Vietnam Co-chairs ASEAN-UK Post-Ministerial Conference

Vietnam co-chaired the ASEAN-UK Post-Ministerial Conference, held on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-59) and Related Meetings in Manila, the Philippines. This highlights Vietnam's role in strengthening ties between ASEAN and the UK. Domestically, various initiatives are underway. Tran Huu Hue, 74, from An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, has dedicated over six decades to stamp collecting, amassing a collection of more than 300,000 stamps and 24 thematic collections of strong historical value, including those featuring President Ho Chi Minh and a collection titled "Hoang Sa-Truong Sa Archipelagos Belong to Vietnam." A nationwide campaign is also underway to collect DNA samples from relatives of fallen soldiers, aiming to identify hundreds of thousands of remains that have remained unidentified since the war ended. The National Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs' Remains has recovered 1,384 sets of remains. Among them, the remains of two Vietnamese martyrs, recovered by the Dien Bien provincial Military Command's search and recovery team more than 70 years after their sacrifice, have begun their long journey home. In the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, recent flash floods have caused significant damage, forcing many households to evacuate. Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung inspected the affected Muong Than Commune and is overseeing emergency recovery efforts. Border guards in the province continue their search for missing persons. Economically, Ho Chi Minh City has cemented its position as a leading tourism destination in the first half of 2026, driven by a strong recovery in international arrivals and increased visitor spending. Lam Dong Province, the country's largest durian-growing area, is shifting its focus from expanding cultivation to improving quality and meeting export standards. Dak Lak Province showcased processed agricultural products at the Malaysia International Food and Beverage Trade Fair, opening up opportunities in the Halal market. Culturally, students from the Faculty of Traditional Musical Instruments at the Hanoi College of Art are preserving and promoting Vietnam's traditional music heritage globally. In Moscow, artifacts donated by the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre were presented to the State Museum of Oriental Art of the Russian Federation. In Nha Trang, more than 2,000 women participated in the "Ao Dai – Colours of the Sea" parade as part of the Khanh Hoa Sea Festival. Politically, the third meeting of the 14th Party Central Committee opened in Hanoi, chaired by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam. Diplomatically, the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Canada held their first phone talks. Source: VietnamPlus English