This May 20, 2019 photo shows the opening ceremony of the seventh session of the 14th National Assembly of Vietnam in the capital, Hanoi. (XINHUA / VNA)
HANOI – Vietnam's top legislature on Thursday approved the appointment of Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha and Secretary of Hai Phong city's Party Committee Tran Luu Quang as deputy prime ministers, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
They were appointed to replace Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam, who were dismissed the same day at the second extraordinary meeting of the 15th National Assembly, according to the news agency.
Minh and Dam had been relieved from their posts in the 13th Party Central Committee at the Communist Party of Vietnam's extraordinary meeting held recently.
One of the newly appointed deputy prime ministers, Ha, born in 1963, holds a PhD in organizing and conducting mining activities, according to the local newspaper Thanh Nien (Youth).
Quang, born in 1967, holds PhD degrees in public administration and mechanical engineering. He has served as Secretary of Hai Phong city's Party Committee since 2021, the newspaper said.
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The party last month disciplined the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son over the involvement of several ministry officials and diplomats in the scandal over repatriation flights.
In a separate move, police in Vietnam on Thursday arrested a former Vietnamese ambassador to Malaysia, Tran Viet Thai, as it widened its investigation into the scandal.
Thai, who was appointed ambassador to Malaysia in 2020, is accused of "abusing power in performance of official duties," the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.