Vietnam, Israel Strengthen High-Tech Agriculture Connectivity

Israel views Vietnam as a highly promising market of more than 100 million people and an increasingly important global manufacturing hub. Both countries identified artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, agricultural technology, health care and innovation as key areas for future collaboration. During January-May, Vietnam-Israel trade neared 1.6 billion USD. Vietnam's exports to Israel jumped 30.6% year-on-year to 462 million USD. If the current growth momentum holds, full-year trade is on track to reach around 3.9 billion USD, with Vietnam's exports set to surpass 1 billion USD for the first time. As Israel’s first free trade agreement with a Southeast Asian country, Vietnam–Israel Free Trade Agreement has unlocked new avenues for cooperation and offers considerable potential for further growth in two-way trade. National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will increase frequencies on several routes to Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Taiwan (China) to meet rising demand for tourism, business and family visits between Vietnam and Northeast Asia. The maximum retail price of E5RON92 was set at 19,191 VND (0.73 USD) per litre, down 539 VND from the previous ceiling and 812 VND lower than E10RON95-III. The latter was capped at 20,003 VND per litre, a decrease of 412 VND. The recognition marks a significant milestone for Vietnam’s maritime industry as it advances the development of smart, green ports and sustainable logistics. Singapore-based United Overseas Bank (UOB) has sharply raised its forecast for Vietnam's 2026 GDP growth to 8.5%, more than reversing the previous downgrade to 7%, citing stronger-than-expected first-half economic performance driven by manufacturing, investment and foreign direct investment (FDI). PM Le Minh Hung said the fulfilment of the capital disbursement target should become a key criterion in evaluating the performance of ministries, sectors and local authorities. Da Nang is pursuing a next-generation IFC focused on innovation, fintech and sustainable finance, concentrating on high-value segments rather than a traditional fully integrated financial-centre model. Instead of concentrating mainly on attracting foreign capital, Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW emphasises building a foreign-invested sector that is closely integrated with the domestic sector to create new growth drivers for the country. Vietnam is projected to remain the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) maintaining its growth forecasts of 7.2% for 2026 and 7.0% for 2027 in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) July 2026 released on July 8. Vietnam currently has about 17,400 OCOP products rated three stars or above. The figure is set to increase to around 25,000 by 2030, with greater emphasis on improving quality, adding value and enhancing competitiveness rather than simply expanding the number of products. Vietnam currently has 130,571 rental housing units under construction. A review of national rental housing demand will be completed before the construction ministry assigns specific targets to provincial governments. India remained the largest supplier, with the value reaching 63.2 million USD, representing around 52% of Vietnam's total diamond imports. Speaking at the opening ceremony at Staybridge Suites London-Vauxhall in Lambeth, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Do Minh Hung said bilateral ties have developed strongly in recent years, culminating in the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to the UK in October last year. The meetings with AFD and EDF were seen as an important step in deepening ties between Quang Ngai and French partners as the province enters a new phase of development. Through broader international cooperation, Quang Ngai aims to attract more capital, technology, management expertise and training resources to advance green industry, clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, strengthen competitiveness and move toward becoming a major industrial, energy and logistics hub in central Vietnam and the country. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Dang Ngoc Diep said the sector achieved encouraging results thanks to close monitoring of market developments, proactive production management and timely measures to remove institutional and policy bottlenecks. According to the National Statistics Office, cultural industries contributed about 3.54% of Ho Chi Minh City's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2020. The figure rose to around 5.7% in 2025 and is expected to continue growing. The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 25,211 VND/USD on July 9, up 5 VND from the previous day. ​ By 2030, Vietnam aims for its airport network to handle about 249 million passengers and 4.4 million tonnes of cargo annually, while ensuring more than 95% of the population lives within 100km of an airport. Experts say Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW could become a strategic lever for Vietnam’s sustainable development, but pose major challenges related to infrastructure capacity and environmental standards. At the conference, 11 pairs of businesses from Guangxi and Quang Ninh signed cooperation agreements in areas including smart border gate development, logistics infrastructure, trade in agricultural, forestry and fishery products, cross-border cultural tourism, and testing and inspection services, to enhance connectivity between Guangxi's industrial and supply chains and those of Vietnam. The positive FDI performance in the first half of 2026 provides a favourable foundation for Vietnam to realise Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW’s goals. However, to maintain advantages and improve the quality of capital inflows, Vietnam needs not only to improve the investment environment but also develop infrastructure, strengthen domestic enterprises, expand capital markets and promote substantive links between the FDI and domestic sectors.