Hanoi (VNA) - A conference aimed at connecting foreign diplomatic corps and business associations with  Vietnamese localities and businesses took place in both face-to-face and online forms on December 13.

As part of activities in the framework of the the 20th National Conference on Local Diplomacy, the event was connected to nearly 30 points in Vietnam and abroad.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung highlighted the significance of the event, saying that cooperation, cohesion, trust, innovation and creativity are indispensable needs and choices, and the basis for joining hands to overcome challenges, seize opportunities together, and promote post-pandemic recovery and sustainable development.

He affirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has determined the motto "promoting economic diplomacy to serve the country's development, and taking people, localities and businesses as the centre of service”.

In recent years, connection between Vietnamese localities and foreign enterprises has become one of the solid pillars of the economic diplomacy, and is increasingly being promoted, contributing to opening up new cooperation opportunities, he said.

At the session “Connecting for development”, speakers from diplomatic missions of Laos, Japan, Russia and France in Vietnam, and the Vietnamese Consulate General in China's Nanning discussed the deployment of local-level cooperation between Vietnam and partner countries.

Representatives from Hai Phong city and Bac Ninh province also shared experience and lessons from cooperation with foreign countries.

At the session on investment and trade cooperation, representatives of foreign business associations in Vietnam and international speakers pointed out opportunities for cooperation with Vietnamese localities in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, reopen and restore production and economic development.

They said that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement is an important lever to attract investment and promote trade the coming time.

Meanwhile, lessons learned from brand development and market expansion for local products in foreign countries were shared by Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam and representatives of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Delegates from Quang Ninh and Bac Giang provinces shared experience in attracting foreign investment and cooperating with foreign businesses in controlling COVID-19 and maintaining stable production and business.

The seminar contributed to promoting foreign investors’ confidence in the strategy “safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic" of the Vietnamese Government and localities./.