VIETNAM: NEW ERA

Politburo’s Resolution 72 on a number of breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care, and improvement of people’s health carries special significance. It once again affirms the Party’s deep concern for the health of every citizen, with the goal of building a healthy Vietnam.

The merger of provinces and cities, along with the operation of two-tier local administration system since July 1, has produced significant results, demonstrating that the Party’s and State’s dicision are on the right track, with ministries, sectors, and local authorities implementing it seriously and the public enthusiastically supporting.

Vietnam is nurturing the aspiration to become a new destination on the global financial map, aiming to establish a hub that attracts capital, technology, talent, and high-quality financial services. In today’s podcast, we will take a closer look at the country’s journey toward realising this goal.

Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin led a high-ranking delegation on an official visit to Vietnam and co-chaired the 4th meeting of the Vietnam–Russia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee from September 28–29.

Party General Secretary To Lam attended the first Congress of the National Assembly Party Organisation in Hanoi on September 25, where he emphasized two requirements and outlined four major orientations for the National Assembly's operations in the future.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked the northern port city of Hai Phong to make greater contributions to join the whole nation’s efforts in realising the two strategic centenary goals and ushering in a new era of prosperous development.

Hoi An has been ranked by French online travel platform Tourlane as one of the best-preserved ancient towns in Southeast Asia, renowned for its streets glowing with thousands of colourful lanterns.

A leader of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) suggested the establishment of a multilateral research organisation on green energy that engages such partners as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Russia’s Rosatom, and institutions worldwide like the VAST.

Vietnam has been ranked 44th out of 139 economies with an overall score of 37.1 in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII) released by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), maintaining the same position as last year.

From July 1, 2025, local governments in many provinces officially began operating under a two-tier model. This reform has had a direct impact on the healthcare system, particularly at grassroots level, providing primary healthcare for the people. Alongside Resolution 72 of the Politburo on breakthrough measures in protecting, caring for and improving public health, grassroots healthcare is expected to see major progress and transformation.

Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s “Pearl Island” in the southern province of An Giang, is poised to enter a new era of growth with ambitions to become an international special zone. The goal is to evolve into a nexus of top-tier services, eco-tourism, and world-class marine and island tourism.

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Le Hoai Trung and Tuvaluan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labour, and Trade Paulson Panapa signed a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on September 24 (local time). With the signing of this joint communiqué, Vietnam has become one of the few countries in the world to establish diplomatic ties with all 193 UN member states.

Party General Secretary To Lam attended the first Congress of the National Assembly (NA)’s Party Organisation in Hanoi on September 25, where he highlighted the need for the legislature to enhance the people’s and the Party's characters in its operations.

State President Luong Cuong delivered a keynote speech at the High-Level General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in New York on September 23 (local time), highlighting a message of honouring the value of peace, driving bold transformation to shape a sustainable future.

The Ministry of National Defence held a departure ceremony at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on September 22 to send off Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7 and Engineering Unit Rotation 4 to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Over the past week, behind-the-scenes footage of the film Thanh am vuot dai duong (literally Sounds Across the Ocean) – a movie about political prisoners held in Con Dao prison, often described as “hell on earth” – has drawn widespread attention.

The country also recorded its fastest median speed since connecting to the global internet in 1997. This milestone places Vietnam among the top 20 nations for both mobile and fixed broadband speeds, along with Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the US, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, and Kuwait.