Hanoi, (VNA) - The following is a l🐓ist of selected news summaries reported last weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.

-PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh has urged the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang to strive for harmonious development in the fields of socio-economy, culture andenvironment while ensuring national defence and security. At a working sessionwith the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee on March 24, PM Chinhsaid, with unique potential and competitive advantages, Tien Giang iswell-positioned to develop its industries, trade and services, acting as one ofthe key growth poles in the Mekong Delta.

- A ceremony marking the 20th anniversary๊ of there-establishment of Dak Nong (January 1, 2004 - 2024) was held in the CentralHighlands province on March 23 evening, with the attendance of NationalAssembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

As heard at the event, after two decades, Dak Nonghas risen from a poor and underdeveloped province to achieving a high economicgrowth rate. It has witnessed a 12-fold increase in regional gross domesticproduct, a 20-fold increase in total social investment capital, and a 13-foldincrease in per capita income compared to 2004.

-Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-ahoౠ and ahigh-ranking delegation of the Finnish Parliament arrived in Hanoi at noon onMarch 24, beginning a three-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation ofNational Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The delegation was welcomed at the Noi BaiInternational Airport by Vice Chairman of the NA’s Committee for ForeignAffairs Le Anh Tuan and Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Keijo Norvanto, amongothers.

-Thevisit to Vietnam by Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-aho fromMarch 24-26 is expected to help strengthen the cooperative relations betweenthe two countries in various areas, said Don Tuan Phong, Vice Chairman of theNational Assembly (NA)’s Co෴mmittee for Foreign Affairs.

Speaking to the mediaahead of the visit, made at the invitation of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Phongsaid that this is his first visit outside Europe by Jussi Halla-aho since hetook office and he will visit only Vietnam this time, showing Vietnam's specialposition in Finland's foreign policy, as well as the good friendship between thetwo countries' legislatures. 

-Therehas not been♊ any information on casualties related to Viet🐲namese people in theterrorist attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22 evening (localtime), said Counselor Vu Son Viet, head of the Consular Department and deputyhead of the Community Affairs Board of the Vietnam Embassy in Russia.

UntilMarch 23 afternoon (Vietnam time), the attack killed 93 people and injured atleast 145 others.

-Vietnamstrongly condemns terrorism in all forms and firmly believes that theperpetrators will be strictly punished, said spokeswoman of the Ministry ofForeign Affairs Pham Thu Hang on March 23 in response to the terrorist attackat Crocus City ꧙Hall in Moscow, Russia that left numerous casualties a dayearlier.

“We are deeply appalled upon learning about this brutal terroristattack and would like to extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to theRussian Government, people and families of the victims”, she said.

-Asrepeatedly affirmed, Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence toassert its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) inaccordance with international law, as well as its sovereignty, sovereign rightsand jurisdiction over its maritime zones establis𒈔hed in line with the 1982United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The statement was madeby spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang onMarch 23 in reply to reporters’ query regarding Vietnam's stance on thestatement made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Wang Wenbin on March14 and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs' March17 declaration on the East Sea issue.

-The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist YouthUnion (HCYU) he🎀ld a ceꦬremony in Hanoi on March 23 evening to award young peoplewho obtained outstanding achievements in different fields in 2023.

The event saw Acting President Vo Thi Anh Xuanattending and presenting the awards, which were bestowed by the HCYU CentralCommittee to acknowledge remarkable efforts by the youth, motivate thedevelopment of young talents, and drive the movements for academic excellence,training, scientific research, labour, and innovation among young people.

-A Vietnamese delegation led by Director of the Department ofInternational Cooperation at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and SocialAffairs Luu Quang Tuan attended the 31st Meeting of 𓆉the ASEAN Socio-CulturalCommunity (ASCC) Council in the northern Lao province of Luang Prabang on March24.

Speaking at the event, Tuan commended thepriorities set by the ASCC under Laos's chairmanship in 2024, believing thatthis year's outcomes, led by Laos, would significantly contribute to regionalcooperation and solidify the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'sstanding and influence on both regional and international stages.

-BCGEnergy, a member of Bamboo Capital Vietnam, has freshly signed a cooperationagreement with SK ecoplant, one of the Republic of Korea's leading investors inrenewable energy, to build a solar and wind power plan🎐t with a capacity of 700MW in Vietnam.

Through the deal signed in Seoul on March 22, thetwo companies will jointly develop the 700 MW project, which is designed toconsist of 300MW of onshore wind power, 300MW of rooftop solar power, and 100MWof onshore solar power./.