Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Party General Secretary To Lam met with exemplary veteran revolutionaries, war heroes, and policy beneficiaries from northern Vietnam in Hanoi on April 15, as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2025).

During the gathering, after listening to the heartfelt reflections of those who made significant contributions to the country, the Party leader expressed deep gratitude for the efforts made by the people, armed forces, and historical witnesses who played vital roles in the nation’s past struggle for liberation and current construction and protection cause. Read full story

🎉 - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali in Hanoi on April 15, expressing his belief that the latter's official visit will help tighten the friendship and usher in a new stage of substantive and effective cooperation between the two countries for the sake of their peoples.

The Ethiopian leader and his spouse are in Vietnam from April 14 to 17 for an official visit and the 4th Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) Summit. The trip is the first-ever by a high-ranking Ethiopian leader since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1976. Read full story

- National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man on April 15 attended a meeting to review the organisation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Executive Committee’s meeting and the Francophone Parliamentary Forum on sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change adaptation.

NA Chairman Man and Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai presented certificates of merit from the NA Standing Committee to collectives and individuals with outstanding performance the organisation work. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son on April 15 held a phone call with Kaja Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission (EC) and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU), who expressed her hope that the two sides will soon upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

During the call, both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in Vietnam–EU cooperation over the past 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, particularly in the fields of politics-diplomacy and trade-investment, which have laid a solid foundation for elevating the partnership to a new level. Read full story

- Vietnamese Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang and Chinese Minister of Emergency Management Wang Xiangxi on April 15 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue operations.

According to the Vietnamese ministry, the document consists of a preamble and 10 articles outlining areas of collaboration. These include state management in fire prevention and rescue, training and capacity building, scientific research, and the application of technological achievements to improve the effectiveness of the missions. Read full story

- The 16th edition of the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) report, capturing citizen perceptions of local governance, shows positive progress in the provision of public services to citizens in 2024.

The 2024 PAPI report, which was launched in Hanoi on April 15, reflects the opinions of 18,894 randomly selected citizens nationwide. The results show that people rated the effectiveness of government activities on seven out of eight PAPI content indicators for 2024 higher than in 2023. Read full story

- Saizeriya, a casual Italian restaurant chain in Japan, announced on April 15 that it will open its first branch in Vietnam next month.

Accordingly, the restaurant will be located at Ho Chi Minh City’s Giga Mall shopping centre in early May. Read full story./.