FM vows to work for fastest access to vaccines against COVID-19
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, who heads the Working Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Diplomacy, has stressed the group's resolve to promote vaccine diplomacy for the country's fastest access to COVID-19 vaccines and medical equipment and drugs to treat the disease.
Hanoi (VNA) - Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, who heads the Working Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Diplomacy, has stressedthe group's resolve to promote vaccine diplomacy for the country's fastest access to COVID-19vaccines and medical equipment and drugs to treat the disease.
Amidst complicated developments of the pandemic due to the resurgenceof new variants, vaccine is considered a strategic and sustainable solution inthe fight against the pandemic, Son stated, affirming that the vaccine strategyis a both very urgent and strategic and long-term task to control and soonrepel the pandemic.
In the context that the country has not been able to produce avaccine against COVID-19 and the shortage of vaccines in the world, vaccinediplomacy is a very important "front" because securing vaccine supply is the first and decisive step for the successful implementation of the vaccinestrategy.
David McNaught (C), Political and Prosperity Counsellor at the British Embassy in Vietnam, hands over the donation of 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam (Photo: VNA)
The establishment of the Working Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Diplomacy demonstrates the Government’s high determination in implementing the vaccinestrategy to expand vaccination to cover the entire population, Son stated.
The minister said that the diplomatic sector has also takenthe lead in the implementation of vaccine diplomacy, suggesting the inclusion of vaccine campaigning in the Party and State's externalactivities, and looking for vaccine sources through Vietnamese representative missions abroad.
To date, most important partners and traditionalfriends of Vietnam have provided support to Vietnam, supplying millions of doses of vaccines and large quantities of medical equipment, thus serving COVID-19 prevention and control in the country,especially in southern provinces and cities.
Son affirmed that the diplomatic sector will continue to work with all ministriesand sectors, including the Government'sworking group, to make every effort and contribute its best to the successfulimplementation of the dual goals of pandemic fight and economic recovery anddevelopment./.
Pushing ahead with vaccine diplomacy is among the tasks Vietnam’s overseas representative bodies have been asked to perform so as to help achieve the “twin targets” in the last half of 2021.
A government working group on COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, has been set up under a decision signed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan has said his ministry supports the expansion of areas eligible for the third phase of clinical trials of Nanocovax, a product of Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC based on recombinant DNA/protein technology.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son chaired the first meeting of the Government’s freshly established working group on COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy in Hanoi on August 16.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (Photo: VNA) 
David McNaught (C), Political and Prosperity Counsellor at the British Embassy in Vietnam, hands over the donation of 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam (Photo: VNA)
