Vietnam proposes three priorities to advance Mekong–RoK cooperation

The Vietnamese minister underscored ASEAN+3's role as a strategic platform for deepening regional economic integration, strengthening resilience and helping build a peaceful and prosperous future for the region.

The PM urged all-level authorities, sectors, localities, and the public to fully implement relevant Party resolutions and directives as well as preferential policies for revolution contributors, push ahead with the 500-day campaign, expand gratitude movements, accelerate housing support for children of Agent Orange/dioxin victims and strengthen patriotic education.

The Party Central Committee on July 23 discussed a proposal to transfer responsibility for giving advice on mass mobilisation work from the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation to the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and central mass organisations, as well as a proposal to rename the Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation as the Commission for Information and Education.

During a meeting with the UNRWA official in Manila, the Philippines on July 22, Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang affirmed Vietnam’s consistent support for UNRWA’s role and operations, praising its efforts to maintain humanitarian, educational and healthcare assistance for Palestinians amid the complex situation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung proposed that ASEAN–UK cooperation shift its focus from growth to enhancing resilience, self-reliance and innovation on the basis of increasingly strengthened mutual trust.

The platform is expected to enable the Government to establish a unified digital management space linking central and local authorities, with every assigned task clearly identifying the responsible agency, implementation deadline, expected outputs, progress updates, delay warnings and accountability.

The Vietnamese delegation proposed making energy security and transition a pillar of ASEAN-Canada relations, and urged Canada to support the implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid and expand cooperation in renewable energy, hydrogen, energy storage and nuclear power for civilian purposes.

Under the decision, the committee serves as an inter-agency coordinating body tasked with advising the Government and the Prime Minister on organising, directing and overseeing civil defence activities and disaster-related states of emergency nationwide.

Vietnam always regards Canada as an important partner in its foreign policy and welcomed the positive and comprehensive progress in bilateral relations over nearly a decade since the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership, said Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.

On behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, Minh said he was confident that the activities will further strengthen mutual understanding and trust between the two militaries and navies, while contributing to the implementation of the common perceptions reached by the two countries' senior leaders on advancing more substantive defence and security cooperation.

Vietnam consistently upholds the UN Charter and international law, advocating for a balanced approach to human rights issues through dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect. The country firmly opposes the politicization of human rights and interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.

Recent diplomatic activities demonstrated that the foreign policy set out at the 14th National Party Congress is being translated into concrete action, reaffirming diplomacy as a “vital and regular” task alongside national defence and security.

The session is to discuss important issues in implementing the 14th National Party Congress’s Resolution, along with items covering Party building, political system and national development in the new stage.

Instead of merely handling information after an incident already occurred, it is necessary to proactively gauge public sentiment, anticipate trends in public opinion and address at an early stage issues that could undermine public trust. In other words, the focus must shift from “managing information” to proactively “governing public trust”.

In October 2025, at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, the UN General Assembly continued to place its trust in Vietnam, electing the country to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 term with 180 votes—the highest among the Asia-Pacific group.

During its 15 years of operation, the committee fulfilled its assigned functions and responsibilities, serving as an effective advisory body by proposing solutions to pressing issues and recommending policies to promote livelihoods and improve the life quality for locals.

NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed that caring for martyrs' families, Heroic Mothers, and wounded and sick soldiers has always been regarded as a focal political task, reflecting the nation’s enduring tradition of gratitude towards those who contributed to national independence and reunification.

Opening the event, the PM underscored the significance of the meeting, saying that it is the first engagement between the new-term government’s members and the business community - the vanguard on the economic front, playing a key role in driving growth, generating employment, and enhancing national competitiveness.

PM Le Minh Hung recommended that the two sides step up all-level exchanges and meetings, especially those at high level, make full use of the existing cooperation mechanisms, expand collaboration in the economy, trade and investment, and effectively implement the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The drafting agency proposed eliminating 38 administrative procedures and 40 business conditions, and simplifying another 13 procedures. The reforms are expected to slash total processing time by 904 days and trim an estimated 189.9 billion VND (7.3 million USD) in compliance costs.