Vietnam News Today (Oct. 11): Vietnam Reaffirms Russia as Important Comprehensive Strategic Partner

	Vietnam News Today (Oct. 9): Vietnam and DPRK Look Towards Stronger Bilateral Relations
	Vietnam News Today (Oct. 10): Vietnam, DPRK Vow to Take Bilateral Ties to New Heights

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam (L), General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the DPRK Kim Jong Un, and the DPRK's children at the welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese leader. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese Party chief successfully concludes state visit to DPRK

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Hanoi in the early morning of October 11, successfully concluding their state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and attendance at the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) from October 9-11 at the invitation of General Secretary of the WPK and President of the State Affairs of the DPRK Kim Jong Un.

During the visit, the top leaders of Vietnam and the DPRK held talks. In a sincere, friendly and open atmosphere, the two leaders exchanged views on the situation of each country, the Vietnam - DPRK relationship, and international and regional issues of mutual concern.

The two leaders reviewed and expressed their appreciation for the traditional friendship between the two Parties and the two countries, which was personally built by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kim Il Sung and has been cultivated, inherited and promoted by generations of leaders of both sides, as well as the sincere and wholehearted mutual assistance during the arduous revolutionary years. They expressed their delight at the continued consolidation and enhancement of the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries, cited VNA.

The two sides agreed to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels through the Party, State, Government, National Assembly, and local cooperation channels to enhance experience sharing, consolidate political trust and mutual understanding; effectively maintain dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, study the possibility of cooperation in appropriate fields; promote people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen the friendship between the two countries.

General Secretary Lam also hoped that the two sides would expand areas of cooperation with great potential such as culture, sports, tourism, education, health, information and communication, and develop radio and television programmes to introduce Vietnam, the DPRK and their cultures and people.

Appreciating and agreeing with the cooperation proposals of General Secretary To Lam, General Secretary and President of the State Affairs Kim Jong Un affirmed that the DPRK wants to cooperate closely with Vietnam in Party building and national development, and is ready to promote cooperation in many appropriate fields.

The two leaders discussed the regional and international situation, and agreed to strengthen cooperation, support each other and coordinate at multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

The visit was an important milestone, contributing to further enhancing the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation between the two Parties and two countries, meeting the aspirations and wishes of the people of both nations and at the same time, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Vietnam reaffirms Russia as an important Comprehensive Strategic Partner

Vietnam consistently regards Russia as an important Comprehensive Strategic Partner, Party General Secretary To Lam said during his meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the United Russia Party and Vice Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, in Pyongyang on October 10.

General Secretary Lam expressed Vietnam’s desire to expand cooperation with Russia in key areas such as politics, security–defense, energy–oil and gas, science and technology, education and training, and culture.

He emphasized that cooperation between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the United Russia Party serves as an important foundation for strengthening political trust and promoting bilateral cooperation, thereby deepening the Vietnam–Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

For his part, Medvedev affirmed that the two Parties, two countries, and their peoples always value the traditional friendship between Russia and Vietnam. He conveyed greetings from President Vladimir Putin to General Secretary Lam and other key Vietnamese leaders, and extended sympathy to the Vietnamese people over recent losses caused by floods and storms.

Medvedev congratulated Vietnam on its impressive achievements in national development and wished the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam great success, laying an important foundation for the country to achieve further victories on its path toward building a strong, prosperous, democratic, and civilized socialist nation, according to VOV.

Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam (L) and Chairman of the United Russia Party and Vice Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, during their meeting in Pyongyang on October 10. (Photo: VNA)

The two leaders welcomed progress in implementing recent cooperation agreements, and agreed to further consolidate political trust, increase high-level exchanges, and effectively implement the Vietnam–Russia Comprehensive Cooperation Plan to 2030.

Both sides also agreed to promote economic, trade, and investment cooperation, remove barriers, and open markets wider for each other’s exports. They pledged to continue facilitating partnerships between Vietnamese and Russian enterprises in energy, oil and gas, science and technology, education, healthcare, culture, tourism, and labour, including agricultural labour cooperation.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, emphasising the role of the United Nations, APEC, and ASEAN in maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation for development.

On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam extended an invitation to President Vladimir Putin and United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev to visit Vietnam again in the near future.

Both General Secretary To Lam and United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev are in Pyongyang, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, for the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Vietnamese Party leader meets with Chinese Premier in Pyongyang

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Pyongyang on October 9.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ceremony marking the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Both sides expressed their delight at the strong and positive development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries over the recent past as seen in the continuously strengthened political trust, frequent high-level meetings, and enhanced cooperation in security and national defense.

Besides, economic, trade, investment, and tourism partnerships have grown rapidly while strategic connectivity, particularly in railway infrastructure, has advanced. Locality-to-locality cooperation and people-to-people exchanges have become more dynamic, and coordination at multilateral forums has deepened.

General Secretary Lam commended the significance and outcomes of the state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping in April, expressing his hope for the two sides to further deepen and substantively develop ties between the two Parties and countries.

He proposed that both sides continue to reinforce political trust to guide and expand cooperation across all fields, successfully organise the 17th meeting of the Vietnam – China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, and promote the roles of the key pillars of diplomacy, national defense, and public security.

The CPV leader called for continued efforts to make breakthroughs in cooperation, thus turning commitments into concrete results and potential into practical benefits, particularly in expanding China’s import of Vietnamese goods, including agricultural and aquatic products; increasing electricity exports to Vietnam; and highly prioritizing the early completion of the three standard-gauge railway lines connecting the two countries. He also asked for boosting high-quality investment cooperation linked with technology transfer and human resources training, along with promoting science and technology collaboration into a new highlight of bilateral relations.

With the hope of fostering friendship, mutual understanding, and trust between the two peoples, the Vietnamese leader proposed that the two sides encourage social and mass organizations to increase exchanges, step up communications about the Vietnam – China friendship and development achievements of each nation, and strengthening ties in education, particularly high-quality human resources training, and tourism, cited VNA.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam (right) meets with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Pyongyang on October 9. (Photo: VNA)

He asked the two sides to properly handle sea-related issues in accordance with the common perceptions reached between the two countries’ top leaders as well as international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

For his part, Li appreciated the warm and fraternal reception given to General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during his visit to Vietnam in April.

Highly valuing General Secretary Lam’s proposals for strengthening relations in the coming time, he affirmed that the Chinese Party and State attach great importance to the countries' comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the building of a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance with Vietnam, and always consider this a priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy.

The Premier called on both sides to accelerate the productive implementation of the high-level agreements and shared perceptions, enhance political trust, improve the quality and effectiveness of cooperation in all fields, consolidate public support, and properly control and address sea-related differences, thereby promoting the substantive and sustainable development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries.

Condé Nast Travel: Vietnam among top 10 friendliest countries in the world

Vietnam has been named among the top 10 friendliest countries in the world in the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards by the renowned US-based travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler.

Placing 6th overall, Vietnam earned an impressive score of 97.27 out of 100, thanks to its warm hospitality, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking landscapes.

The magazine praises Vietnam for its lush terraced rice fields, ancient towns, and emerald bays, describing the country as truly unique and unlike anywhere else in the world.

It notes that community is a noticeable cornerstone of society in the country, from the unique urban “sidewalk culture” comprising curbside food vendors, exercise groups, and barbers, to the intimate guesthouses in remote villages.

Condé Nast Travel praises Vietnam for its lush terraced rice fields, ancient towns, and emerald bays (Photo: Getty)

“No trip to Vietnam is complete without an experience of the legendary Ha Giang Loop, either – a four-day motorbike route that snakes around deep mountain valleys”, says Condé Nast Travel.

While most travelers sign up for the stunning scenery, the magazine stresses, what really lingers in their memory is the inseparable connection formed with their personal Vietnamese drivers.

Kenya topped the list of friendliest countries, followed by Barbados, Mexico, Bhutan, Cambodia, Chile, Mauritus, Seychelles, and Thailand.

Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia triumph in Asian Cup qualifiers

Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines posted key wins in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, showcasing Southeast Asia’s rising football power.

The third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers concluded with notable performances from several Southeast Asian national teams, fueling regional optimism for progression to the tournament's next stage.

At Go Dau Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam defeated Nepal 3-1 with goals from Tien Linh, Xuan Manh, and Van Vi. The victory brought head coach Kim Sang Sik's squad closer to the top of Group F, where Malaysia currently leads.

In the same group, Malaysia maintained their dominance with a comfortable 3-0 away win over Laos, reinforcing their position as Group F frontrunners.

Elsewhere in the region, the Philippines cruised past Timor-Leste 4-1 to keep their qualification hopes alive. Thailand also secured a confident 2-0 win over Chinese Taipei, underlining their status as one of the region's strongest contenders, according to VNN.

Vietnam eased past Nepal after gaining a man advantage. Photo by Huu Ha

In a surprise result, Singapore held India to a 1-1 draw at home, defying expectations against the higher-ranked opponent.

Meanwhile, Myanmar endured a heavy 1-5 defeat away to Syria, highlighting the fierce competitiveness of this year’s qualifying rounds.

Overall, Southeast Asian teams demonstrated clear progress, delivering convincing victories and determined performances. These results give fans across the region renewed hope for representation in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

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