VIETNAM: NEW ERA

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is paying an official visit to Qatar. After a welcome ceremony on October 31, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Qatari Counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jasim Al-Thani held talks.

Vung Tau city, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, recently broke ground on an ambitious urban renewal project to enhance its tourism landscape with unique attractions.

As of October 2024, Vietnam has signed and implemented 17 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and is negotiating two more. Expanding its FTA network underscores Vietnam’s commitment to economic integration, offering substantial opportunities to deepen its role in global value chains, boost exports, drive GDP growth, and enhance institutional frameworks.

The 10th Da Lat Flower Festival will be held for a month, starting with its opening ceremony on December 5, according to an announcement of the organizing board.

In addition to being harvested in the wild, sea grapes (resembling small clusters of grapes, and also known as green caviar) are now being widely cultivated in ponds and coastal lagoons across Ninh Thuan province. With low initial investment costs, fast growth, and high economic value, this premium seaweed is now opening up new opportunities for local residents.

Vietnam’s lobster export to the Chinese market in January-September rose 33 folds, thanks to lower prices and stronger trade ties between the two countries, according to the South China Morning Post.

The Times Higher Education (THE) organisation has unveiled its world university rankings for 2025. Hanoi Medical University has made its debut in the rankings, joining eight other Vietnamese universities recognised by THE this year.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse, along with a high-level delegation from Vietnam, participate in the 8th Future Investment Initiative Conference and pay a working visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The freshly-signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) opens up a new era of the bilateral relationship that has been upgraded to a comprehensive partnership and growing substantively.

On October 27, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception for leaders of several leading corporations in the UAE, which operate in the areas of infrastructure development and management, seaport, logistics and industrial park.

Vietnam’s agricultural exports are on track to set a historic record, projected at 60-61 billion USD, despite weather challenges and fluctuations in the world.

Vietnam continues to prove itself as a “fertile land” in drawing foreign direct investment (FDI). Currently, numerous foreign investors are allocating funds and accelerating investments, to establish long-term operations in the Southeast Asian country.

The Vietnam News Agency has launched the 7th Golden Moment Press Photo Awards to honor exceptional photographers and journalistic works, that capture striking moments through the lens of photography.

Several international organisations have raised their economic growth forecasts for Vietnam in 2024 after the release of Q3 GDP data, which showed a significant 7.4% increase, exceeding previous projections.

The award ceremony of the Vietnam International Awards has been recently held in London to honour Vietnamese and foreign organisations and individuals with outstanding contributions to the community.

India, the world’s leading rice exporter, recently lifted its ban on white rice exports, significantly impacting the global rice market and specifically the Vietnamese rice sector. This development presents both opportunities and challenges for Vietnamese rice producers, according to insiders.

The national Halal conference in Hanoi on October 22 is the largest international event since the Prime Minister's Halal Project launch in February 2023. Aimed at guiding the development of Vietnam's Halal sector, the event highlights opportunities for Vietnam to expand its role in the global Halal market and make the industry a key part of the national economy.

The northern province of Quang Ninh has welcomed its 3 millionth international tourist in 2024. The province aims to achieve a target of 19 million tourist arrivals this year, including over 3.5 million international visitors, which will set a strong foundation for growth in 2025 and beyond.

Train passengers can now buy their tickets on online map services such as Google Maps, according to the Vietnam Railways.

The 15th-tenure National Assembly (NA) elected Luong Cuong as President of Vietnam for the 2021 - 2026 term at its ongoing 8th session on October 21.