Pope Francis extends New Year greetings to Vietnam
Pope Francis, head of the Holy See, wished the leaders and people of Vietnam a merry Christmas and a happy New Year while meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung at the Christmas Mass recently held in St. Peter's Basilica.
Rome (VNA) – Pope Francis, head of the Holy See, wished the leaders and people of Vietnam a merry Christmas and a happy New Year while meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung at the Christmas Mass recently held in St. Peter's Basilica.
At the meeting, the Vietnamese diplomat respectfully conveyed regards and the best New Year greetings from the Vietnamese Party and State leaders to the Pope.
He informed that Vietnamese Party and State leaders visited and extended greetings to the Vietnamese Catholic community on the occasion of Christmas 2022, and acknowledged positive contributions by Catholic followers to the cause of national construction and defence in Vietnam.
The ambassador wished that the Vietnamese Catholic community will continue to promote cultural and moral values, and make more contributions to the country’s construction and development.
Pope Francis expressed his delight at the fruitful development of the relations between Vietnam and the Holy See. He hoped that the bilateral ties will further develop in the time to come./.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 18 received a delegation from the Holy See, led by Under-Secretary for Relations with States Antoine Camilleri, who are in Vietnam to attend the seventh meeting of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group.
Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Under Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States Antoine Camilleri co-chaired the seventh meeting of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group in Hanoi on December 19.
Vietnam's law on religion is consistent with international conventions that Vietnam has signed, always creating favourable conditions for religious organisations to operate in accordance with the Constitution and laws, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang stated.
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on April 22 received Monsignor Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski, Undersecretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States, who is on a visit to Vietnam to co-chair the 9th round meeting of the two sides’ joint working group.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
New Zealand is currently one of Vietnam’s most important partners in the region, marked by a high level of political trust, strong and reliable defence and security cooperation, and increasingly open economic, trade, and investment ties.
Party General Secretary To Lam stressed that the Central Public Security Party Committee must be fully aware of the extremely important role of the People's Public Security force in the country's new revolutionary phase, so as to guide each branch and level of the force as the nation undergoes transformation.
Addressing concerns over university education spending, Son explained that as public universities gain greater autonomy, the Ministry of Finance has scaled back recurrent state funding. “Over the past decade, as autonomy has increased, the State's support has steadily declined”, he noted
Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane affirmed that the presence of Vietnamese press offices in Laos vividly demonstrates the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, as the press is not only a means of communication but also an important bridge for spreading consciousness about the history, values, and strategic depth of the Laos – Vietnam relationship to the people of both countries and the international community.
The country is willing to participate in collective efforts to promote cooperation and mobilise resources to advance the current priority issues of developing countries, such as trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, making the most of scientific and technological advances for development, and people-to-people exchanges, Hang said.
During the negotiations, the US highly evaluated Vietnam’s goodwill and efforts, affirmed its appreciation for the bilateral relationship, acknowledged Vietnam’s proposals and concerns, and considered these an important basis for continuing discussions and moving towards a final agreement.
The Chairman stressed the need for stricter fiscal discipline, faster digital transformation, and more efficient management of State budget revenues and expenditures.
Pope Francis (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
