Vietnam attends first Friends of Mekong Ministerial Meeting
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attended the first Friends of the Mekong (FOM) Ministerial Meeting, which was held on August 5 via videoconference.
Delegates attend the first Friends of the Mekong (FOM) Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attended thefirst Friends of the Mekong (FOM) Ministerial Meeting, which was held on August5 via videoconference.
Addressing the meeting, Minister Son affirmed Vietnam’scommitment to working with other members to build an environment of peace,stability, prosperity and sustainable development in the region.
FOM cooperation needs to originate from development demandsof Mekong countries, and helps promote regional cooperation, strengthen theintegration of collaboration mechanisms to mobilise all resources forsustainable development and addressing challenges effectively, he stated.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attends the first Friends of the Mekong (FOM) Ministerial Meeting. (Photo: VNA)
The Vietnamese official suggested FOM prioritize cooperationin COVID-19 prevention and control, building high-qualityinfrastructure, green growth, and step up policy dialogueon sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region.
The meeting agreed that FOM should intensify cooperation inaddressing common challenges and promoting sustainable and inclusive growth,including supporting socio-economic development and promoting greengrowth during and after the pandemic, ensuring food, water source and energy security,building high-quality infrastructure, and backing the implementation of theUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SGD) and the Paris Agreementon climate change.
Participants agreed that FOM has made positive contributionsto consolidating friendship between member countries, assisting Mekongcountries in responding to the pandemic and promoting sustainable development andprosperity of the region.
FOM cooperation should continue to promote the common valuesand principles in the UN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation inSoutheast Asia (TAC), uphold the central role of ASEAN as well as principles ofequality, consensus and mutual benefit, and respect for international law, soas to help connect FOM cooperation with ASEAN and existingMekong cooperation frameworks.
The meeting was chaired by US Secretary of State AntonyBlinken, with the participation of Foreign Ministers and representatives ofCambodia, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Japan, New Zealand, Australia,Thailand and Vietnam, together with the ASEAN Secretary-General andrepresentatives from the European Union, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) andthe Mekong River Commission (MRC). India and the United Kingdom attended the event as invited guests./.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has underlined four groups of solutions to boost post-pandemic economic recovery and development in the Mekong sub-region, including the prompt implementation of COVID-19 vaccination, stronger cooperation in high-quality vaccine technology transfer, production and distribution and the enhancement of public health system to respond to medical challenges.
Vietnam officially assumes the role as coordinator for ASEAN-the Republic of Korea (RoK) relations for 2021-2024 at the ASEAN-RoK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held via videoconference on August 3.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, as the coordinator of ASEAN-Japan relations, co-chaired the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held via videoconference on August 3 together with his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu.
Cambodian Deputy Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn said on August 3 that Cambodia will cooperate with the US within the Mekong River connectivity frameworks.
Foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries and the US agreed to continue prioritising the COVID-19 response and support for sustainable recovery during a meeting held via videoconference on August 4.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attended the virtual ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) with Australia on August 4 as part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-54) and related meetings.
The ASEAN-New Zealand Ministerial Meeting was held via avideo conference on August 5 within the framework of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-54) and Related Meetings.
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.
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.
Delegates attend the first Friends of the Mekong (FOM) Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA) 
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attends the first Friends of the Mekong (FOM) Ministerial Meeting. (Photo: VNA) 
