Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summariesreported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

–President🌼 Vo Van Thuong received Pakistani Ambassador Samina Mehtab in Hanoi onMarch 12, congra🍸tulating the outgoing diplomat on her excellent fulfillment oftasks in Vietnam.

President Vo Van Thuong (R) and Pakistani Ambassador Samina Mehtab at the meeting in Hanoi on ﷽March 12. (Phoꦰto: VNA)

The State leader highly valued the ambassador’sactive and effective contributions to the friendship and cooperation betweenthe two countries, especially the organisation of many meaningful activities tocelebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relationsin 2022. Read full story

– Prime Minister PhamM𒉰inh Chinh on March 12 issued a dispatch ordering the Minister of ♏PublicSecurity and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-runcities to strengthen the fire prevention and control work.

The move wasmade following a fire that occurred on March 12 morning at a high-rise buildingin O Cho Dua intersection, Hanoi’s Dong Da district, a busy area with a highdensity of population and traffic. The fire caused panic among many people.Luckily there was no casualty. Read full story

-General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary P🔥arty and President of LaosThongloun Sisoulith received a delegation of Hanoi led by Dinh Tien Dung,Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Secretary of themunicipal Party Committee, in Vientiane on March 12.

General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (R) welcomes Dinh Tien Dung, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Secretary of the munici💛pal Party Committee, at the meeting in Vientiane on March 12. (Photo: V꧒NA)

Briefing his host on the outcomes of the talksbetween the Hanoi and Vientiane delegations, Dung said the fruitful cooperationbetween the two capital cities is one of the vivid demonstrations of theVietnam - Laos special traditional friendship. Read full story

– Ministerof Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son receive൩d Komura Masahiro, member of the Houseof Representatꦫives and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, in Hanoi onMarch 12.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and Komura Masahiro, member of the Hoౠuse of Representatives and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, at the meting in Hanoi on March 12 (Photo: VNA)

Lauding the great progress of the Vietnam - Japanfriendship and cooperation in various fields, Minister Son noted thatJapan remains a partner of leading importance of Vietnam. It ranks first interms of official development assistance (ODA) provision, second in labourcooperation, third in investment and tourism cooperation, and fourth amongtrading partners of Vietnam. Read full story

–Border guards at the Moc Bai international border gate in the southwesternprovince of Tay Ninh on March 12 received 15 Vietnamese citizens who had beenrescued from forced labour in Cambodia.

Of the Vietnamese nationals, 10 have passportswhile the others fail to show any personal identity papers. They are between 18and 30 years old and most of them are from northern provinces. Read full story

– TheMinistry of Science and Technology (MST) on March 12 released the ProvincialInnovation Index (PII) 2023, the first of its ki💛nd so far.

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat (centre) and other officials at the launch of the Provincial Innovation Index 2023 on March 12 (Photo: VNA)

The index aims to provide a general panorama ofthe socio-economic development model based on science, technology, andinnovation of each provincial-level locality. It points out the strong and weakpoints, potential factors, and necessary conditions for boosting the science,technology and innovation-based development in each locality. Read full story

– Vietnam is the mostimportant market of Arওgentina in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN), said the Secretary of Agriculture,✤ Livestock and Fisheries ofArgentina, Fernando Vilella.

Speaking to aVietnam News Agency reporter on the sidelines of the 2024 ArgentinaAgricultural Exhibition Expoagro in Buenos Aires, the official said thatVietnam is also a key market in Argentina's trade development strategy./. Read full story