NA Chairwoman receives new UNDP Country Director for Vietnam
National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan received new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director for Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen in Hanoi on November 8.
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) receives new UNDP Country Director for Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen on November 8 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) ChairwomanNguyen Thi Kim Ngan received new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)Country Director for Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen in Hanoi on November 8.
The host leader voiced her belief that with morethan 25 years of experience gained through various important positions, Wiesen,who is UNDP Country Director for 2017-2019, will considerably contribute to theVietnam-UN cooperation as well as between the Vietnamese parliament and theUNDP.
She appreciated the UN and UNDP’s assistance toVietnam’s socio-economic development, especially in poverty reduction, HIV/AIDSfight, child care and protection, disease and natural disaster prevention andcontrol, climate change response, administrative reform, and improvingVietnam’s integration capacity.
That support has enabled Vietnam to promotesustainable development, she noted, stressing that over the last four decades,Vietnam has been an active and responsible member of the UN and fulfilled theroles that it has been entrusted by the UN.
Chairwoman Ngan hailed the UNDP’s strongcooperation with the Vietnamese NA over the past 20 years, which has focused onimproving parliamentarians’ lawmaking and supervisory capacity and skills.
In recent years, the UNDP has effectivelyassisted the NA in analysing policies, proposing recommendations regardingimportant draft laws, and enhancing the NA’s supervision of the implementationof international conventions and treaties to which Vietnam is a party.
Caitlin Wiesen agreed with her host on thefruitful cooperation between the UNDP and the NA, valuing Vietnam’s efforts inpoverty elimination and gender equality promotion.
The UNDP has completed translating thesustainable development self-assessment toolkit for parliaments, built by theInter-Parliamentary Union and the UNDP, into Vietnamese.
Wiesen said she hopes the Vietnamese NA willintroduce this translated toolkit to lawmakers and relevant agencies of thecountry, thus helping to provide information about Sustainable DevelopmentGoals, the action framework and parliaments’ engagement to promote therealisation of these Goals.
Chairwoman Ngan thanked the UNDP for translatingthe toolkit and considered this toolkit as important to achieving the Goals.
At the meeting, the host leader suggestedcooperation orientations for the UNDP and the Vietnamese NA, asking the UNDP tocontinue its technical support for the local parliament in improving thelegislative capacity, supervising the implementation of the 2030 Agenda forSustainable Development, responding to climate change, and socio-economicdevelopment issues.-VNA
A workshop was held in Hanoi on June 28 to kick off the review and update of Vietnam’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) which are meant to realise the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Ho Chi Minh City wants to get support from the UNDP in programmes on public administrative reform, climate change adaption, flood prevention, and start-up development.
Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh had meeting with UN Deputy Secretary General and Head of the DPKO Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Director of the UNMAS Agnes Marcaillou in New York, on October 13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) receives new UNDP Country Director for Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen on November 8 (Photo: VNA) 
