Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

– Within the framework of his official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 3 delivered a policy speech at the Seoul National University, in which he affirmed Vietnam is willing to cooperate more closely with the RoK, and further develop the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, for happiness of the two peoples and for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Analysing the world and regional situations, PM Chinh said that the world's future is being strongly influenced by three key factors, and shaped and led by three pioneering fields. Read full story

– National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man attended the opening of the 15th session of the 10th People’s Council of the southern province of Binh Phuoc.

The NA leader noted that at the just-concluded session, the NA adopted 11 laws and 21 resolutions, including a resolution on the investment policy of the Gia Nghia-Chon Thanh section of the North-South Expressway that connects Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong and other localities in the region with Ho Chi Minh City, creating a growth momentum for the Central Highlands and the southeastern region. Read full story

- General Phan Van Giang, member of the Politburo, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defence, hosted separate receptions for the ambassadors of Laos and Japan to Vietnam in Hanoi on July 3.

Receiving Lao Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh, General Giang stressed that defence cooperation continues to be one of the important pillars in the bilateral relations. Read full story

– Vietnamese Ambassador Mai Phan Dung has urged the international community to enhance cooperation to effectively deal with climate change impacts on people’s livelihoods, stressing that ensuring sustainable livelihoods is a top priority of developing countries.

Dung, who is Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, made the appeal while representing the core group of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution on human rights and climate change, comprising Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines, to address a debate on ensuring sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change impacts. The event was part of the HRC’s 56th session in Geneva. Read full story

– Vietnam attaches much importance to the cooperation ties with the Republic of the Marshall Islands which was set up on July 1, 1992, Ambassador to the Pacific Ocean country Pham Quang Hieu has affirmed.

Presenting his credentials to President of the host country Hilda Heine, the Vietnamese diplomat expressed his hope that the two nations will intensify cooperation in the areas of trade-investment, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, health care, and climate change response, among others. Read full story

– Vietnam ranks 57th out of the 125 surveyed countries in terms of budget transparency, up 11 places compared to 2021, according to the Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2023 released recently by the International Budget Partnership.

The OBS is the world’s only independent, comparative and fact-based research instrument that uses internationally accepted criteria to assess public access to central government budget information; formal opportunities for the public to participate in the national budget process; and the role of budget oversight institutions such as legislatures and national audit offices in the budget process. Read full story

– Together with other countries in the world, Vietnam has been taking actions to reduce plastic waste and the use of single-use plastic bags, towards a plastic bag free community.

According to the Worldwatch Institute, it is estimated that since 2002, each year the world has seen about 5,000 billion nylon bags produced and a large proportion of this amount used and then discarded into the environment. Read full story./.