A Vietnamese delegation led by Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh attended the fifth Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which opened in Tokyo on July 1.

 Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue spoke of Vietnam’s socio-economic development and policies during discussions within the Vietnam Executive Leadership Programme (VELP) in Massachusetts, the US, on June 28-29. 

The upcoming visit to Greece by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh from July 1-2 will help open up a new development era for the two countries.

 Nine new laws will become effective on July 1, 2018, including the Law on Public Debt Management; Law on amendments and supplementations to some articles of the Law on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

 The Inspection Commission of the Party Central Committee on June 30 announced the outcomes of its 27th session in Hanoi on June 27 and 28, including conclusions on wrongdoings at a number of Party organisations.    

 President Tran Dai Quang on June 28 hosted a reception for President of the Republic of Nauru Baron Divavesi Waqa, who is in Vietnam to attend the sixth Global Environment Facility Assembly (GEF 6). 

 Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman, Chief of Navy of Malaysia, is on a working visit in Vietnam to boost naval cooperation between the two countries.

 Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant-General Le Quy Vuong has said that since 2016 police have prosecuted 589 graft cases with more than 1,400 people involved.

 Senior officials of ASEAN and China held the 15th meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in Hunan province, China, on June 27.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has expressed his hope that President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende will create favourable conditions for Vietnam to promote its images and role as the host of the WEF on ASEAN 2018.

 The selection of Vietnam as a training site for UN peacekeeping forces in ASEAN demonstrates the UN’s high evaluation for Vietnam’s activeness and capacity to contribute to UN peacekeeping activities, said a military officer.

 Vietnam is willing to accompany with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in boosting sustainable development for the current and future generations, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc had meetings with leaders of the South Pacific countries of Nauru and Marshall, and Guyana, a South American country, on the sidelines of the sixth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility in Da Nang on June 27.

 The leader of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to support Vietnam’s transition to high middle-income status, with up to US$1 billion in sovereign loans to be made available annually.

 Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue suggested Viet Nam and the U.S. sign a framework agreement on agriculture cooperation, focusing on climate-resilient agriculture development.

Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 27 met with UNIDO Director Li Yong and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner in Da Nang City.

The 6th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly opened in Da Nang city on June 27. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered a speech at the event's opening session.

 Vietnamese artist Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, better known as Ly Nha Ky, was named the Honorary Consul of Romania in Ho Chi Minh City at a ceremony held in the city on June 26.

 A person with the influenza virus A/H1N1 recently died after two days of treatment at the Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, becoming the second fatality of swine flu at the hospital and the third in the city. 

 Vietnam and Saint Lucia have agreed to establish diplomatic ties at the ambassador level and apply the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to their ties.