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

- Party General Secretary To Lam on November 19 received President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam – the first of its kind by a top legislator of Armenia since the two countries established diplomatic relations over three decades ago.

The Party chief expressed his confidence that the visit would provide new momentum to enhance the bilateral traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation in the coming period. Read full story

- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made three proposals to help get the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track, and ensure timely completion, while addressing a discussion session on sustainable development and energy transition, as part of the G20 Summit, in Rio de Janeiro on November 19 (local time).

In his speech, Chinh reaffirmed Vietnam's consistent policy on sustainable development and the country's commitment that it never sacrifices social welfare, progress, social equality, and the environment for pure economic growth. Read full story

- Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man held talks in Hanoi on November 19 with his Armenian counterpart Alen Simonyan, following an official welcome ceremony for the guest.

Alen Simonyan is on an official visit to Vietnam from November 17-23, the first by a top legislator of Armenia, after the two countries set up their diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago. Read full story

- Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long on November 19 held talks with Ding Xuexiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Premier of China, on the occasion of his attendance at the 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit and his visit to Zhejiang province.

Both sides expressed their delight at socio-economic development achievements gained by each country in their respective processes of reform. They highly valued the positive momentum and tangible progress seen in the friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between Vietnam and China, particularly in high-level delegation exchanges and frequent contacts at various levels. They highlighted the dynamic economic and trade cooperation, with bilateral trade reaching 168.5 billion USD in the first 10 months of 2024, marking a 21.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Read full story

- Vietnam ranks 72nd out of 146 countries in the gender equality index this year, while the rate of female representatives in the National Assembly is always high and currently stands at 30.26%.

The information was shared by Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha at the three-day Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review, which was officially launched on November 19 in Bangkok, Thailand. Read full story

- A delegation from Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture led by Yoko Ishii, Director of the Department of Industry, Labour, and Tourism, visited the northern province of Vinh Phuc on November 19 to explore investment opportunities.

Welcoming the delegation, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Phung Thi Kim Nga briefed them on the province’s socioeconomic development situation as well as its potential and advantages. Read full story

- Cooperation in the Halal industry can help Vietnamese products reach nearly 2 billion Muslim consumers worldwide, representing over 24% of the global population, according to Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Zafrul said that during his visit to Vietnam in July, the two countries agreed to enhance their understanding and efforts to boost Halal collaboration. Read full story

- A delegation from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (HCMUE), led by its President, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son, visited the UK to advance cooperation in teacher training, teaching, scientific research, and gender equality promotion in education.

During the five-day working visit from November 11 to 16, the group attended a seminar on the Making Gender Equality Matter in Schools (MGEMS) project at Birmingham City University (BCU), and held a meeting with London South Bank University (LSBU). They also participated in the International Conference 2024 of the International Professional Development Association (IPDA), a UK-based education association with over 400 members from 25 countries. Read full story./.