Viet Nam, Greece hold cultural dialogue

Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong attended and delivered remarks at the “Ode to Peace – Cultural and Educational Dialogue” held in Greece on September 22, highlighting the role of cultural exchange in strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

The event was jointly organised by the European and North American Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations (EFUCA), Club for UNESCO of Piraeus and Islands, and the Viet Nam Federation of UNESCO Associations (VFUA).

Huong welcomed the meaningful initiative, saying that Viet Nam and Greece both have long and distinctive cultural traditions, rich cultural heritage and a strong appreciation of human values.

She said the dialogue not only introduced the unique identities of the two countries but also created a space for their cultures to interact, fostering mutual understanding and exploring shared values, according to VNA.

A delegation from the Viet Nam Federation of UNESCO Associations (VFUA) led by Deputy Secretary General Nguyen Le Hang, has a meeting with the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece. (Photo courtesy of the embassy)

The Ambassador also highlighted the United Nations General Assembly’s recent adoption of a resolution proclaiming 2027-2036 as the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development, an initiative proposed and promoted by Viet Nam and co-sponsored by 103 countries.

She noted that cultural exchanges such as “Ode to Peace” contributed to promoting the role of culture, enhancing understanding among nations, and advancing peace and sustainable development.

Earlier, a delegation from the VFUA led by Deputy Secretary General Nguyen Le Hang, visited and worked with the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece. Huong briefed the delegation on the situation in Greece, including cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Through people-to-people diplomacy, efforts to connect experts, artists, young people and communities can make practical contributions to enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between Viet Nam and Greece, she said.

Artists from the VFUA also performed at a ceremony marking Viet Nam’s 81st National Day hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy. Their performances offered Greek and international audiences an insight into Viet Nam as well as its culture and people.

Viet Nam increasingly seen as an important partner: foreign media

The working visit to the United States and Canada by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President To Lam has drawn attention from international media and policy circles, with economic and trade ties and Viet Nam’s increasingly important role in the Indo-Pacific among the issues highlighted.

In its coverage of the trip, The Japan Times highlighted Viet Nam’s active diplomatic agenda this year. It noted that the top Vietnamese leader has pursued a series of overseas visits aimed at diversifying country’s trade and energy partners and strengthening its position on the international stage.

Visits to China, Russia, India, France and other countries in the region, together with his participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue, have been viewed by The Japan Times in the context of Viet Nam’s stepped-up diplomatic engagement amid a changing international environment.

The newspaper also placed the leader’s trip to the United States in the context of growing strategic competition and trade uncertainty, highlighting Viet Nam’s efforts to maintain balanced relations with major partners.

The Japan Times highlights Viet Nam’s active diplomatic agenda this year.

This assessment is consistent with an earlier The Japan Times analysis describing Viet Nam as a country seeking to leverage relations with multiple major powers amid intensifying geopolitical competition. The analysis noted that Viet Nam’s flexible diplomatic approach has enabled it to strengthen ties with major partners while attracting investment from the United States and Western countries, reported VOV.

In Canada, media attention has focused more closely on prospects for advancing bilateral ties. CBC reported that Canada’s decision to host a State visit by General Secretary and President To Lam reflected the priority Ottawa attaches to relations with Hanoi. The report cited experts who said the two countries share a number of common interests, noting that Viet Nam is currently Canada’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

According to CBC, two-way trade between Viet Nam and Canada reached US$20.6 billion in 2025. Experts cited by the broadcaster said the two countries could advance their existing partnership and expand cooperation in areas including advanced manufacturing, science, technology and artificial intelligence.

Malaysia sees Viet Nam as important springboard in Halal economy

Viet Nam is a highly promising Halal partner and could become a strategic springboard for the Halal industry to gain deeper access to the Mekong and Indochina regions, Chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) Reezal Merican Naina Merican has said.

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the 22nd Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2026) in Kuala Lumpur, Merican said that with a population of more than 100 million and an impressive pace of modernisation and economic transformation, Viet Nam is considered an important destination in the global Halal value chain.

According to the MATRADE Chairman, while Malaysia regards Viet Nam as a friendly competitor with strong export capacity and one of the leading trading economies in ASEAN, it is fully committed to building a mutually beneficial environment for cooperation.

A Malaysian enterprise introduces Halal products to Vietnamese businesses at MIHAS 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Viet Nam’s Halal certification authority has established direct cooperation with Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM). The strategic cooperation is expected to be strengthened through government-to-government (G2G) cooperation as a foundation, before expanding into business-to-business (B2B) linkages, thereby helping Vietnamese businesses to participate more deeply in the international Halal ecosystem, cited VNA.

MIHAS 2026 is expected to attract around 50,000 visitors from 45 countries, with 1,700 exhibitors and 2,000 booths. The event aims to generate total trade transactions worth 5 billion MYR (approximately 1.24 billion USD) through its exhibition and business-matching activities.

On broader trends, Merican said the global Halal economy is currently valued at around 3.5 trillion USD and is projected to grow rapidly to nearly 10 trillion USD by 2030. Today, Halal represents a global standard for safety, hygiene, authenticity and sustainability.

Malaysia is also seeking to tap the potential of emerging markets in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, and has proposed the establishment of an ASEAN Halal Council to strengthen intra-regional trade links.

Viet Nam faces hotter, drier months as El Nino reaches very strong level

Viet Nam is preparing for sharply contrasting weather risks as a very strong El Nino intensifies, with extreme rainfall and storms still possible even as drought and water shortages become a growing concern.

The 2026-2027 El Nino has reached the “very strong” threshold and is still intensifying, leaving Viet Nam facing a complex mix of risks ranging from heavy rain, storms and floods to extreme heat, drought, water shortages and saltwater intrusion.

El Nino could peak late this year

According to Viet Nam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, under the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, the 2026-2027 El Nino continues to strengthen.

By the second week of September 2026, sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) in the Nino 3.4 region had risen to around +2.0°C, reaching the threshold for a very strong El Nino, VNN reported.

A strong El Nino is increasing the risk of complex weather extremes in Viet Nam, ranging from storms and flooding to heat and drought. Photo: Le Duong

The weather agency said sea surface temperatures in the Nino 3.4 region show a clear strengthening trend. SSTA stood at around +1.7°C in the first week of August 2026, then rose slightly and remained around +1.8°C over the following four weeks before climbing to +2.0°C in mid-September.

An SSTA of +1.5°C to below +2.0°C corresponds to a strong El Nino. At around +2.0°C, the phenomenon enters the very strong category.

Climate forecasts indicate that El Nino is almost certain to remain very strong from October through December 2026 and could reach its peak during this period.

From January to March 2027, El Nino is still expected to remain very strong, although its probability and intensity are forecast to gradually decline. The possibility that it could persist into the first half of summer 2027 has not been ruled out.

Viet Nam could see stronger impacts in the months ahead

Meteorologists say El Nino typically increases the likelihood of higher temperatures, extreme heat, drought and water shortages, particularly during the dry season.

At the same time, changes in atmospheric circulation can alter rainfall patterns as well as the behavior of storms and tropical depressions.

From now through the end of 2026, the number of storms and tropical depressions in the South China Sea, known in Viet Nam as the East Sea, as well as those affecting the country’s mainland, is forecast to be below the long-term average.

But meteorologists cautioned that fewer storms do not mean powerful storms cannot occur, just as less widespread rainfall does not rule out episodes of extreme rain.

Even during strong El Nino years, exceptionally heavy rainfall, flooding, flash floods, landslides and complex storm systems can still develop as regional weather patterns interact with shorter-term atmospheric conditions.

A warmer winter, followed by earlier heat

Cold-air activity is expected to be weaker than usual during the 2026-2027 winter, with severe and prolonged cold spells likely to arrive later and occur less frequently than the long-term average.

Average temperatures across Viet Nam are forecast to be generally 1-2.5°C above normal.

By early 2027, hot weather could begin earlier than usual across the country.

During the summer of 2027, heat waves are expected to be more intense, with more hot days than both the long-term average and 2026. Meteorologists have not ruled out temperatures exceeding historical records.

High risk of drought, water shortages and saltwater intrusion

From now until the end of 2026, rainfall is expected to be below normal across much of Viet Nam.

The most significant deficits are forecast for the south-central coast, the Central Highlands and southern Viet Nam, where rainfall could be 20-40% below normal.

The rainy season in these regions could also end earlier than usual, with below-normal rainfall likely to continue into the first months of 2027.

At the same time, higher temperatures and an early onset of hot weather will increase water demand and evaporation.

As a result, the risk of drought, water shortages and saltwater intrusion during the early months of the 2027 dry season is assessed as very high in the south-central coast, Central Highlands and southern Viet Nam.

Viet Nam urged to prepare for both floods and drought

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting stressed that El Nino is a large-scale climate phenomenon and cannot, on its own, be used to precisely predict a specific natural disaster in a particular location.

Its impacts depend on how El Nino interacts with atmospheric and oceanic systems and with weather patterns at different times of the year.

With El Nino already reaching the very strong threshold and continuing to intensify, local authorities are being urged to prepare for two contrasting sets of hazards.

“On one hand, heavy rain, storms, floods and other extreme natural hazards may occur at specific times,” meteorologists said. “On the other, extreme heat, drought, water shortages and saltwater intrusion could persist during the 2026-2027 dry season.”

Viet Nam’s weather agency is continuing to closely monitor El Nino, update international and domestic climate models and assess its potential effects on temperatures, rainfall, storms and water resources.

The aim is to provide timely forecasts and warnings to support disaster preparedness and response as the climate pattern continues to evolve.

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