A ceremony was held in Laos’s Savannakhet province on September 29 to wrap up the fifth Vietnam-Laos People Friendship Festival and celebrate the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year, the 60th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 45th of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation between the two countries.

A forum themed “Women of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia promote international cooperation and integration for green and sustainable development in a COVID-19 world” was held in a hybrid format in Hanoi, Vientiane (Laos) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia) on September 28.

Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man highly appreciated the positive developments in people-to-people exchanges between the two countries during a reception held on September 27 for delegates who are attending the fifth Vietnam-Laos People Friendship Festival in Vietnam's central province of Quang Tri.

The fifth Vietnam-Laos People Friendship Festival opened in the central province of Quang Tri, which borders Laos’ Savannakhet and Salavan provinces, on September 28.

A friendship gathering was held by Vietnam-Uzbekistan Friendship Association (VUFA) on August 30 to mark the 30th anniversary of establishment of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (1992-2022).

The 6th congress in the 2022 – 2027 tenure of the Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Association’s Hanoi chapter (VCFA Hanoi) was held in Hanoi on August 27, electing a 30-member executive board.

The 11th annual joint meeting of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association (VTFA) and the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association (TVFA) was held in Bangkok on August 24.

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Polish - Vietnam Friendship Association strengthen cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

A get-together was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 28 by the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and the municipal chapter of the Vietnam-Slovakia Friendship Association (VSFA HCM City) to mark the 30th anniversary of Slovak Constitution Day (September 1).

The Vietnam-US Friendship Association of Hanoi held its sixth congress for the 2022-2027 tenure on August 25, during which it defined major tasks for the new term with a focus placed on expanding cooperation between the two countries in education, cultural heritage preservation, health and tourism, as well as twinned relations between the capital and US cities.

The Vietnam-France Friendship Association in Hanoi will continue connecting and building cooperation programmes between the two countries, and helping boost the capital city’s new 2022-2027 tenure.

The Vietnam – UK Friendship Association of Hanoi held the fourth Congress on August 20 and set out orientations for the 2022-2027 tenure.

The delegation of the Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organization Affairs (COMINGO) led by Phan Anh Son, vice president - general secretary of VUFO, vice chairman of the COMINGO visited and worked in the United States from September 20-28. The visit aims to promote Vietnam-US relations, strengthen cooperation in humanitarian aid and development assistance for Vietnam particularly.

UNICEF Vietnam expressed its concern over children and families vulnerable to Typhoon Noru, saying it stands ready to support the Government of Vietnam in responding to the most powerful storm to hit Vietnam in 20 years, according to a recent statement.

The US Mission to Vietnam, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), recently announced the provision of liquid oxygen systems for 10 additional Vietnamese hospitals, bringing the total number to 23.

The French Development Agency (AFD) will increase its support and donations for projects funded by French non-governmental organisations and associations in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people always appreciate and are grateful for the support and assistance of their Cuban counterparts in the struggle for national liberation and construction, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong has said.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 29 hosted an official welcome ceremony for his Cuban counterpart Manuel Marrero Cruz who is on an official friendship visit to Vietnam.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam always treasures the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan; considers Japan an important and long-term strategic partner.

The United Nations (UN) will continue paying attention to and support Vietnam's development priorities towards green and sustainable orientations, and just transition, especially in terms of financial access, UN Secretary-General Antonió Guterres told Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on September 23.

Universities nationwide are implementing more than 400 joint training programmes with foreign countries for the undergraduate level, as per statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training’s Department of International Cooperation.

Vietnamese chess player Nguyen Hong Nhung tied with 2 other contestants and won the Sliver medal at Female U16 World Youth Chess Championship 2022 in Romania. This is the first medal in the past 5 years for Vietnam at the World Youth Chess Championship.

Late President Ho Chi Minh was “an outstanding symbol of national affirmation, who devoted his whole life to the national liberation of the Vietnamese people, contributing to the common struggle of peoples for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress,” according to UNESCO Resolution 24C/18.65.

Competing with more than 1,000 candidates, a Vietnamese student won the first prize of the Digital Technology Skills Competition organized by ICDL Asia.

The Brussels Times of Belgium has run an article highlighting that Vietnam - a development partner of the EU in the Indo-Pacific - is becoming a beacon in the region with the capacity to control inflation and maintain economic growth at a high level despite turbulent international affairs.

To ensure that young children are developed physically, intellectually and spiritually and have equal access to comprehensive development care support services, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is improving the knowledge and skills of parents and caregivers.

Vietnam is striving to prevent, reduce and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in an effort to remove the European Commission (EC)’s ‘yellow card’ warning as part of a scheme on IUU fishing prevention and control by 2025.

Vietnam and Cambodia have saved over 1,000 Vietnamese citizens who have been tricked to work illegally in Cambodia, said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang during a regular press conference in Hanoi on September 22.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the ASEAN Plus One, and ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, and co-chaired the ASEAN-Republic of Korea (RoK) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cambodia on August 4.

Vice Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang on July 21 stressed the demand that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

A Vietnamese traveler carried a national flag across all continents worldwide, completing a 1,000-nautical-mile journey to Truong Sa (Spratly) islands, and the carrier’s dream came true. Tran Dang Dang Khoa, born in 1987 in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, is a well-known backpacker travelling around the globe by motorbike. It took him two years of preparation to navigate some 80,000 kilometres. He has set foot in 65 countries and territories in Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Australia, Antarctica, and Africa.

The nearly 1,000-nautical mile-long journey to Truong Sa and DK1 platform has had a huge impact on the over 40 expats returning from 17 countries around the world. The trip to Truong Sa archipelago and the continental shelf is a meaningful learning experience for all who take part. It is also an opportunity for OVs to meet and exchange with Vietnamese from around the world in Vietnam, which contributes to strengthen national unity.