Politics - Society

The 41st session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee will take place at the NA Building in Hanoi on January 9-10, as announced by the NA Office on January 7.

As ASEAN 2020 Chair, Viet Nam will build on the achievements and the efforts of previous ASEAN Chairs and work with fellow members in identifying future directions for the ASEAN Community until 2025 and beyond.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, leading a high-ranking delegation from the Lao government, paid an official visit to Vietnam to co-chair the 42nd meeting of the Vietnam - Laos Inter-Governmental Committee in Hanoi, at the invitation of Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong has sent out a message on the occasion of Vietnam's assumption of the roles of the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2020 - 2021 tenure. Following is a translation of his message:

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs a two-day government-to-locality teleconference, which opened in Hanoi on December 30, to review Vietnam's socio-economic development in 2019 and map out plans for 2020.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith co-chaired the sixth ministerial consultation in the northern province of Quang Ninh on December 25.

More than 1.655 million jobs were created in 2019, reaching 103.5% of the plan and equal to 100.4% of the previous year, according to the report of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Leaders have joined delegations to visit and convey Christmas greetings to Catholics and Protestants nationwide on the occasion of the 2019 Christmas holiday.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed efforts of athletes, coaches and experts of the Vietnamese sports delegation at the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games recently held in the Philippines, while meeting them in Hanoi on December 22.

Secretary of the Ninh Binh provincial party committee Nguyen Thi Thanh visited armed forces in the province ahead of the armed forced traditional day (December 22).

A series of exhibitions open in Ho Chi Minh City on December 19 to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army and the 30th All-People Defence Festival (December 22).

The Vietnamese delegation's active participation at the recent 14th Asian-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers' Meeting highlighted the country's reputation and responsible contributions to important regional and global multilateral issues, an official has said.

Vietnam's economy has performed well in 2019, with GDP expanding by an estimated 6.8 percent, public debt reduced by nearly 8 percentage point of GDP since 2016, and a trade balance surplus for fourth year in a row, according to the World Bank (WB)'s report released on December 17.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on December 17, during which they discussed measures to expand all-around cooperation between the two countries.

Chairman of Ninh Binh provincil peoples committee Dinh Van Dien received Cuban Minister of Justice Oscar Manuel Silveira Martínez on December 13, .

The National Tourism Year 2020 will be launched in the northern province of Ninh Binh on February 20, 2020, heard a press conference in Hanoi on December 10.

The eight National Congress of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF), for 2019-2024 tenure, officially commenced at the Hanoi Convention Centre on December 11.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan is on an official visit to Russia to boost the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.The visit takes place amidst celebrations of the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the Russia Year in Vietnam and the Vietnam Year in Russia.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a message calling for measures to ensure traffic order and safety during the upcoming New Year, Lunar New Year and the spring festival season of 2020.