The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

A vibrant event showcased traditional festivals and cultural rituals of ethnic communities in Vietnam’s Northwest on March 14 in Dien Bien province. Part of the 2025 Ban Flower Festival, the event aimed to preserve and promote the region’s rich cultural heritage.

The Southern Coastal Economic Zone of Hai Phong has officially come into being, expected to broaden the development space and growth momentum for the northern port city.

Party General Secretary To Lam met with representatives of artists and writers from across the country in Hanoi on December 30, affirming the special attention the Party and State pay to them.

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

An art programme featuring performances of artists and students from the Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school took place in the Lao capital of Vientiane on December 19, marking the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and 35th anniversary of the All-People Defence Festival (December 22).

Vietnam exported 12,471 tonnes of organic goods to the European Union (EU) in 2023. This makes up only 0.5% of total EU imports, signaling significant potential for growth.

Thailand exported 221,092 tonnes of canned tuna in the first five months of 2024 with a value of 978.58 million USD, up 19.39% in volume and 13.40% in value compared to the same period last year.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on January 1 suggested considering the possibility of building a border economic zone in the northern border province of Cao Bang.

The upcoming State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping from December 12 to 13 will contribute to deepening the bilateral cooperation framework for a long-term future of relationship between the two countries, said Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will lead a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit (ASEAN-GCC), and visit Saudi Arabia from October 18 – 20.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his entourage visited the Škoda Auto automobile manufacturing and assembly plant project at Viet Hung Industrial Park in the northern province of Quang Ninh on April 22 as part of his ongoing official visit to Vietnam.

The Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the 2018-2021 period at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 3.

The Ministry of Construction has identified 11 housing projects that are eligible for interest rate support of 2% a year from the State budget.

Based on the traditional relations and special solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Cuban news agency Prensa Latina (PL) have maintained practical and effective co-operation for decades and stand ready to support each other in overcoming difficulties and challenges.

A series of photography events will be the focus this month with workshops and exhibitions at the French Cultural Centre (L’espace) in Hanoi.

'There will be no additional personnel. Staff of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchanges will be working for Vietnam Stock Exchange. They will run the new stock exchange together.'

A ceremony was held in Paris on October 16 to mark the 50th founding anniversary of the ASEAN and 40 years of dialogue partnership between the bloc and the European Union (EU).

Torrential rains have caused breached dykes, landslides, house collapses and flooding almost everywhere in the central region.