Vatican Secretary for Relations with States to visit Vietnam from April 9-14
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Vatican, will visit Vietnam from April 9-14 at the invitation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam, the office of the conference announced on April 3.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Vatican. (Photo: cgvdt.vn)
HCM City (VNA) – Archbishop PaulRichard G🌳allagher, Secreꦍtary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Vatican, will visit Vietnam from April 9-14 at the invitation of the CatholicBishops' Conference of Vietnam, the office of the conference announced on April3.
Accordingto Chief of the office Archbishop Giuse Dao Nguyen Vu, this will be the first Vatican Secretary for Relations with States-level visit toVietnam. During the visit, Archbishop Gallagher will meet with Prime MinisterPham Minh Chinh, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son,representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government Committee forReligious Affairs. He planned to visitthe Hanoi-based National Children's Hospital, which has had medical cooperation with Rome's Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital since 2005. Archbishop Gallagher will celebrate the Mass at designated cathedrals in Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City; and meet with members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam before wrapping up thevisit./.
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on April 22 received Monsignor Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski, Undersecretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States, who is on a visit to Vietnam to co-chair the 9th round meeting of the two sides’ joint working group.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam (CBCV) hosted a meeting of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) themed “FABC 50 Bangkok Document and its implications for Asia” in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau from June 5-10, looking back on the 50-year operation of the FABC and sharing ideas about activities to protect the environmental, ensure social justice and migration in Asia.
Pope Francis’s appointment of Archbishop Marek Zalewski as the first Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam marks a historic moment in the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Vatican, said Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang.
Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung led a delegation to Italy and the Vatican for a working trip from January 16-19.
President Luong Cuong appreciated the ambassadors' contributions to Vietnam's relations with their countries and called for continued efforts to help advance those ties.
PM Pham Minh Chinh called on the SSE and the Shanghai IFC to share their expertise with and provide technical support for relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies during the process of building Vietnam’s own international financial centre.
According to the resolution, Nguyen Thi Thanh, a member of the Party Central Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the NA, was appointed Standing Vice President of the council and head of its personnel sub-committee.
PM Pham Minh Chinh has expressed his confidence that Asia has all the necessary foundations to continue rising, asserting its role as a pillar and driving force of the global economy.
In his closing speech at the 10th plenum of the Party Central Committee in September 2024, Party General Secretary Lam declared: “With the position and strength accumulated over 40 years of renewal, and with the unity of the entire Party, people, and army, alongside new opportunities under the sound Party leadership, we now possess the essential conditions to enter a new era."
Based on the developments of disasters, epidemics, national defence and security conditions, and public order and safety, and upon proposals from relevant ministries or provincial-level People’s Committee chairpersons, the Prime Minister may request the NA Standing Committee to declare a state of emergency, according to a draft law.
Since the signing of the Vietnam-Cambodia trade and economic cooperation agreement, trade and investment ties have seen remarkable growth, substantially contributing to each country's socio-economic development and facilitating collaboration in various spheres, said Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu.
Representatives of the overseas community and students expressed their gratitude for the Party and State’s support, their delight at growing Vietnam–China ties, and their commitment to preserving the Vietnamese identities abroad.
PM Pham Minh Chinh reiterated Vietnam’s readiness to continue dispatching agricultural experts to support Senegal’s food security through increasingly effective and innovative methods.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man expressed confidence that the legislature will soon apply AI and digital transformation more broadly, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of its legislative, supreme supervision, and decision-making functions on critical national matters.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President and CEO of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende discussed Vietnam’s new development vision and its experience in building an independent, self-reliant and globally-integrated economy, and navigating global instability through proactive diplomacy.
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Interim Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), and Borge Brende, WEF President and CEO, commended Vietnam’s flexible and effective economic governance and its strong economic performance.
The two PMs agreed on measures to strengthen bilateral relations in the future, especially the prompt signing of an action plan for implementing the countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, and the launch of upgraded VSIPs to include hi-tech parks, urban areas, and commercial zones.
PM Chinh requested ERIA to maintain close coordination with Vietnamese agencies and research institutes to promote policy research and consultations, and help the country increase productivity, quality, and competitiveness of the economy, especially in digital transformation, green transition, and circular economy, to contribute to achieving the rapid, sustainable development and double-digit economic growth goals it has set out for the coming decades.
The new Quang Tri province will include 78 commune-level units and features key assets such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a long coastline, historical landmarks, three international border gates, deep-water ports, a modern transport network, and two airports.
The rehearsal took place at the National Military Training Centre No. 4, the Vietnam National University - Hanoi, and the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, involving more than 7,400 officers and soldiers.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Vatican. (Photo: cgvdt.vn) 
