VOV.VN - Vietnam has made at least four important contributions to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since becoming a member of the regional bloc in July 1995.

Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer, from the Australian Defence Force Academy at the University of New South Wales, praised the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)'s leadership in the country's renewal, especially the role of late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Streamlining the state apparatus is both an urgent necessity and a natural progression for Vietnam to advance in the new era, solidifying its position in the region and the world.

Professor Carl Thayer from the Australian Defence Force Academy, the University of New South Wales, has emphasised that the conferment of the Gold Star Order, the highest decoration in Vietnam, on Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong acknowledges his very special contributions to the country.

VOV.VN - A seminar themed "Việt Nam – Đất nước nhìn từ biển” (Vietnam - the country seen from the sea) was held recently to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and ten years of the enforcement of the Law of the Sea of Vietnam.