Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

– Vietnamese President Luong Cuong’s state visit to Egypt from August 3 to 6 holds strategic significance and is expected to exert a lasting impact on the advancement of bilateral relations, as both nations embark on a new era of growth and development, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Nguyen Huy Dung.

This trip is a significant political and diplomatic event for both countries, carrying special meaning as it reflects a strong commitment to creating breakthroughs, elevating bilateral relations, reinforcing political trust, and further deepening the traditional friendship. It is expected to serve as a driving force and open up a new phase of cooperation, particularly in the fields of economy and trade, between Vietnam and Egypt, as well as with other African nations. Read full story

– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed an official dispatch on August 1, calling for swift recovery efforts in flood-ravaged Dien Bien province and preparedness to respond to landslides and flash floods across northern mountainous and midland regions.

The disaster struck in the early hours of August 1, when torrential rains pounded several northern provinces, including Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, and Quang Ninh, with several areas recording nearly 300 millimetres of rainfall within just six hours. Flash floods and landslides claimed three lives, left nine others missing, and damaged 10 houses and roads in Tia Dinh and Xa Dung communes in Dien Bien province. Read full story

– The EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has produced strong results just five years after coming into force, driving bilateral trade to nearly 300 billion USD, positioning Vietnam as the EU’s top trading partner in ASEAN and its 16th largest worldwide, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) reported on August 1.

Signed on June 30, 2019, and officially effective from August 1, 2020, the EVFTA is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious FTAs the EU has ever signed with a developing country. The trade deal has eliminated over 70% of tariffs on imports and exports between the two sides, with nearly 99% of remaining tariffs set to be gradually removed in the coming years. Read full story

– Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc on August 1 emphasised the importance of effectively managing monetary policy, maintaining macroeconomic stability, curbing inflation, stabilising the exchange rate, and promoting economic growth.

Chairing a meeting of the steering committee for the restructuring of credit institutions and handling bad debts, the Deputy PM said that the steering committee has implemented the restructuring of credit institutions, with four banks successfully transformed. The restructuring of the Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB) is currently underway. Read full story

– The Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City and Nagasaki University of Japan, both leading facilities in tropical medicine and infectious diseases in their respective countries, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in key areas such as epidemiological surveillance capacity building, vaccine development, and response to both existing and emerging diseases.

Under the MoU, the two sides pledged to promote diverse and practical collaborative activities. These include joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention. Read full story

– Vietnam’s tourism industry has made a strong comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic and is on track to become a globally recognised green and sustainable destination, according to Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh, who chaired a meeting of the State Steering Committee for Tourism on July 31 in Hanoi.

The tourism sector has achieved both quantitative and qualitative growth since reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the country welcomed 12.6 million international tourists, a 332% increase over the previous year, along with 108 million domestic travellers, up 6.8% year-on-year. Read full story

– The northern province of Quang Ninh is working with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology’s Institute of Earth Sciences (IES) to study the installation of an early warning system for thunderstorms, heavy rains, and dangerous sea waves in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bays following the tragic Vinh Xanh 58 tourist boat capsizing.

A representative from the IES proposed a high-resolution monitoring and forecasting network for Quang Ninh, with state-of-the-art equipment similar to the model successfully used in Hanoi. Read full story./.