Vietnam News Today (Feb 17): Vietnamese Ambassador assumes office as ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General
	Vietnamese Ambassador takes office as ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General
	Vietnamese from RoK gather ahead of Lunar New Year

Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao (Photo: VNA)

In 2016, Ambassador Thao became the first Vietnamese to be elected as an ILC member. During the 2017-2022 tenure, he actively promoted ILC’s research results, delivered speeches and joined discussions at the ILC.

He also helped express developing nations’ interest in new and non-traditional topics, and actively joined in discussions on topics such as protection of the atmosphere and environmental protection in armed conflicts. Most notably, he strongly supported the ILC’s research on rising seawater level and the addition of the issue to the committee's long-term working agenda.

With an in-depth knowledge about laws on the sea and the environment, he made significant contributions to the first report of the research group on rising sea level in relation to international law last year.

Apart from valuable professional contributions, Thao also played a role in fostering connections and ties among ILC members to promote exchange between legal researchers and practitioners of international law at home and abroad. He was also speakers at many universities and prestigious seminars in the region. In 2018, he was elected as the second Vice Chairman of the ILC on the occasion of its 70th founding anniversary.

With dedication to the progress of international law, he was nominated for a seat at the ILC for the 2023-2027 tenure, becoming one of the 10 candidates of the Asia-Pacific. The ILC election will take place in New York in November 2021.

Ambassador Thao is a senior Vietnamese diplomat with 40 years of experience. He earned a doctorate degree on law from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and is now also teaching international law at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, as reported by VNA.

Earlier in January, US President Joe Biden named Dat Tran, a Vietnamese American, to immediately take the helm of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tran, the principal deputy assistant secretary for the VA’s Office of Enterprise Integration, will lead the VA until the Senate confirms Biden’s nominee for VA secretary. Biden chose Denis McDonough, a longtime aide of former President Barack Obama, to lead the department, according to Stars and Stripes.

Dat Tran, the VA's principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Enterprise Integration, will lead the agency until the Senate confirms President Joe Biden’s nominee for VA secretary. (Photo: Stars and Stripes)

Tran immediately replaces former VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, who held the position since July 2018.

It’s uncertain how long Tran might hold the post of acting secretary. The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee scheduled McDonough’s confirmation hearing for Jan. 27.

Tran, has served at VA for the last 13 years, including roles leading the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics and the department’s Office of the Actuary. Before coming to the VA, Tran worked as a staff member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee from 1995 to 2001.

Tran is one of only a few holdovers from President Donald Trump’s administration, even on a temporary basis. Former VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, acting VA Deputy Secretary Pamela Powers and several other senior leaders were not asked to stay on in a transition role as their replacements await their official start dates, as reported by Military Times.

Biden’s administration on that day also announced 12 other people who would serve in acting positions until the new president’s political appointees are confirmed and sworn in. Carolyn Clancy, the assistant under secretary for health, discovery, education and affiliate networks, will take the second-highest position at the VA and become the acting deputy secretary. Thomas Murphy, the director of the northeast district of the Veterans Benefits Administration, will take over as acting under secretary for benefits.

Vietnamese Ambassador holds phone talk with US House Representative Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Ha Kim Ngoc has held a phone talk with Ted Yoho, a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida's ...

Book about first Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos introduced to the public The publication of the book aims at helping Lao people know that its struggle for independence needs support from international friends, particularly Vietnam, and at ...

Vietnamese Ambassador pays courtesy visit to Czech’s Foreign Minister Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Thai Xuan Dung recently paid a courtesy visit to the host country’s Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček, reported VNA.