Local-level foreign relations has achieved remarkable gains, contributing to the overall success of the country's diplomacy and local socio-economic development goals, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Local-level foreign relations has achieved remarkable gains, contributing to the overall success of the country's diplomacy and local socio-economic development goals, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh
Dung.
Despite the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, with a cohesive, flexible and breakthrough approach, local-level diplomacy was able to overcome difficulties and gradually translating the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress into reality and the results thus far have been quite well-rounded, Dung told the press ahead of the 20th National Conference on Local Diplomacy which will take place on December 13.
Vietnamese localities signed more than 200 international agreements with foreign partners - localities, organizations or foreign enterprises - to strengthen cooperation and expand markets for locally-made products, he
said.
Many trade
promotion and connection activities were organised in the period including Vietnam's
Agricultural Digital Transformation International Forum 2021 and Meet Europe
2021.
Cultural
diplomacy has been also actively deployed, creating a connection with political and economic
diplomacy. "Then singing" was included in the list of Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity in 2019, Nui Chua Biosphere Reserve and Kon Ha
Nung Plateau of Vietnam were recognised as the world’s Biosphere Reserve in 2021, contributing to promoting the image of Vietnam and its people and culture
to friends around the world.
Localities
have also made important contributions protecting the country's border, sea and
island sovereignty. The borderlines and the system of national border markers are
maintained, social order and safety in the border areas are ensured. The
dissemination of information and protection of fishermen and fishing vessels are well-coordinated and implemented synchronously between the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MoFA), relevant agencies and localities, creating a solid foundation for securing the support of the
international community.
Consular affairs and those relating to overseas
Vietnamese are also a bright spot, especially during the outbreak of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The localities have closely collaborated with the MoFA and
relevant authorities to promptly implement citizen protection work
and organise more than 700 flights to
bring home more than 200,000 Vietnamese citizens abroad as well as assisting citizens stranded overseas.
Regarding the
orientation of external affairs in localities, Dung said the 13th National
Party Congress has specified the goal of
"building comprehensive and modern diplomacy with three pillars namely
party diplomacy, state diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.
In the
context of the COVID-19 pandemic, external affairs of localities will focus on
promoting the role of economic diplomacy. Following the successes in vaccine
diplomacy, economic diplomacy will be an important catalyst for localities in
restoring production and business and enhancing recovery.
It is
necessary to meet the needs and aspirations of localities such as digital
economy development, e-commerce, hi-tech agriculture and clean
energy, Dung said.
Advantages of the localities will be fully exploited and at the same time efforts will be made to continue seeking
and expanding new markets with great potential for local products; calling on the
international community to join hands in realising the goals of inclusive and
sustainable development.
According to
the official, the 20th National Conference on Local Diplomacy will be an important opportunity for localities, agencies and
Vietnamese representative agencies abroad and international partners to evaluate
the results achieved in the implementation of external affairs of localities, and
suggest measures to strengthen coordination and improve the efficiency of this
work in the coming time.
Due to
COVID-19, the conference will be held in both in-person and virtual forms,
ensuring pandemic prevention and control but still bringing efficiency to the
event.
The
conference is also a chance for delegates to share experience and exchange
practical measures to support Vietnamese localities in promoting international
integration for socio-economic development, he said, adding that it will focus on market expansion,
investment promotion, taking advantage of external resources to overcome
difficulties caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovering
from the pandemic./.