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Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (left) and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong sign an action program to implement the Comprehensive strategic partnership for 2024 – 2027. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Australia target 20 billion USD in bilateral trade

Vietnam and Australia agreed to enhance their trade and investment ties, striving to reach the target of 20 billion USD in bilateral trade at their 6th Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the Australian city of Adelaide on October 18.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, who co-chaired the meeting, noted with pleasure the thriving bilateral relations across fields, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

They stressed progress in the bilateral political ties, exchange of all-level delegations, and defense cooperation, with the successful organization of the first Ministerial Security Dialogue and effective collaboration in United Nations peacekeeping.

Both officials viewed the upgrade of the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Australia in May as a strong, historical development step in the bilateral ties, opening up a new cooperation period with higher political trust and more intensive, extensive, and practical cooperation.

They also consented to step up high-level visits in the time ahead, and double investment as outlined in the Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy (EEES).

Son appreciated the two countries’ opening doors to each other’s fruits, and Australia’s acceleration of the implementation of its Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese official suggested the two countries continue fostering connectivity through cooperation in education, people-to-people exchanges, and the implementation of visa programs for Vietnamese to work in Australia.

Son used this occasion to thank the Australian Government and people for being the first to present essential supplies to Vietnamese localities, helping them recover from the impact of Typhoon Yagi, cited VNA.

Wong suggested Vietnam further facilitate Australian investment in the country, particularly in high-tech, saying the two nations should expand cooperation in such areas as climate change response, green growth, energy transition, digital transformation, and innovation, where Australia has potential and strengths.

Australia will continue its support to Vietnam in technological research and development, green technology, infrastructure development in service of energy transition, digital infrastructure, and human resources development through both official development assistance (ODA) and investment projects, she pledged.

Australia will also grant more scholarships to Vietnamese students and expand cooperation and connectivity between educational institutions of the two countries, the minister added.

Regarding cooperation between the two foreign ministries, they concurred to continue to promote and effectively deploy the existing cooperation mechanisms and intensify strategic information exchange.

The two sides also agreed to enhance their cooperation and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Wong said Australia attaches importance to its cooperation with ASEAN as well as the bloc's centrality, and commits to strengthening the collaboration for sustainable development in the Mekong Sub-region within the Mekong-Australia Partnership.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation, and respecting international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

At the end of the meeting, the two officials signed an action program to implement the Comprehensive strategic partnership for 2024 – 2027.

Vietnam and Laos vow to further cement ties

Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man and Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith affirmed the two countries’ desires to strengthen the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, during their meeting in Vientiane on October 18.

Sisoulith warmly welcomed Man’s official visit and engagement in the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Vientiane, emphasizing that the visit would help further foster the close-knit relationship between the two countries, and serve as a great encouragement for Laos as it assumes the role of ASEAN Chair and AIPA Chair in 2024.

He thanked the Party, State, and people of Vietnam for standing shoulder to shoulder with Laos in the past struggle for national liberation and for supporting its current cause of national construction and development.

The Lao leader commended the two sides for actively coordinating to implement the outcomes of the recent meeting between the two countries’ Politburos, in which Vietnam has established a working group to carry out the cooperation agreements, while Laos has organized a conference to assign specific tasks to its various sectors, according to VOV.

Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man (L) and Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith meets in Vientiane on October 18 on the sidelines of AIPA-45 General Assembly.

Man for his part congratulated Laos on successfully assuming the role of ASEAN Chair in 2024 and expressed his confidence that Laos would continue to successfully organize AIPA-45.

He spoke highly of the comprehensive achievements Laos has made over the past decades, and expressed belief that under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Laos will be well-prepared for the upcoming 12th Party Congress and will formulate the socio-economic development plan for the new phase (2026-2030), continuing to build a prosperous Laos with an increasingly elevated position in the international arena.

Both host and guest praised the positive and robust development of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in recent years, highlighting the significant contributions of both parliaments. They emphasized the need for both sides to fully promote the tradition of close and reliable cooperation, actively implementing high-level agreements, including the outcomes of the recent meeting between the two Politburos in September 2024.

They agreed to continue enhancing cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries, particularly through exchanges of delegations at all levels, sharing experiences on constitutional amendments, and overseeing critical national issues. They committed to closely collaborating and supporting each other at parliamentary and international forums such as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Forum, Inter-Parliamentary Union, and Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, as well as other regional and international platforms.

Vietnam, UK see new opportunities to strengthen strategic partnership

Vietnam and the UK have new opportunities to strengthen their already robust cooperation over the past decades based on the solid foundation of the strategic partnership, said Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Catherine West.

West made this statement while attending the 79th anniversary of the National Day of Vietnam in London on the evening of October 17 (local time).

She affirmed that the new UK government is determined to cooperate with partners in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific to address global challenges and support economic growth.

She noted that Vietnam's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is a testament to Vietnam's leadership role and vision for the future, stating that the UK is proud to be a partner in this journey alongside Vietnam and European partners through the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

Cooperation in climate and clean energy will support bilateral trade, she noted, pointing out achievements in key cooperation areas such as education, science and technology, innovation, healthcare, digital transformation, and advanced industries. She expressed her desire to further promote collaboration with Vietnam in these areas during her visit to Vietnam next week.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Do Minh Hung noted that in 2025, the two countries will celebrate the 15th anniversary of their strategic partnership, affirming that bilateral cooperation has developed robustly in recent years.

He emphasized that political trust has been strengthened through regular exchanges of high-level delegations, citing the upcoming visit of West to Vietnam as a vivid example, cited VNA.

The ambassador said investment and trade remain the key pillars of the bilateral relationship, while cooperation in defence-security, education, innovation, and science and technology is also growing robustly. Both sides are working closely to create new drivers for the partnership, particularly in areas like energy transition and green finance.

At the regional and global levels, the two countries are committed to promoting free trade and sustainable development, multilateralism, safety, security, freedom of navigation, and the peaceful resolution of disputes in line with the UN Charter.

They also aim to build an open, inclusive regional structure and global governance based on international law, the diplomat continued.

Hung expressed his gratitude to the British government and people, as well as diplomatic missions and international friends in the UK, for their cooperation and support for Vietnam. He also thanked the Vietnamese community in the UK for their contributions to the nation's prosperity and cultural diversity, and the strengthening of the friendship between the two countries.

At the celebration, guests enjoyed performances by Vietnamese and international violin and piano artists, and sampled the rich culinary offerings of Vietnam.

Vietnam to attend expanded BRICS Summit in Kazan next week

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the expanded BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 23-24, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The invitation has been extended by President Vladimir Putin of Russia who is assuming the role of BRICS Presidency 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press communique released on October 18.

Russia is expected to receive more than 30 delegations from various countries to the Kazan summit, including 24 heads of state.

BRICS is a group of emerging economies that account for more than 40% of the global population and about a quarter of the world’s GDP, VOV reported.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam.

The group was established in 2009 with four founding members, namely Brazil, Russia, India, and China. It admitted South Africa as a full member a year later before expanding to nine members by January 2024 with the admission of Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Several countries, such as Turkey, Thailand, and Malaysia, have expressed interest in joining the group.

Vietnam and Russia established their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2012. In June, President Putin made a state visit to Vietnam, and both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including economy, trade, security-defense, and particularly in infrastructure and energy.

Two cold fronts hit northern Vietnam, potential tropical storm in East Sea

Two consecutive cold fronts are set to bring cooler temperatures to Northern Vietnam, while a potential tropical storm may develop in the East Sea between October 23-25.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Northern Vietnam will see two cold fronts in the coming days. The first, arriving on October 19, will primarily affect the northeastern region, strengthening winds over the northern East Sea without impacting the mainland. The second front, expected on October 22, will bring rain and a drop in temperatures across the region.

This second cold front will lead to cooler weather at night and early morning across the north, with chilly conditions in mountainous areas. Winds over the Gulf of Tonkin will reach levels of 6, with gusts up to 8. Central Vietnam will experience moderate to heavy rains, cited VNN.

Weather in Northern Vietnam is expected to be impacted by two consecutive cold fronts. Photo: Nam Khanh

The meteorological agency also warned of possible tropical depression or storm activity in the East Sea between October 23-25.

Weather forecast from October 19-25 across Vietnam:

Northern Region

- October 19-22: Scattered rain and light morning fog, with sunshine in the afternoon. The northeast may see scattered showers and thunderstorms at night and early morning. Storms may bring gusty winds, whirlwinds, and lightning.

- October 23-25: No rain, with sunny afternoons. Cold weather at night and early morning, particularly in mountainous areas.

Central Region

- Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue:

- October 19-20: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, with the potential for strong winds, whirlwinds, and lightning during storms.

- Night of October 20-22: Moderate to heavy rain, with localized downpours.

- October 23-25: Light rain; the southern part may see moderate to heavy rain on October 23-24, with localized downpours.

- Da Nang to Binh Thuan:

- October 19-20: Light rain and thunderstorms in some areas, with sunny days.

- Night of October 20-21: Moderate rain and thunderstorms, with localized downpours.

- Night of October 21-24: Expected moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms, with localized downpours. Heavy rain is expected to ease from October 25.

Central Highlands and Southern Vietnam

- Afternoon and Evening: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, with localized heavy rain. Strong winds, whirlwinds, and lightning are possible during storms.

Hanoi

- October 19-22: Scattered showers and thunderstorms at night and early morning, with sunny afternoons. Storms may bring gusty winds, whirlwinds, and lightning.

- October 23-25: No rain, with sunny afternoons. Cool at night and early morning.

Additionally, wave heights across most sea areas are expected to increase between October 19-25. The northern and central East Sea (including the Hoang Sa Archipelago) will see wave heights between 3-5 meters. The southern East Sea (including the Truong Sa Archipelago) and the seas off Central and South-Central Vietnam will experience waves of 2-4 meters, while other areas will have smaller waves under 2 meters.

It is worth noting that around October 21-22, a tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is predicted to form in the central East Sea, potentially developing into a tropical cyclone. Between October 23-25, there is a high chance of tropical depression or storm activity in the East Sea.

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