Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- State President To Lam arrived at the Phnom Penh International Airport on July 12 afternoon, starting his two-day state visit to Cambodia at an invitation of King Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni.

Welcoming the President and his entourage at the airport were Senior Minister in charge of General Affairs of the Ministry of the Royal Palace Kuy Sophal, Minister of Tourism Sok Soken, Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chea Kimtha, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang, among others. Read full story

- President To Lam's state visit to Cambodia from July 12-13 holds great significance, demonstrating and reaffirming the highest level of close relations between the two countries, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency in Phnom Penh, the official called the visit a symbol of the "fine neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability" motto that characterises relations between the two countries. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the National Emulation-Commendation Council, chaired the council’s 8th meeting in Hanoi on July 12 to review its operations in the first half of 2024 and launch tasks for the rest of the year.

Opening the meeting, the Government leader highlighted the country’s comprehensive achievements across all fields, with macro-economic situation stabilised, inflation controlled, economic balances ensured, and people’s living conditions improved, as well as the country’s position in the world arena enhanced. Read full story

- Major newspapers and media outlets of Laos have run articles praising the bilateral relationship with Vietnam and welcoming the state visit by President To Lam to the neighbouring country from July 11-12.

In its article on July 11, Pasaxon, the official newspaper of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, underlined the significance of President Lam’s first trip abroad after taking office in June, saying it demonstrates the importance that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people, as well as President Lam himself place on the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. Read full story

- Vietnam's economy recovered rapidly in the first half of 2024 after a challenging period at the end of 2022 and early 2023, thanks to its government’s drastic actions, according to Paulo Medas, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s 2024 Article IV Mission to Vietnam.

The IMF team, led by Paulo Medas, held the 2024 Article IV consultation with Vietnam from June 12-26. Read full story

- A series of events were held in Ho Chi Minh City from July 10-12 to promote trade exchanges among leather and footwear businesses of Vietnam and Italy.

They were jointly organised by Italian Trade Office in Vietnam, the National Association of Italian Manufacturers of Footwear, Leathergoods and Tanning Technologies of Italy (Assomac), and the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso). Read full story

- A ceremony to kickstart the construction of a scientific research and training centre at the National University of Laos was held by the Vietnam National University - Hanoi (VNU) and the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports on July 12 under an agreement between the two governments. Read full story

- Children's Hospital No.2 in Ho Chi Minh City has recently performed a liver transplant for a three-year-old child with Budd-Chiari syndrome, a rare vascular disorder occurring in only 1 in 1,000,000 people.

This is the first liver transplant for a child with the syndrome in Vietnam and the 36th liver transplant performed at Children's Hospital No. 2. Read full story

- Phu Quoc island off the coast of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has been voted as the world's second most beautiful by readers of US magazine Travel Leisure at this year’s World's Best Awards.

According to the magazine, the top three winners include two destinations that need little introduction, the Maldives (No.1) and Indonesia's Bali (No.3). Sneaking in at No.2 is the under-the-radar Vietnamese island located off the country’s western shoreline in the Gulf of Thailand. Read full story

- The Da Lat railway station in the resort city of Da Lat, which has captured visitors’ hearts with its unique architecture and ambience, was officially named a tourist destination of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong at a ceremony on July 11.

Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Trung Kien said the top-hill station is not only an architectural marvel of the city but also a place that preserves the railway sector’s history. Read full story

- The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, in collaboration with IV COM Joint Stock Company, on July 11 launched a new virtual reality (VR) experience for tourists visiting the Hue Imperial Citadel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

The experience, named "Dau Ho", is based on a traditional court game popular during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945). It involves skillfully throwing long arrows into a jar from a certain distance. The rules are not complicated but the game demands high precision to achieve victory. Read full story./.