Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
– General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam held talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in the city state on March 12, in which they agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a historic milestone in the bilateral relationship, opening a new chapter with a more comprehensive and long-term vision. Read full story
– Vietnam and Singapore on March 12 issued a joint statement on the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The joint statement was issued on the occasion of Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Singapore. Read full story
– Singapore has named a new orchid species after Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, marked with a ceremony at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on March 12.
The naming ceremony took place as part of their official visit to the city state, with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in attendance. This is a prestigious diplomatic tradition in the country, reserved exclusively for distinguished foreign guests. Read full story
– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged greater effort to effectively implement the National Financial Inclusion Strategy to 2025 with a vision until 2030, towards ensuring inclusive, comprehensive, and equitable financial access while chairing the second meeting of the National Steering Committee for Financial Inclusion in Hanoi on March 12.
PM Chinh, who is also head of the steering committee, highlighted the significance of the strategy for the country's socio-economic development, saying that it enables individuals and businesses to access essential financial resources and services for development, improving living standards of the people, and promoting savings and investment. Read full story
– Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh outlined three key priorities for advancing gender equality in her keynote speech at the general debate of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) under the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on March 11.
She emphasised the need to refine institutional, legal, and policy frameworks to ensure equal participation of women, particularly in decision-making across all sectors. Read full story
– The AI-Semiconductor Conference (AISC 2025) was launched in Hanoi on March 12, bringing together over 1,000 leaders and experts from tech giants like Google, NVIDIA, IBM, Meta, Intel, and Samsung.
The event, held by the National Innovation Centre (NIC) in collaboration with US-based Aitomatic, Inc., is expected to bring cross-border business opportunities while affirming Vietnam’s role in the global AI and semiconductor industries. Read full story
– The Mong Cai (Vietnam) - Dongxing (China) international border gate pair will be developed into a smart border gate pair.
Leaders of the two cities reached consensus on the issue at their talks held in Vietnam's northern Quang Ninh province on March 11 which aimed to discuss measures to promote their cooperative and friendship relations. Read full story
– Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba and Jamaica Le Quang Long on March 11 presented his credentials to the Governor-General of Jamaica Patrick Allen and engaged in high-level meetings aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
The diplomat emphasised that Vietnam highly values its friendly relations with Jamaica. He proposed practical measures to strengthen bilateral ties, including increasing the exchange of delegations at various levels, enhancing coordination in multilateral forums, and expanding collaboration in key areas such as economy and climate change. Read full story
– Vietnam’s economy is projected to grow 6.8% this year and 6.5% in the following year, the World Bank (WB) has forecast.
According to the WB’s latest economic update report for Vietnam – Taking Stock released on March 12, a rebound in exports, powered by the global demand for technology products, supported growth in 2024. However, the momentum is expected to slow this year. Read full story./.
