning Serbia’s workforce needs with Vietnam’s youthful labour pool.
On the occasion, Hang announced that Vietnam will host the signing of the Hanoi Convention, a new UN framework to combat cybercrime, on October 25-26. She delivered a letter from Vietnamese President Luong Cuong inviting the Serbian President to attend, noting that Serbia’s presence would contribute to the success of this UN effort.
While in Serbia, Hang also met with representatives of the Vietnamese community living in the country.
French President’s upcoming Vietnam visit underscores strong partnership: Ambassador
French President Emmanuel Macron will make a state visit to Vietnam from May 25 to 27, with a view to strengthening the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across key areas, including politics, economics, science, education, culture, and defence, as well as joint responses to global challenges such as climate change.
The visit marks the first stop in his Southeast Asia tour, which also includes Indonesia and Singapore, and is part of France’s Indo-Pacific Strategy launched in 2018 to reinforce ties with partners in the region. It comes eight months after Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to France, highlighting growing bilateral relations and a stable, long-term framework of cooperation, French Ambassador Olivier Brochet told the press ahead of the visit.
President Macron will be accompanied by senior officials, including the ministers of the economy and armed forces, and is scheduled to meet with Vietnamese leaders to push forward economic and security cooperation. One highlight is an expected agreement between the French Development Agency and Vietnam’s National Power Transmission Corporation for a major grid project, in line with the Just Energy Transition Partnership supporting Vietnam’s shift to green energy.
Education and youth collaboration will be a central theme. Macron is set to meet students from the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (Vietnam-France University) and others enrolled in French-linked programmes such as the CFVG business school and the PFIEV engineering track. The events will spotlight the future of bilateral ties and the importance of investing in young talent, alongside France’s continued support for scientific research and innovation.
The leaders will also deal with global concerns, including Vietnam’s planned participation in the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025. Brochet said the visit would reaffirm both sides’ commitment to a balanced partnership that respects each country’s interests and sovereignty, according to VOV.
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| French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet. |
Asked about future priorities, he pointed to opportunities in energy, including nuclear, transport, and artificial intelligence, noting that French expertise could contribute to Vietnam’s high-speed rail project.
On cultural ties, Brochet laid stress on the enduring impact of educational exchanges and described Vietnamese alumni of French universities as a living bridge between the two nations. He underlined the need to preserve this foundation, which has supported bilateral understanding over the past three decades.
As part of its longstanding cultural presence in Vietnam, France has supported the Hue Festival for over two decades and is now backing the second Hanoi Photography Festival.
Cultural cooperation continues to grow. France has played a long-term role in the Hue Festival .A recent agreement between Sconnect Academy of Media Arts, the French Embassy, and Paris’s Gobelins animation school is set to further expand creative collaboration.
Brochet also noted Vietnam’s participation in the 78th Cannes Film Festival this year as a milestone for Vietnamese cinema and a sign of the nation’s growing international cultural recognition.
Vietnamese bookstore fosters cultural exchange in Japan
Near Kita-Sakado station in Saitama prefecture, a small bookstore, run by a young Vietnamese entrepreneur, has become a rendezvous for the Vietnamese community in Japan.
The Macaw bookstore is operated by Ngo Ngoc Khanh, a Hanoi native who moved to Japan in 2015 to pursue university studies. As an enthusiastic reader with a lifelong love for books, Khanh continued his reading habit abroad with three to four books each week.
His family regularly sent him books from Vietnam, gradually filling his dorm room with Vietnamese literature works.Reluctant to part with the books he had already read, Khanh began sharing them via social media.
The enthusiastic response from the Vietnamese community in Japan encouraged him to consider a more permanent solution: opening a Vietnamese-language bookstore.
After completing his studies, Khanh turned that idea into reality. Today, his 90-square-metre shop, located on the ground floor of a residential building, is home to around 10,000 book titles. The selection spans Vietnamese novels, essays, cookbooks, and Japanese-language materials including photo books, reference guides, and works by celebrated Japanese authors.
The Macaw bookstore serves both walk-in customers and online buyers, catering not only to Vietnamese residents across Japan but also to Japanese companies that employ Vietnamese interns and seek to build Vietnamese-language libraries in the workplace, reported VNA.
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| Ngo Ngoc Khanh, owner of the Macaw bookstore (Photo: I LOVE VIETNAM) |
With more than 400,000 followers on its Facebook page, the bookstore maintains an active online presence. Khanh regularly updates its website and social media with new arrivals, making it easy for readers to explore and order books from anywhere in Japan.
Despite higher prices due to import costs and the store’s focus on distributing only officially licensed books, Macaw continues to attract a steady stream of visitors. Its open, well-organised layout, along with designated reading corners and a cosy atmosphere, has made it a favourite destination for young readers. Light snack and drinks, especially its signature coconut milk coffee, add to its attraction.
Speaking with Japan’s national broadcaster NHK, Khanh shared that many Japanese visitors, particularly teachers and educators, visit the shop in search of books on the Vietnamese language and culture. To further promote reading and cultural exchange, he has also set up a free mini-library outside the store, inviting passers-by to donate or take books freely.
Khanh’s journey has not been without challenges, but support from friends and customers, along with his deep-rooted passion for reading, has kept him going.
For Khanh, Macaw is more than a bookstore - it’s a space to nurture a love of Vietnamese literature and foster deeper understanding between cultures.
Looking ahead, he hopes to open a second branch and continue bringing the richness of Vietnamese culture to more readers across Japan.
Five-month foreign arrivals to Hanoi reach 3.16 million
Hanoi welcomed an estimated 3.16 million foreign visitors in the first five months of this year, marking a 20.2% increase from the same period in 2024, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.
In May alone, the capital recorded 2.72 million tourist arrivals, up 16.9% year-on-year, including 567,370 international visitors, up 25% compared to the same month last year. Tourism revenue in May reached VND10.54 trillion, a 19% rise year-on-year.
Between January and May, Hanoi received a total of 12.77 million visitors, a 10.9% increase over the same period last year, with total revenue during the five-month period estimated at VND 51.94 trillion, up 14.1%.
So far this year, the city has launched several tourism promotion events, including “Get on Hanoi 2025,” the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival, and the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM Hanoi), which have attracted strong interest from locals and tourists alike, cited VOV.
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| Tourists visit St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi. |
Looking ahead, Hanoi will continue to diversify its tourism products by promoting new tourism experiences, such as night tours and cultural tours exploring the heritage of ethnic communities in Thach That and Quoc Oai districts.
The Department of Tourism will also step up efforts to develop the city’s signature products, including culinary tourism, MICE tourism, and wellness tourism.
For 2025, Hanoi targets 31 million tourist arrivals, including 7.5 million international visitors. Total tourism revenue is projected to reach VND 130 trillion, with the sector expected to contribute at least 8% to the capital’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP).
Vietnam’s PM and spouse to visit Malaysia, attend ASEAN Summit
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse will pay an official visit to Malaysia from May 24 to 28 at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his spouse.
During the trip, the Vietnamese delegation will also attend the 46th ASEAN Summit and related high-level meetings in Kuala Lumpur.
Vietnam and Malaysia established diplomatic relations on March 30, 1973. The two countries upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership during former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s official visit to Malaysia (August 7-8, 2015), and most recently elevated it to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during General Secretary To Lam’s official visit (November 21-23, 2024).
Malaysia is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner in ASEAN (after Thailand) and 11th globally. Conversely, Vietnam is Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner within ASEAN.
In 2024, bilateral trade reached more than USD 14.2 billion, up over 12% compared to 2023. Vietnam exported nearly USD 5.1 billion and imported over USD 9.1 billion worth of goods.
Malaysia is also the second-largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam (after Singapore) and ranks 11th out of 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 731 valid projects totaling USD 13 billion. Key investment sectors include education and training, energy (electricity, gas, water), and processing and manufacturing industries.
Over the past five decades, Vietnam and Malaysia have maintained strong multi-faceted cooperation. In 2023, the two nations celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, reported VNN.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse. Photo: VGP |
The 46th ASEAN Summit and related high-level meetings will take place in Kuala Lumpur on May 26-27, gathering senior leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China.
Under the theme “Inclusive and Sustainable,” the summits will provide a crucial platform for leaders to exchange views, assess progress, and chart strategic directions for strengthening cooperation. The goal is to maintain momentum in building the ASEAN Community while enhancing the region’s resilience and coordinated response to emerging challenges.
The ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, to be held during the 46th ASEAN Summit on May 26-27, marks the first such gathering among ASEAN, GCC, and China, proposed by host nation Malaysia. It will be held alongside the second ASEAN-GCC Summit.
Leaders are expected to discuss measures to boost tripartite economic cooperation, with a focus on trade, investment, supply chain connectivity, energy and sustainable development, digital transformation and innovation, agriculture and food security, tourism, education, and cultural exchange.
The summit is expected to adopt a Joint Declaration affirming the three sides’ commitment to enhanced economic cooperation.
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