PM Lê Minh Hưng’s official visit to Cambodia proves Việt Nam’s high regard and top priority for neighbourly relations
Việt Nam remained Cambodia’s largest source of international tourists, with more than 1.22 million Vietnamese visitors to Cambodia in 2025.
President of the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia Sim Chy said the association has worked to encourage Vietnamese-origin people in Cambodia to integrate into society and develop their livelihoods.
As of August, Việt Nam had 301 investment projects in Laos with total registered capital exceeding $7 billion, ranking second among foreign investors in the country.
In an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Laos ahead of the October 8-9 visit, made at the invitation of Lao Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane noted that it is PM Hưng’s first official foreign visit since taking office and that Laos is the first country he has chosen to visit.
A review of 15 years of Party rectification, covering 2012-2026, is a central task of the fourth plenum, with leaders urged to confront persistent weaknesses.
Professor Dr Đào Xuân Học, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and chairman of the Việt Nam Water Resources Association, spoke to Chính Phủ (Government) News about technical solutions, prerequisites and basin-level governance mechanisms needed to restore rivers sustainably.
The two PMs of Việt Nam and Laos are expected to discuss measures to implement existing commitments and agreements, address difficulties and set orientations to boost cooperation, particularly in trade and investment.
Science, technology and digital transformation should become a stronger focus. Against the backdrop of rapid digital economic development, Laos and Việt Nam should step up the sharing of experience and collaboration in data, e-commerce, innovation, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure in service of their people and businesses.
Alongside economic connectivity, defence and security cooperation and border management should also be deepened, particularly in combating transnational crime, addressing non-traditional security challenges and building a border of peace, stability, cooperation and development.
Former Panamanian Ambassador to Việt Nam Servio S. Samudio recalled one of his most memorable experiences in Việt Nam: hesitating for a moment before taking his first sip of ruou can (Vietnamese rice wine drunk through bamboo straws) in a stilt house in a mountainous area.
HCM City is mobilising all available resources, combining records, witness accounts, technology, and DNA testing to search for, recover, and identify the remains of unidentified martyrs and return them to their families and hometowns under the ongoing nationwide “500 Days and Nights Campaign to Accelerate the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains.”
After the UN General Assembly adopted Việt Nam's proposal for a 2027-2036 decade of culture, Hà Nội plans to work with UNESCO to put the resolution into action.
To unlock this potential, both countries should strengthen direct business connections, improve understanding of market demand and regulations, facilitate customs procedures and trade, develop common standards and establish long-term distribution partnerships. Regular trade promotion missions, business forums and investment-matching activities would also help drive cooperation.
Protected by the Cultural Heritage Law, Hoàn Kiếm Lake has been an icon of Hà Nội for centuries. Any new development needs to be strictly scrutinised for impacts on protected relics in surrounding areas, according to architects.
With a friendship network comprising 88 foreign localities and 20 international organisations, HCM City has established a strong foundation for its pioneering, dynamic role in Việt Nam's sub-national diplomacy.
Foreign diplomats and representatives of the city's international partners spoke to Việt Nam News about bilateral ties and multifaceted cooperation between their localities and HCM City.
Former Canadian parliamentarian Bryon Wilfert said the recent state visit to Canada of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm marked a shift from a solid bilateral relationship towards a more ambitious strategic partnership.
Professor Dr Dương Quý Sỹ, a member of the National Committee for Education and Human Development, spoke to Giáo Dục&Thời Đại (Education and Times) about the achievements made in one year since the implemention of Party’s Resolution 71-NQ/TW.
