Vietnam, Palestine seek to strengthen traditional friendship, cooperation
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man hosted a farewell reception in Hanoi on June 23 for outgoing Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi Salama
The top legislator congratulated the ambassador on the successful completion of his mission and praised his ability to strengthen the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Palestine, as well as his role as head of the Diplomatic Corps in Hanoi. He also praised the ambassador’s deep understanding of Vietnam’s history and culture and his efforts in fostering bilateral ties.
Chairman Man congratulated the Palestinian State and people on the successful organisation of recent local elections, describing the event as an important step in strengthening unity and state-building efforts.
Expressing sympathy for the difficulties facing the Palestinian people, he reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent support for their legitimate struggle and stressed that the Vietnamese legislature always backs efforts to expand cooperation with Palestine across various fields, according to VNA.
 |
| National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (R) receives Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi Salama. (Photo: VNA) |
For his part, Salama thanked Vietnam’s Party, State, Government, and National Assembly for their steadfast support for the Palestinian people's struggle for independence, describing it as a source of inspiration for them. He also welcomed Vietnam’s participation in the Gaza Peace Council, expressing confidence that the country could contribute positively to Gaza reconstruction, towards a lasting solution based on the two-state framework.
The ambassador, who has maintained close ties with Vietnam for more than four decades, pledged to continue promoting relations between Vietnam and Palestine in particular and Arab countries in general, in whatever capacity he may serve in the future.
Vietnam, Cuba push for stronger ties in new development period
Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung visited Cuba from June 20-22 as the Special Envoy of General Secretary and President To Lam.
During the visit, the top Vietnamese diplomat paid courtesy calls on First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.
 |
| Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung pays a courtesy visit to Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, Havana, Cuba, June 21, 2026 - Photo: VNA |
Le reaffirmed the consistent policy of the Communist Party and the State of Vietnam to strengthen solidarity and support the Cuban people's revolutionary cause, while remaining committed to standing alongside Cuba in promoting cooperation for the development of both countries and for peace and stability around the world.
He hailed Cuba's comprehensive reform measures—particularly in the economic sphere—that were recently approved by the Extraordinary Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power.
The diplomat expressed his confidence that under the Cuban Communist Party and leader, Cuba will overcome the current difficulties and challenges for the prosperity and well-being of the Cuban people, reported VGP.
The Cuban leaders emphasized that they attach great importance to the bilateral relationship with Vietnam and will continue to facilitate the comprehensive development of cooperation across all fields, with the aim of achieving significant outcomes that serve the practical interests of their peoples.
They hailed the progress achieved in the bilateral cooperation across various sectors in recent years, particularly in agriculture and fisheries.
As 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leader Fidel Castro, the two sides pledged to join hands in organizing a series of significant events, while enhancing people-to-people exchanges and strengthening ties between the younger generations.
Vietnam, Australia look to stronger cooperation towards successful APEC 2027
Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang held a host of meetings with Australian officials during her working visit to Australia on June 22-23 to discuss bilateral cooperation and preparations for APEC 2027.
She met with Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite, Deputy Secretary of DFAT’s Trade and Investment Group George Mina, APEC Senior Official Jeremy Green, First Assistant Secretary Paul Griffiths, and Craig Emerson, Executive Director of the APEC Study Centre.
During the meetings, Hang hailed he strong and substantive development of the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, affirming that Australia is an important partner and trusted friend of Vietnam in the region.
She also thanked Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong for her message and Deputy Foreign Minister Michelle Chan for attending and contributing to the success of the ASEAN Future Forum held by Vietnam on June 9-10.
Hang suggested that both sides continue enhancing the effectiveness of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and further strengthen political trust through high-level exchanges.
She also proposed stronger practical cooperation in areas including economic, trade, investment, development cooperation, education and training, science and technology, innovation, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, with science and technology identified as a priority in the coming period.
Noting that both countries share many common views and interests on regional and international issues, the Deputy FM proposed closer coordination and exchanges at regional and global multilateral mechanisms, particularly ASEAN, the United Nations, Mekong subregional cooperation, APEC, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
She reaffirmed that Vietnam values Australia’s role and position and supports stronger Australian engagement with ASEAN and the Mekong subregion, reported VOV.
 |
| Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang meets with Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite. (Photo:baoquocte.vn) |
Regarding preparations for hosting APEC 2027, Hang said hosting APEC 2027 is both an honour and a major responsibility for Vietnam in contributing with other APEC members to regional economic cooperation, connectivity and resilience amid a complex global security and development environment.
Vietnam attaches great importance to hosting APEC 2027, viewing it as one of the country’s top multilateral foreign affairs priorities through 2030, she emphasized.
Given the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Australia’s role as a founding APEC member economy, she called for Australia’s continued support and close coordination with Vietnam and other members to advance more effective and substantive APEC cooperation.
She also asked for close coordination to help ensure the successful organisation of APEC 2027 and APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2027 in Phu Quoc, while enhancing APEC’s contribution to prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
Australian officials highly appreciated the strong and substantive development of bilateral ties and reaffirmed that Vietnam is a close and trusted partner with an increasingly important role and standing internationally.
They also expressed interest in strengthening close cooperation with Vietnam in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks.
Australia congratulated Vietnam and expressed confidence that, given its standing, credibility and effective foreign policy implementation, Vietnam will successfully serve as APEC Chair in 2027.
Australia also affirmed it will work hand in hand with Vietnam in preparations for APEC 2027, particularly in advancing priorities and new initiatives in line with members’ development needs in the new context.
Business confidence in Vietnam rebounds strongly: UOB
Business sentiment in Vietnam is rebounding strongly despite a challenging operating environment marked by rising costs and growing global uncertainties, including prolonged geopolitical tensions and trade-related pressures, according to the recently released Business Outlook Study 2026 by the United Overseas Bank (UOB).
The study found that 85% of Vietnamese enterprises reported positive business sentiment, a sharp increase from 48% in 2025, when business confidence was weighed down by uncertainties surrounding US tariff policies and related trade developments.
Energy management becomes strategic priority
The outlook remains highly optimistic, with nine out of 10 businesses expecting improved performance in 2026 and forecasting stronger revenue growth in 2027–2028.
However, macroeconomic challenges continue to exert pressure on business operations. Nearly half of the surveyed firms reported higher costs linked to tariff measures and geopolitical tensions, underscoring the urgent need for solutions that enhance operational efficiency, strengthen cost management, and support sustainable business transformation in an increasingly complex operating environment.
In addition to persistent concerns over trade and geopolitical uncertainties, energy management is emerging as a top strategic priority for Vietnamese businesses. Even before the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East, the study found that 96% of enterprises in Vietnam considered efficient energy management and use important, significantly higher than the regional average of 87%.
More than half of the surveyed firms (55%) identified ensuring a stable and sustainable energy supply for their operations as a key priority, while 53% focused on optimizing energy use and 47% sought to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency.
To achieve these goals, companies are increasing investments in energy-saving equipment (43%) and solar power solutions (42%), aiming to strike a balance between cost management and long-term operational sustainability.
At the same time, Vietnamese firms are accelerating their digital transformation efforts, with artificial intelligence (AI) gradually emerging as a key driver of growth. Although adoption remains at an early stage, eight in ten enterprises have begun implementing AI solutions. However, only around 25% have reached an advanced level of AI utilisation.
AI is already delivering tangible benefits for businesses, with 49% of the surveyed firms reporting improved productivity, 47% achieving cost savings, and 46% posting revenue growth. Reflecting growing confidence in the technology’s potential, two-thirds of businesses plan to increase their AI investment budgets by more than 25% in 2026, cited VNA.
 |
| Containers at Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA) |
However, AI adoption continues to face several challenges. The main obstacles cited by businesses include high costs and limited financial resources (49%), constraints related to AI solutions and partner ecosystems (48%), as well as limitations in data availability and system readiness (47%).
Strong focus on supply chain diversification
Supply chain management continues to be a top priority, with 97% of Vietnamese businesses identifying it as critical. While disruptions have eased compared with previous years, challenges persist, particularly from geopolitical risks and procurement complexity. Regulatory ambiguity also remains a concern, affecting 88% of businesses.
To strengthen resilience, Vietnamese companies are actively diversifying their supply chains. Four in five businesses plan to expand their supplier networks in 2026, with more than half looking to increase suppliers within ASEAN and 23% focusing on domestic sourcing.
Nearshoring strategies are also gaining momentum. About one in three intend to establish or expand operations in Vietnam, while many are also considering broader ASEAN expansion (43%), reinforcing the region’s role as a key manufacturing and supply chain hub.
This shift is strongly driving a wave of international expansion. Seven in ten Vietnamese businesses expanded their operations overseas in 2025, while nine in ten plan to further expand internationally over the next three years. Likewise, 80% of Vietnamese enterprises intend to invest abroad within the next two years, with the average planned investment exceeding 28 million USD.
ASEAN remains the preferred destination for expansion, with 65% of Vietnamese firms identifying the region as their top choice. Among ASEAN markets, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia are the most attractive destinations. However, companies continue to face a number of challenges, particularly in meeting legal, regulatory, compliance and tax requirements (36%), finding suitable local partners (36%), and gaining access to partnership opportunities with large corporations or government-linked organisations.
Pham Nhu Anh, head of Wholesale Banking at UOB Vietnam, said that Vietnamese businesses are demonstrating remarkable resilience and adaptability in an increasingly volatile global environment.
 | Vietnam News Today (Jun. 19): PM Attends Plenary Session of ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit Vietnam News Today (Jun. 19): PM attends plenary session of ASEAN – Russia Commemorative Summit; Vietnam, Canada seek to elevate comprehensive partnership; Vietnam targets at ... |
 | Vietnam News Today (Jun. 21): Vietnam Affirms Position in ASEAN, Creating New Growth Space Vietnam News Today (Jun. 21): Vietnam, Japan strengthen cooperation on intellectual property protection; Vietnam-France Business Forum 2026 elevates strategic cooperation in AI era; Vietnam affirms ... |
