The Thai Embassy in Vietnam and the Thai naval vessel HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan on May 19 held a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations (1976–2026), the 136th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh, and the launch of a photo exhibition honouring the late Vietnamese leader.

Vietnam and Australia are well positioned to deepen practical cooperation across multiple sectors following the upgrading of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with strong complementarities and growing business interest driving new opportunities, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong has said.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and State President To Lam called for stronger and more effective Vietnam–India defence cooperation at a reception in Hanoi on May 19 for Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, highlighting the momentum to translate high-level commitments into deeper and practical collaboration under the bilateral Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on May 18 called on Dong Nai city to create a new growth model enabling the southern economic powerhouse to move beyond the limitations of a traditional industrial centre.

Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man on May 18 chaired a working session with the NA Office on key tasks for 2026 and operational orientations for the 2026–2031 term.

The Government has issued Decree No. 158/2026/ND-CP dated May 15, 2026, detailing a number of articles and measures for implementing the Law on Mutual Judicial Assistance in Civil Matters.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam has expressed his confidence that under the light of Ho Chi Minh Thought, the entire Party, people and army will successfully implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, achieve the two strategic centennial goals, and realise the aspiration of building a prosperous and powerful nation.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra on May 15 called for a thorough review of apparatus restructuring, payroll streamlining and reorganisation of public non-business units, stressing the need for an objective assessment of the effectiveness of the two-tier local administration model after one year of operations.

Vietnam stands ready to contribute to promoting dialogue and cooperation between BRICS and the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in areas such as supply chains and development finance, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang said at a discussion session on May 15 as part of the expanded BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in India.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau in Hanoi on May 15 to review the implementation of Resolution No. 31-NQ/TW on the development orientation and tasks for Ho Chi Minh City through 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang has put forward a range of cooperation priorities between BRICS and partner countries at the Expanded BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, underscoring the need to strengthen resilience through both internal capacity and international collaboration.

Politburo member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, who is Special envoy of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, on May 13 had meetings with officials of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as part of his ongoing visit to the Northeast Asian nation, focusing on measures to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries.

The latest administrative reform push, with the issuance of eight resolutions on reducing, decentralising and simplifying administrative procedures and business conditions, is being seen as one of the largest overhauls in recent years, directly affecting thousands of procedures and processes tied to investment, production and business activities nationwide.

Bui Thi Minh Hoai was re-elected President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee for the 2026-2031 tenure at the first conference of the 11th-term VFF Central Committee, held before the closing session of its 11th National Congress on May 13 morning in Hanoi.

The Hanoi People’s Council on May 11 approved a resolution on the investment policy for the Red River Landscape Boulevard project, one of the capital’s largest-ever urban infrastructure and redevelopment schemes.

With tangible outcomes seen after nearly one year of implementing the reorganisation of the administrative apparatus and operating the two-tier local government model, further efforts are being made to refine the model so that grassroots administrations can operate more effectively and efficiently.

Vietnam and Sri Lanka issued a joint statement on the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership within the framework of the state visit to Sri Lanka by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam from May 7 to 8, marking a significant milestone in the two countries’ relations and opening a broader and more substantive framework for future cooperation.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on May 8 evening (local time) left Colombo for home, concluding their two-day successful state visit to Sri Lanka.

An official welcome ceremony for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam and his high-ranking delegation took place at the Presidential Secretariat on May 8 morning (local time).

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung is leading a high-level Vietnamese delegation to the 48th ASEAN Summit which officially opened on May 8, in Cebu, the Philippines, along with the participation of leaders from other ASEAN member states, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, and representatives of international organisations.