Under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States Antoine Camilleri met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and senior officials of Vietnam in Hanoi on January 18, affirming that Pope Francis and the Holy See always want Vietnam – the Holy See relations to further develop.
Welcoming the Vatican delegation, PM Phuc said the life of the Catholic community in Vietnam has continually improved, stressing that the country’s development achievements in 2017 were greatly contributed by Catholics nationwide.
He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always promotes national solidarity and is consistent in respecting and ensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion of all people. It also pays special attention to developing areas of religious followers with disadvantages.
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The PM added Vietnam hopes to intensify relations with the Holy See, including the exchange of high-ranking delegations.
Antoine Camilleri said he is impressed with Vietnam’s attainments, traditional culture, the diverse and dynamic life of Catholic followers, and the mixture of religious belief and culture in the country.
The Holy See wants to promote ties with Vietnam so as to continue contributing to local society, particularly in education, health care and charity, he noted, adding that the Pope always gives special attention to Vietnam and wants the Vietnam Catholic Church to contribute to the country’s prosperity.
He also thanked the Vietnamese Government for creating favourable conditions for the non-resident representative of the Vatican to work in the country.
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| Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) meets with Under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States Antoine Camilleri |
Meeting with the Under-Secretary, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said relations between Vietnam and the Holy See have developed in an encouraging trend over the past years as seen in the meetings between Vietnamese leaders and the Pope and the joint working group mechanism.
He emphasised Vietnam’s respect for the Catholicism’s positive values, adding that authorities at all levels have been providing optimal conditions for religious practices.
Minh asked the Holy See to continue instructing the Catholic community in Vietnam, the second biggest of its kind in Asia, to actively engage in national development and protection and comply with the State’s policies and law.
Camilleri reiterated that Pope Francis and the Holy See always wants bilateral relations to further develop. They have also continually encouraged Vietnamese Catholics to contribute to national development.
Also on January 18, the Vatican delegation had a working session with Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. The two sides informed each other about their respective situation, discussed issues of shared concern relating to the local Catholics, and worked out some measures for reinforcing ties.
Camilleri underlined that the Holy See always prioritises dialogue to soon settle existing problems. It also agrees to maintain cooperation and discussion to foster relations.
The same day, the visiting delegation had a working session with Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang.
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.