Get-together marks Vietnam’s 27-year ASEAN membership
Ho Chi Minh City’s Union of Friendship Organisations held a get-together on August 5 to mark 27 years of Vietnam's membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (July 28) and the 55th founding anniversary of the bloc (August 8).
HCM City (VNA) - Ho Chi Minh City’s Union of Friendship Organisationsheld a get-together on August 5 to mark 27 years of Vietnam's membership in theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (July 28) and the 55th founding anniversary of the bloc (August 8).
Phan Thi Hong Xuan, President of the Vietnam-Southeast AsiaFriendship Association in HCM City, said that the past 27 years, since Vietnamjoined ASEAN, is not a long period of time compared to the country’s history, but it isvery meaningful for Vietnam and ASEAN as well during the building of an ASEANCommunity Vision by 2025.
Phan Thi Hong Xuan, President of the Vietnam-Southeast Asia Friendship Association, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)
Xuan said that though many difficulties and challenges are stillahead, with the good results achieved, the ASEAN Community has affirmed itsrole as an important and indispensable factor for peace, stability anddevelopment in Southeast Asia, and a driving force for dialogue, cooperationand connectivity among member countries as well as the expansion of cooperationand comprehensive development in East Asia and Asia-Pacific.
Sok Dareth, Cambodian Consul General in the city, delivereda congratulatory speech on the 55th founding anniversary of ASEAN and sharedthe bloc's achievements in 2022 when his country is holding the role asthe ASEAN Chair.
Sok Dareth said that since joining ASEAN, Vietnam hasincreasingly proved to be an active and responsible member of the group as wellas of the international community.
Vietnam has promoted intensive and extensive integration in politics,economy, diplomacy and all other areas of life, and worked with other member countriesin building the ASEAN community from security - politics, economy, culture andsociety, with the top priority given to strengthening ASEAN connectivity, headded.
At the event, winners of the "Smart city in the era ofindustrial revolution 4.0 and its impacts on the lives of urban residents in HoChi Minh City" contest were announced. The contest was jointly held by theVietnam – Southeast Asia Friendship Association in the city, the Centre for ASEANHuman Resources Research and Training under the Vietnam National University, HoChi Minh City, and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities./.
An exhibition themed “ASEAN Cultural Colours” will be held at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi from August 8 – 12 to mark the 55th anniversary of ASEAN.
The steering committee for ASEAN dissemination at the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) held a conference in Hanoi on August 4 on the dissemination of information about the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the occasion of the bloc’s 55th founding anniversary (August 8).
Joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was the first step of Vietnam in the process of international integration, and the bloc has served as a gateway for the country’s integration into the region and the world, an official has said.
Addressing the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his pleasure at meeting a large number of Vietnamese living and working in the RoK, acknowledging and appreciating their efforts in contributing to the growing Vietnam–RoK partnership.
He also welcomed the “Vietnam Private Sector Panorama” as a platform for dialogue, awareness-raising, and inspiring a wealth-creation movement, emphasising that it must deliver tangible results.
During a meeting on August 10 in Seoul with 100 representatives from the RoK’s intellectuals, associations, people’s organisations, businesses, and non-governmental organisations operating in Vietnam, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his gratitude to Korean friendship, economic, cultural associations, universities, research institutes, individuals, and NGOs for their significant contributions to nurturing the Vietnam–RoK relationship.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with Chairman of the Republic of Korea (RoK)–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee is scheduled to convene its 48th session on August 11-13, with August 14-15 set as a backup date, according to the NA Office.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to Brazil and Bolivia Bui Van Nghi has led an embassy delegation to attend official events marking the 200th anniversary of Bolivia’s Independence Day.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network in Korea (VINK) and Vietnamese experts living and working in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
In an interview with Korean media on the occasion of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the RoK, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the visit demonstrates Vietnam’s strong resolve to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the RoK, with the aim of fostering greater political trust, closer strategic coordination, more substantive and comprehensive cooperation, and stronger bonds of friendship between the two countries' people.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Government Party Committee, attended the 4th Party Congress of the EVN Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 tenure on August 10, directing EVN to ensure power supply to meet the country’s development demands with double-digit growth set for the coming years.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
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.
An overview of the get-together (Photo: VNA) 
Phan Thi Hong Xuan, President of the Vietnam-Southeast Asia Friendship Association, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) 
