The first ASEAN-Australia Special Summit opened in Sydney on March 16, in the presence of Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and leaders of ASEAN nations including Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
![]() |
| Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull makes opening remarks |
Themed “Enhancing Regional Security and Prosperity”, the event is expected to discuss issues related to regional security, economic relations as well as counter-terrorism measures so as to further tighten the relationship between Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The ASEAN-Australia Business Summit, the International Counter-Terrorism Conference and a plenary meeting of senior leaders are scheduled to take place within the framework of the three-day event.
Leaders of ASEAN and Australia will adopt a Sydney Statement, a joint declaration of the summit and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on anti-terrorism cooperation between ASEAN and the Australian Government.
In addition, Australia and ASEAN nations are expected to sign a dozen of MoUs, initiatives and projects on cooperation in fighting terrorism and human trafficking, the establishment of dialogue mechanism on cyber policy, maritime collaboration, economic cooperation and e-commerce criteria, and building smart cities.
PM Phuc is expected to deliver three speeches, with the focus on ASEAN-Australia cooperation, including enhancing regional security and prosperity; ASEAN-Australia economic partnership and regional maritime cooperation.
ASEAN and Australia set up relations in 1974. Australia was the first nation establishing official dialogue partnership with ASEAN in all three fields of politics, economics and specialised cooperation.
The two sides organised the ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit to mark the 40th anniversary of bilateral ties in 2014, during which they agreed to lift the ties to a strategic partnership level.
In 2016, ASEAN and Australia organised the first Biennial Summit in Laos, agreeing that the first ASEAN-Australia Special Summit would take place in Australia in March 2018.
During the summit, security in Sydney city has been strengthened.
Top leader To Lam stressed that while the 14th National Party Congress’s Resolution serves as the strategic blueprint for the country's next growth stage, Resolution 57 is one of the key engines for turning that blueprint into reality.
After 18 months of implementing Resolution No. 57, ministries, sectors and localities have adopted innovative and effective approaches that have generated positive momentum, while winning broad support from businesses, the scientific community and the public for policies on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam underscored that Vietnam’s development goals for 2030, with a vision to 2045, require foreign affairs and international integration to become more proactive, with stronger forecasting capacity, timely and accurate policy advice, and swift action.
The event was held in a hybrid format, with the main venue at the Dien Hong Hall of the National Assembly building and online connection to 3,651 venues across ministries, central agencies, socio-political organisations, and headquarters of provincial, municipal, commune, ward and special-zone administrations nationwide.
Top leader To Lam called on the entire political system, the business community and both domestic and foreign investors to work together to effectively implement Resolution 10, translating its policies into high-quality projects, stronger enterprises, new value chains, quality jobs and enhanced national capabilities.
He urged the Artillery-Missile Command to develop a force that is strong in political, ideological and organisational foundations, with absolute loyalty to the Party, the nation and the people, thorough understanding of the Party's military and defence guidelines and directives on safeguarding the Fatherland and building a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern army.
Chairman Man described the publication of the master plan as more than the unveiling of a development blueprint. It sends a strong message of action and demonstrates the city's determination to translate the resolutions of the 14th National Party Congress and the 18th Hanoi Party Congress into reality, in line with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s directive that “Hanoi must do what it commits to do, do it quickly, correctly, effectively and thoroughly.”
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has ordered ministries and agencies to ensure that technical standards and regulations do not create new administrative procedures, as part of the Government's drive to streamline regulations and improve the business environment.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau highly valued Special Advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Takebe's more than three decades of contributions to promoting Vietnam-Japan friendship and cooperation, particularly in people-to-people exchanges, local-level cooperation, education and human resource development, with the Vietnam-Japan University (VJU) project standing out as a flagship initiative.
PSNews - During the press briefing of Viet Nam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on June 25, spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang provided updates on measures to protect Vietnamese citizens affected by the earthquake in Venezuela and a fire at Moscow’s Sadovod market, while reiterating support for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.
The top leader requested ministries and sectors to complete the establishment and standardisation of specialised databases and urgently connect them with the National Data Centre.
The signing of the coordination regulations represents a concrete step in implementing the Party’s major policies and orientations on building a socialist rule-of-law state, improving the legal system, and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the legislature’s operations.
The General Secretary and President affirmed that the two countries have become reliable partners, cooperating closely at the strategic level and being close friends who understand each other.
Vietnam is ready to share training expertise, dispatch delegations to Cambodia for exchanges, and welcome Cambodian delegations to Vietnam for study visits and experience sharing.
Addressing the opening session of the 13th Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union National Congress for the 2026–2031 term in Hanoi on June 25, the Party and State leader told 788 delegates representing more than 5.1 million HCYU members and nearly 22 million young people nationwide that the country is entering a new stage of development in which young people are not only inheritors of the revolutionary cause but also direct architects of the future.
For the second half, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam directed the force to safeguard national security under the Party's renewed thinking, broaden the scope of security protection, build up operational muscle, and keep national security intact.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chaired a thematic meeting, on the afternoon of June 23, to review the implementation of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW following its third session in 2026. Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung and Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang moderated the discussions on solutions to accelerate the development of science, technology and innovation.
In the first six months of 2026, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence have provided sound strategic advice to the Party and State on military and defence matters, maintained the strategic initiative, and prevented any passive or unexpected situations. Efforts to build a politically strong army have continued alongside comprehensive Party and political work and strict implementation of the Party's resolutions and regulations.
The congress, which will last until June 25, is not only an occasion to review the achievements of the past term but also a significant milestone in defining the vision, objectives, and tasks of the youth union in the next phase, reinforcing the pioneering role of the younger generation as Vietnam approaches two major historic milestones: the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1930–2030) and the 100th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (1931–2031).
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent support for the Palestinian people's legitimate struggle and the Vietnamese legislature always backs efforts to expand cooperation with Palestine across various fields.