Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association convenes 5th congress
The Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association (VLFA) held the fifth congress for the 2023-2028 term in Hanoi on October 9 with the presence of 150 delegates.
Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Association Boviengkham Vongdara (sixth from the right) hands over Order of Friendship from the Lao government to individuals who have made outstanding contribution to strengthening the friendly relationship between the two countries. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)🍸 – The Vietnam-LaosFriendship Association (VLFA) held the fifth congress for the 2023-2028 term in Hanoi on October 9 with thepresence of 150 delegates.
Guests at the event included Lao Minister of Technology and Communication and President of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship Association Boviengkham Vongdara, and Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang. In his remarks at the event, Standing Vice chairman of the NationalAssembly Tran Thanh Man, who is President of the Vietnam-Laos FriendshipParliamentarians Group, spoke highly of the exciting,regular and practical activities of the association. Appreciating the important contributions that the VLFA has made to cultivating the traditionalfriendship between the two countries, Man suggested that during the new term, theassociation continues to attract the participation of outstanding individuals and relevant organisationsin people-to-people diplomacy activities with new methods of operation alongwith the application of information technology.
Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, who is President of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Parliamentarians Group, speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)
A report presented at the congress showed that the past term has witnessed many important events in Vietnam - Laos relations including the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and 45th anniversary of the signing of the bilateral Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. In that context, the VLFA has conducted many diverse activities, contributing to consolidating and strengthening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos with highlights being large-scale people-to-people exchanges and thematic activities "following the leader's footsteps" which attracted young generation of the two countries. The congress elected a new executive board of 73members, with Nguyen Dac Vinh, Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Cultureand Education, elected as Chairman of the association for 2023-2028. On theoccasion, organisations and individuals of the VLFA were commended for theircontribution to people-to-people diplomacy activities in the 2024-2024period./.
The Laos-Vietnam ties have been expanding across the board and are now at the best time in history, said Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Khamjane Vongphosy.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung outlined measures to help Vietnam and Laos further preserve, nurture, and deepen their great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation in a recent interview to the Vietnam News Agency regarding the 61st anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic relations.
"Homestay programme", which has provided Lao students with real experiences by staying with local families in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, has helped them well integrate into the host society, improving their Vietnamese language skills and supporting them during their study, heard a conference on September 29 to summary the programme in the 2022-2023 academic year.
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Friendship Association Boviengkham Vongdara (sixth from the right) hands over Order of Friendship from the Lao government to individuals who have made outstanding contribution to strengthening the friendly relationship between the two countries. (Photo: VNA) 
Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, who is President of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Parliamentarians Group, speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) 
