Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop co-chaired the first Việt Nam-Australia Foreign Ministers Meeting during which, both sides expressed their elation at the strong development of Việt Nam-Australia bilateral relations.

Many state-owned enterprises are not using their resources to the best of their abilities, according to a report discussed at the National Assembly Monday.

The strategic partnership between Việt Nam and Japan is expected to enter a new period of development, especially in the fields of trade, economy, defence-security, health, high technology, locality-to-locality co-operation, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Australian Government considers Việt Nam one of its key partners in the Asia-Pacific region, Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has said.

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, visited and extended congratulations to some Buddhist establishments in HCM City on May 27 ahead of Lord Buddha’s 2,562nd birthday.

Việt Nam was selected as the only candidate of the Asia-Pacific region for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2020-2021 tenure at a monthly meeting of the Asia-Pacific Group at the UN on May 25.

Minister of Finance Đinh Tiến Dũng said the ministry would not raise VAT tax to 11-12 per cent, adjust environmental tax, and assured the public that the “proposed property tax is meant to prevent corruption, State budget collection is important but not the primary purpose [of the proposal.]”

The Government will strive for gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.8 percent in 2019, according to a direction signed by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc this week.

National Assembly (NA) deputies on Friday noted that the country had recorded impressive socio-economic growth, but the government should continue to take measures to address long-existing shortcomings.