☀ Morning digest on July 4

Hanoi, (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries over the weekend by the Vietnam News Agency.

– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered faster administration of the third and fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine as part of measures against the unpredictable pandemic situation, especially when the sub-variant BA.5 has appeared in Vietnam and raised the risk of a new wave of coronavirus infections.

According to the Government Office, to enhance pandemic control and create favourable conditions for socio-economic recovery and development, the Government leader has assigned Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam to continue directing the Ministry of Health, other ministries and sectors, and 63 provincial-level localities to drastically carry out anti-pandemic measures, especially accelerating COVID-19 vaccination. Read full story

– National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s visits to Hungary and the UK from June 26-30 concluded successfully, thus greatly promoting the Vietnam-Hungary comprehensive partnership and deepening the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, said Vu Hai Ha, Chairman of the NA’s Commission for External Relations.

Ha told the press that the NA leader's visit to Hungary, the first comprehensive partner of Vietnam in Central and Eastern Europe, took place when the two countries have just celebrated the 72nd founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and are looking towards the 5th founding anniversary of comprehensive partnership. Read full story

– Vietnam resolutely opposes and demands Taiwan to cancel live-fire drills in the waters around Ba Binh island belonging to Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and not to repeat similar violations in the future,  Spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 2.

Answering a reporter’s query on Vietnam's reaction to the live-fire drills conducted by Taiwan on June 28 and 29, Hang said the exercises seriously violated Vietnam's territorial sovereignty over the Truong Sa archipelago; threatened peace, stability, safety and security of navigation; induced tensions and complicated the situation in the East Sea. Read full story

– Some media agencies in Italy highlighted Vietnam's economic links with Europe and achievements in ensuring human rights when covering a recent tour of some European countries by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

In an article about Vietnam's trade and investment links with Italy and Europe, the La Città Futura newspaper said Vietnam is effectively implementing the commitments in the free trade agreements with the EU (EVFTA) and the UK (UKVFTA). Read full story

– Leaders of the Party and State of Cuba have received a delegation of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labout (VGCL) in Havana, describing the relations between Vietnamese and Cuban workers as a core factor of the special solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

The VGCL delegation met with Roberto Morales Ojeda, Politburo member and Secretary in charge of organisation affairs of the Communist Party of Cuba; Esteban Lazo Hernández, Politburo member and President of the National Assembly of the People's Power; Homero Acosta Álvarez, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the National Assembly of the People's Power and the Council of State; and Salvador Valdés Mesa, Politburo member and Vice President of Cuba. Read full story

– As many countries in the world have limited food exports to guarantee domestic food security, rice – a staple in most of Asia – is forecast to witness surging prices in the time ahead, which is said to be a chance for Vietnam – one of the world's largest rice exporters.

In the first five months of 2022, nearly 2.77 million tonnes of milled rice worth over 1.35 billion USD were shipped abroad, rising 6.6% in volume but declining 4% in value year on year, according to preliminary data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Read full story

– The Lao government has "green-lighted" a feasibility study on a railway route connecting the Vientiane capital with Thakhek in central Khammouane province, part of the Laos-Vietnam Railway Project (LVRP). Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) just signed by the Lao government with the Lao Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade), the LVRP, which is a high-speed electrified railway project, has a length of about 452km, with total investment of 5 billion USD. Read full story /.

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