Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association convenes second congress
Vu Viet Ngoan was re-elected President of the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association for the 2021-26 tenure during its second congress held on November 18.
Hanoi (VNA) – Vu Viet Ngoan was re-elected President of the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association for the 2021-26tenure during ꦬits second congress held on November 18.
He assumed the position in the previous term between 2014and 2021. The congress also elected a 32-member executive board. In its first term, the Friendship Association held variouspeople-to-people diplomacy activities and obtained practical results contributingto the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asiaand strengthening understanding and friendship between the two nations. In the coming time, the organisation will work to implementan initiative to set up a Vietnam-Singapore friendship forum, and consolidaterelations with Singaporean partners in holding activities. It is to seek ways to bolster the countries’ businesscooperation in fields of mutual concern, together with activities in culturalexchange, education and charity, among others. Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign AffairsNguyen Quoc Dung said the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership has beenthriving more than ever, towards the 50th founding anniversary of thediplomatic ties in 2023. From the start of 2020 to September this year, despite impacts of COVID-19, Singapore was the largest foreign investor ofVietnam with 11.4 billion USD in newly registered capital./.
Vietnam and Singapore should further optimise free trade agreements (FTAs) in which both sides are members such as the CPTPP and RCEP to strengthen partnership among businesses of both countries, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has proposed.
A Vietnam - Singapore forum for senior energy industry leaders will be held in Hanoi on October 21 to discuss how to maintain growth and sustainablility even during crises and challenging contexts.
Travellers arriving from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are among those who will see more relaxed border measures from November 11, the authorities in Singapore announced on November 8.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Chee Wee Kiong co-chaired the 14th political consultation between the two nations via videoconference.
The Singaporean Embassy in Hanoi has recently held a ceremony to celebrate the two decades since a memorandum of understanding signed between the Vietnamese and Singaporean foreign ministries to establish the Vietnam – Singapore Training Centre (VSTC).
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.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
The 22 million THB (680,000 USD) hall construction is slated for completion within three years, just in time for the 2028 centennial of President Ho Chi Minh’s arrival in Thailand.
Among those receiving reduced sentences were Tran Tung, former Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen provincial Department of Foreign Affairs, whose prison term was cut to 10 years from 12, with six years for accepting bribes and four for abusing power while performing official duties.
At the event (Photo: baoquocte.vn) 
