HCM City (VNA) – Vietnamese and Cambodian anti-drug forces gathered for their third meetin﷽g in Ho ✱Chi Minh City on January 5.
Addressing the event, Major General Nguyen Van Vien, Director of the Counter-Narcotics Police Department (C04) ) under the Public Security Ministry, said the cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia has been fruitful.
Last year, the C04 coordinated with the Anti-Drug Crime Department under Cambodia's Ministry of Interior to raid four major drug trafficking rings. Police in 10 localities along the Vietnam-Cambodia border detected more than 2,000 other cases involving more t꧟han 3,000 persons.
Lieutenant General Khing Sarat, Director of the Anti-Drug Crime Department of Cambodia, highlighted the efficiency of information exchange between the two sides at national and local levels in recent years. As a result, Cambodian authorities conducted a spate of successful raid🌃s, arrested suspects, and seized a variety of elicit drugs.
He said that in order to further the effectiveness of anti-drug crime activities along the Vietnam-Cambodia border, the Cambodian side will continue to focus on fine-tuning investigation into major cases to hunt down ring leaders. They will also endeavour to strengthen measures to control the import and trading of precursor chemicals to elicit drugs.
Major General Vien said that the two should increase the exchange of drug-related information in a regular, accurate and timely manner through hotlines between the two countries and Border Liaison Offices (BLO) in border localities.
In the time to come, the C04 will coordinate with Cambodian police to conduct joint anti-drug operations and arrest criminals, he said, adding that currently, 16 such criminals are on the run in Cambodia.
Regarding the situation in Ho Chi Minh City, Colonel Hoang Tam Hieu, Deputy Director of C04, said that the main source of drugs in the city is from the "Golden Triangle" area through Cambodia and smuggled across the border into Vietnam to be sold inside the country, especially Ho Chi Minh City, and transported to third countries and territories such as Australia, Taiwan (China) and Japan.
He said that recently, many foreigners, mostly Taiwanese, have abused Vietnam's openness and loopholes in entry-exit and import-export management to form fake companies to produce and sumggle drugs./.
Since the beginning of 2022, border guard units nationwide have successfully conducted 20 investigations of drug crime, tackled some 2,200 cases and arrested nearly 4,700 suspects. These figures show the unremitting efforts of the green-rank soldiers, who are the solid shield at border areas.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has sent a letter of commendation to the Ministry of Public Security’s Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, the Technical Department and the ministry’s overseas representative agency for smashing a major drug trafficking ring.
Cambodian authorities have seized 884 kg of narcotics in a single raid in the coastal province of Preah Sihanouk, a provincial military police officer said on December 12.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
PM Chinh lauded the press’s historic role in the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing process of national development, affirming that the Government always highly appreciates the close partnership and steadfast support of press agencies and journalists nationwide.
In recent decades, Vietnam’s mainstream media has become a reliable and persuasive channel for showcasing the nation’s development policies and achievements, especially in economic matters, according to a senior assistant editor at the Times of India.
A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
From “Thanh nien”, Vietnam’s first revolutionary newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later President Ho Chi Minh) on June 21, 1925, the revolutionary press has remained devoted to its sacred missions -accompanying the nation, serving the Fatherland, and working for the people.
The official launch of Emirates’ Dubai–Da Nang route on June 2 has sparked a “tourism revolution” for Vietnam’s central coastal city. Da Nang is emerging as a top destination for high-end travelers, particularly from the lucrative Middle Eastern market.
Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
A master plan on implementation of recommendations accepted by Vietnam under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) took effect on June 17.
Running until June 21, the festival brings together more than 80 central and local media organisations, featuring nearly 130 exhibition booths that cover the full spectrum of national life, encompassing economy, politics, culture, society, defence, security, and foreign affairs.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
An overview of the conference (Photo: VNA) 
