Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi onApril 11 for outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio who came to bidfarewell at the end of his tenure in Vietnam.

Both sides expressed their delight at the strong, comprehensiveand substantive development of Vietnam-Japan ties during the ambassador’stenure in Vietnam. Japan has remained one of Vietnam's top economic partners,being the leading ODA provider, the second largest investor and labour partner,the third biggest tourism partner, and the fourth largest trade partner. Read full story

- Prime Minister PhamMinh Chinh received the new Bulgarian Ambassador to Vietnam, Pavlin Todorov, inHanoi on April 11, affirming Vietnam’s appreciation of and wishes to enhancethe two nations’ traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

The Government leader suggested that Bulgaria callon the remaining EU member states to ratify the EU-Vietnam InvestmentProtection Agreement (EVIPA) and advocate the removal of the EuropeanCommission's "yellow card" warning imposed on Vietnam regardingillegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. Read full story

- Chairman of theNational Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue received Wang Ning, member of the CommunistParty of China Central Committee, Secretary of the Yunnan provincial PartyCommittee, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the provincial People'sCongress, in Kunming city on April 11, as part of the Vietnamese leader'sofficial visit to China.
Hue and Wang expressed their delight at andpositively evaluated the development of relations between the two Parties andcountries over the past time. Read full story

- Minister of NationalDefence General Phan Van Giang and his Chinese counterpart Senior LieutenantGeneral Dong Jun co-chaired activities within the eighth Vietnam-China borderdefence friendship exchange which opened in Vietnam’s Lao Cai province on April11.

The ministers painted border marker No. 102,planted a friendship tree at the Lao Cai International Border Gate, andattended the inauguration ceremony for a Vietnam-China friendship culturalhouse in Ban Phiet commune, Bao Thang district. Read full story

- Minister ofForeign Affairs Bui Thanh Son met with Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn aspart of his official visit to Thailand from April 10-12, where he is alsoco-chairing the 5th Meeting of the Vietnam - Thailand Joint Commission forBilateral Cooperation (JCBC).
Son congratulated Thailand on the achievements ithas made during the post-COVID-19 recovery period, believing that the countrywill continue reaping further successes in building itself into a prosperousnation that plays an active role in the region and the world. Read full story

- Vietnamese Ministerof Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofForeign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara co-chaired the 5th Meeting of theVietnam - Thailand Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Bangkokon April 11, as part of the former’s official visit to Thailand from April10-12.
The meeting undertook a comprehensive review ofthe bilateral cooperation over the past time, set forth directions to deepencollaboration in all spheres and discussed preparations for the upcomingofficial visit to Vietnam by the Thai Prime Minister as guest of PM Pham MinhChinh, during which the two PM will co-chair the 4th joint cabinet meeting. Read full story

- Relations between Vietnam and the Vatican have seen manypositive developments, thanks to high-level visits and interactions betweentheir leaders, negotiations of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group, andparticularly the elevation of their relationship to the level of Resident PapalRepresentative in Vietnam since July 2023, according to Deputy Spokesperson ofthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet. 

At the ministry’s regular press briefing in Hanoi on April11, Viet noted that Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretaryfor Relations with States and International Organisations, visited Vietnam fromApril 9 to 11. Read full story

- The report of theUnited Nations (UN) agencies in Vietnam under the 4th cycle of the UniversalPeriodic Review (UPR) mechanism contains many inaccurate and unverifiedcontents, along with many assessments that are unobjective, unbalanced, and donot accurately and fully reflect the situation, efforts and achievements ofVietnam in protecting and promoting human rights, said Deputy Spokesman of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet.

At the ministry’s regular press conference inHanoi on April 11, Viet expressed disappointment at the report despite the UNagencies’ full presence in Vietnam and their long and comprehensive cooperationwith various Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities. Read full story

- Truong My Lan,Chairwoman of property developer Van Thinh Phat Group, was sentenced to deathat the first-instance trial in Ho Chi Minh City on April 11.

Lan was sentenced to death for"embezzlement", 20 years behind bar for "giving bribes"under the 2015 Penal Code, and another 20 years for "violating regulationson banking operations and other activities related to banking activities"under the 1999 Penal Code. The cumulative sentence is the death penalty./. Read full story