HCM City boosts cooperation with Laos’ Champasak, Vientiane
Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) branch in Ho Chi Minh City Tran Kim Yen had working sessions in the city on April 19 with leaders of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) branches in Champasak province and Vientiane.
Working session between delegations of Vietnam Fatherland Front branch in Ho Chi Minh City and Lao Front for National Construction branch in Vientiane (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) branchin Ho Chi Minh City Tran Kim Yen had working sessions in the city on April 19 withleaders of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) branches in Champasakprovince and Vientiane.
At the meetings, Yen said that for many years, the StandingCommittee of the VFF branch in Ho Chi Minh City has carried out a programmenamed "Vietnamese families with Lao-Cambodian students in Ho Chi Minh Cityfor the 2021-2025 period". To date, there are 33 Vietnamese families inthe city sponsoring 42 Lao students and six Cambodian ones.
Through the sponsorship, the programme creates favourableconditions for Lao and Cambodian students learning in the city to have theopportunity to live and interact with Vietnamese families, and understand moreabout history and culture, people, and traditional values of Vietnamesefamilies; and to improve their ability to communicate in Vietnamese language,thus helping them achieve better academic results.
Regarding the investment promotion and cooperation betweenHo Chi Minh City and Champasak and Vientiane, Deputy Director of the Ho ChiMinh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre Tran Phu Lu said last December,the two countries coordinated in holding the "Vietnam - Laos Trade andInvestment Forum", which attracted the participation of more than 300representatives of their businesses, including many from Champasak and Vientiane.Within the framework of the forum, 17 cooperation agreements and one economiccontract were signed with a total value of about 4 trillion VND (170.2 millionUSD).
Chairwoman of the LFNC branch in Champasak Vatsana Silima (Photo: VNA)
Chairwoman of the LFNC branch in Champasak Vatsana Silimasaid that her province appreciates Ho Chi Minh City’s efforts to implementcontents of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation inked in 2022, thuspromoting the two localities’ friendship.
This year, the province wants to have more collaborationopportunities with the Vietnamese metropolis to contribute to each country’sdevelopment, and the bilateral friendship.
Chairman of the LFNC branch in Vientiane Thanome Thamthong affirmedthat the branch will maintain close coordination with the VFF in Ho Chi MinhCity to promote the success of the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship andSolidarity Year 2022; step up disseminations to raise awareness of Lao people,especially youths, on the two countries’ special relations; and work withrelevant agencies to create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese people livingin the country./.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Lao province of Champasak for 2022-2025 was signed on December 3 as part of the former’s first friendship dialogue.
Vietnamese businesses have been always good and effective investors in Laos that have generated stable jobs and offered vocational training for the host country’s people, according to Somboun Heuangvongxa, Vice Governor of Champasak province.
Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung has affirmed that Hanoi always gives high priority to the development of friendship and cooperation with Lao localities, especially the capital city of Vientiane.
President Vo Van Thuong had separate meetings with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Saysomphone Phomvihane in Vientiane on April 10 as part of his official visit to Laos.
Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
Vietnam ranked among the top four countries and territories at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), reaffirming its strong position in international academic competitions.
All 20 crew members aboard the Vietnamese oil tanker GT Unity were successfully rescued from a fire in the vessel’s engine room, thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged ship Androusa and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams.
Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on the issuance date, introduces amendments that integrate the procedure for reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers into the process of submitting applications for work permits.
With a tight 13-month deadline, the move is under a strategic and urgent policy to bridge educational gaps, train the local workforce, and shore up territorial sovereignty in some of the country’s most remote areas.
The parade and personnel send-off ceremony will officially take place on August 10 at the area surrounding the Statue of King Ly Thai To and Dinh Tien Hoang street of Hoan Kiem ward, with the participation of nearly 3,000 officers, soldiers, and local residents.
According to national technical regulations, AIS installation is mandatory for boats carrying more than 50 passengers. However, operators of smaller vessels (under 50 seats) in Ha Long Bay have voluntarily committed to completing installation by the deadline to enhance operational safety.
The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
Specifically, the ships will carry out patrols from 7am to 6pm daily along the main tourist routes in Ha Long Bay, with one ship permanently stationed at Ti Top island. From 6pm to 7am the following day, the mobile vessels return to Tuan Chau island to maintain a 24/7 on-call duty shift, ensuring constant readiness.
The Ministry of Construction (MoC) plans to open to traffic 208km of expressways of six key projects by August 19, bringing the country’s total expressway network to 2,476km.
As of July 1, a two-tier local government model started in 34 provinces and cities, streamlining administration but creating a surplus of public properties. If not promptly addressed, these assets could become a financial burden.
Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
Working session between delegations of Vietnam Fatherland Front branch in Ho Chi Minh City and Lao Front for National Construction branch in Vientiane (Photo: VNA) 
Chairwoman of the LFNC branch in Champasak Vatsana Silima (Photo: VNA) 
