Conference: economic integration focus of external relation work
The 18th national conference on external affairs, which took place in Hanoi on August 21, laid emphasis on economic integration as the focus of localities’ external relation work.
Hanoi (VNA) 💞– The 18th national conference on external affairs, which took place in Hanoi on August 21, laid emphasis on economic integration as the focus of localities’ external relation work.
Addressing the event, Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of External Affairs Nguyen Thanh Long said localities have well implemented bilateral cooperation as well as inter-regional and inter-provincial mechanisms with foreign partners.
He noted that provinces and cities nationwide have signed 119 agreements with foreign partner localities, along with 230 MoUs on cooperation with overseas businesses and organisations, thus mobilizing substantial resources for local development.
As a result of effective economic diplomatic efforts, the total foreign direct investment in Vietnam hit 51.53 billion USD, with several billion-USD projects in Thai Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Bac Ninh, Binh Duong and Khanh Hoa.
Nearly 300 million USD funded by non-governmental organisations is disbursed nationwide each year.
Cooperation with localities in other countries has also opened up business opportunities in hi-tech agriculture, renewable energy and climate change response.
Over the past two years, provinces and cities have coordinated with the Foreign Ministry to campaign successfully for UNESCO’s recognition of 10 cultural heritages. The localities have also licensed more than 1,100 foreign reporters to cover Vietnam’s socio-economic developments, and attracted remittances worth over 26 billion USD.
Nearly 3,600 firms run by overseas Vietnamese are operating in 52 out of 63 cities and provinces, predominantly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Tho, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Hai Phong, Nghe An, Long An and An Giang.
Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung, for his part, said the city has actively worked with Foreign Ministry and representative Vietnamese agencies overseas to improve the efficiency of global integration.
Director Nguyen Thanh Long underscored the role of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad in promoting economic integration of localities back home, saying that they should serve as a bridge to help localities connect with foreign partners.
He also urged local governments to maintain close ties with the Foreign Ministry and representative Vietnamese agencies abroad.-VNA
Foreign affairs have contributed significantly to Vietnam’s multi-faceted achievements during its reform process over the last three decades, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.
External activities need to be further improved in order to defend the country’s supreme interests, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has said.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
At the event (Source: VNA)
