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Party General Secretary To Lam (left) meets with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow on May 8. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam ready to work with Russia to elevate relations: Party leader

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow on May 8, saying Vietnam attaches special importance to the traditional friendship and is ready to cooperate closely with Russia to elevate bilateral relations.

Welcoming the General Secretary and high-ranking delegation of Vietnam, the host hailed the significance of the visit, especially amid major anniversaries of each country and their relations, and considered it a contribution to the time-tested friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Russia always views Vietnam as one of its leading partners in Asia-Pacific, he stated, recalling his visit to Vietnam in January this year.

General Secretary Lam mentioned the Russian PM’s official visit to Vietnam in January and President Vladimir Putin’s state visit in June 2024. He said the trip this time reflects the Vietnamese Party and State’s high regard for the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, as well as both sides’ strong political determination to further intensify bilateral relations.

He emphasized that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam always treasure and keep in mind the precious support from the former Soviet Union and today’s Russia to the struggle for national liberation in the past and the national construction and safeguarding process at present.

The Party leader proposed the two sides continue enhancing the comprehensive strategic partnership by further strengthening political trust through increased mutual visits at all levels, improving the efficiency of the Inter-governmental Committee and its member working groups, and bolstering defense – security cooperation, cited VNA.

He also suggested further reinforcing collaboration in energy – oil and gas, along with nuclear energy; expanding ties to the field of new energy, particularly clean energy, renewable energy, and wind power; further promoting economic, trade, and investment cooperation and cooperation effectiveness; and stepping up partnerships in the fields in which they have traditional relations and advantages such as education – training, science – technology, locality-to-locality links, transport, and tourism.

Besides, favourable conditions should also be created for the Vietnamese people to live, study, and work stably in Russia, he added.

The two leaders discussed measures for enhancing political trust and expanding bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas matching their countries’ strengths and potential such as energy, trade – investment, defense industry, transport, high technology, artificial intelligence, digital economy, education – training, culture, tourism, locality-to-locality ties, and people-to-people exchanges.

They agreed to keep promoting collaboration between Vietnamese and Russian ministries, sectors, localities, and businesses, remove trade and investment barriers, and facilitate joint projects in the areas of energy, industry, high-tech agriculture, logistics, and digital transformation.

PM Mikhail Mishustin affirmed that the Russian Government will coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to carry out the decisions made at the highest level.

Vietnam and Singapore vow to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, during their phone conversation on May 8.

During the call, Chinh congratulated Singapore on the success of its recent parliamentary election, and conveyed the best wishes from Party General Secretary To Lam to Wong and the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) leadership following their victory. He emphasized that the increased share of votes reflected the public’s strong trust in the PAP’s leadership and the personal capabilities of Wong, as well as the continuity of values behind Singapore’s development success.

Chinh expressed his confidence that under Wong’s leadership, Singapore would continue to thrive, overcome challenges, and achieve greater prosperity.

Regarding Vietnam-Singapore relations, Chinh proposed boosting economic cooperation and expanding Singaporean investment in high-tech, renewable energy, smart infrastructure, and sustainable urban development. He also suggested enhancing collaboration in offshore wind power, carbon credit exchange, financial innovation, port development, and transnational crime prevention.

For his part, Wong acknowledged the strong people-to-people and leadership ties between both countries and credited the PAP’s electoral success to the hard work of its members in earning public trust, according to VOV.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to direct relevant ministries to implement the key outcomes of recent high-level visits, and deepen Party and people-to-people exchanges. They tasked their foreign ministries with drafting a 2025–2030 Action Plan to concretize the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Chinh welcomed an upcoming visit by a delegation of young PAP leaders to Vietnam for knowledge exchange on Party-building, governance, and public engagement.

Exchanging views on regional and global issues, the two PMs agreed to increase consultation and mutual support at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and other international forums. They emphasized the need for stronger cooperation in a rapidly changing global landscape to ensure peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

They agreed to hold more detailed discussions during the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.

Vietnam Festival in Japan to take place on May 31 and June 1

A press conference took place in Tokyo on May 8 to announce the upcoming Vietnam Festival, set to take place on May 31 and June 1 at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, who is co-chair of the organizing committee, noted that with 17 editions to date, the Vietnam Festival at the Yoyogi Park has become a hallmark of cultural exchange, eagerly anticipated each year by Japanese friends and the Vietnamese community living in Japan.

He highlighted that the festival is not only an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese to reconnect with their roots, but also serves as an important bridge bringing Vietnamese culture closer to the Japanese public.

The diplomat particularly underscored the role of people-to-people exchanges as a vital pillar of the two nations’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World, VNA reported.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu (Photo: VNA)

This year’s program will feature performances by young Vietnamese artists, traditional water puppetry, an ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) showcase, and authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

Japanese lawmaker Aoyagi Yoichiro, who is also a co-chair of the organizing committee, described the Vietnam Festival as the largest Vietnamese cultural event in Japan. He underlined its growing role as a comprehensive platform to further deepen bilateral relations across multiple sectors, including economy, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchange.

The organizers expect approximately 130 booths and an estimated attendance of 180,000 visitors during the two-day festival.

Cold air to hit regions this weekend, bring relief from early summer heat

A cold air mass is expected to sweep across the Northern and Central regions of Vietnam this weekend, bringing rain and scattered thunderstorms to central Vietnam and offering much-needed relief from the recent sweltering early summer heat.

Over the past few days, Northern and Central Vietnam have been affected by a hot low pressure system from the west, resulting in uncomfortable and oppressive heat.

This weather pattern, typical in early summer, has caused temperatures to soar in many areas, with some places experiencing highs of over 39°C, along with low humidity and strong dry winds. The combination of intense sunshine and warm air has made conditions particularly stifling, especially in urban and mountainous regions.

However, a cold air mass is forecast to move in this weekend, promising a welcome drop in temperatures and scattered rainfall, a much-needed break from the heat.

According to the latest weather forecast, the cold air mass is anticipated to affect some areas in the northeastern mountain regions on May 10 before spreading across other parts of the Northeastern, Northern-central, Northwestern, and Central regions at night.

From May 10 evening, the weather in the Northern and North-central regions will become cooler, with mountain areas in the North experiencing cold conditions. The lowest temperatures during this cold front will range from 20°C to 23°C in the lowlands and dip below 18°C in the highlands, cited VOV.

This weekend, a cold air mass is forecast to hit the Northern and Central regions of Vietnam, bringing rain and offering a relief from early summer hit.

In Hanoi, the temperature will also drop starting from the evening of May 10, with lows expected between 21°C to 23°C during this cold air spell.

Due to the influence of cold air compressing the low-pressure trough, the Northern and North-central regions are expected to experience moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms from May 9 - 11, with some areas potentially receiving heavy rainfall.

Experts warn that although Vietnam has entered the summer of 2025, the cold air continues to influence the country, leading to extreme weather phenomena such as heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning.

Vietnam to launch major projects to celebrate 80th National Day

Vietnam will organize a ceremony to break ground and inaugurate a series of major national-scale projects in celebration of the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2025), according to a plan released by the Government.

In April, the Government organized a groundbreaking/inauguration ceremony of 80 major projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification.

To prepare for the upcoming event, ministries, provincial authorities, and State-owned enterprises were instructed to accelerate project planning and implementation. Each agency is expected to nominate at least two projects eligible for either groundbreaking or inauguration ceremony. Detailed submissions—including project name, scale, funding sources, and documentation—must be sent to the Government Office and the Ministry of Construction by July 31.

The Ministry of Construction, in collaboration with the Government Office and relevant ministries, will finalize the project list and coordinate a nationwide livestream. A comprehensive report is to be submitted to the Prime Minister by August 10, VGP reported.

Photo: VGP

The event will be broadcast live by the Vietnam Television (VTV), with technical support for livestream connections provided by Viettel and VNPT.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha was tasked to oversee all preparations, ensuring the program is conducted in a solemn, unified, and cost-effective manner.

In addition, the government will organize a national exhibition showcasing the country's socio-economic achievements over the past eight decades.

The exhibition is expected to take place at the National Exhibition Center in Dong Anh District, Ha Noi.

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