Bolstering Foreign Affairs to Propel Socioeconomic Development

With many practical activities and solutions, Thua Thien Hue province's foreign affairs have worked well to play its role of “leading the way” and achieved positive results. The sector has helped promote and introduce local potential and strengths, effectively served the cause of socioeconomic development, consolidated national defense and security, and enhanced the position and image of the former capital of Hue in the international arena.

Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, pens a commemorative inscription in the guestbook during her visit to the ancient capital of Hue

Comprehensive and more effective

Over the past time, Thua Thien Hue province has actively implemented foreign affairs in a comprehensive, active, diverse, substantive and effective manner by promoting local potential and advantages and while closely following the Party's foreign policy and guidelines, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' foreign orientation and requirements in the new situation.

At present, the province has cooperative, friendly and twinned relationships with 45 different countries, localities, and territories such as South Central Lao provinces (Salavan, Champasak, Sekong, Savannakhet and Attapeu), Gifu, Niigata, Nara, Kyoto and Shiga prefectures (Japan), Gyeongju, Gwangju, Namyangju and Wando County (South Korea), Zhejiang and Guangxi (China), and many international organizations. More than 30 memoranda of understanding and international agreements were signed by the Thua Thien Hue Provincial People’s Committee; 42 agreement documents were inked by agencies under the committee; and 26 agreement documents were signed by units under central agencies located in the province.

Economic diplomacy and investment promotion work are carried out drastically, comprehensively and have undergone strong changes. The province has coordinated with central and local agencies to successfully organize many national and international events such as the 3rd Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP3), the “Meet the Green Thua Thien Hue: Defining the future of green economic growth” Conference (2022), the Conference on Investment Promotion and Attraction for Container Shipping Lines (2022), and promotion programs in Japan and South Korea (2023). Currently, the province has 117 FDI projects with a total registered investment capital of US$4.35 billion.

In addition, cultural diplomacy is promoted to enhance the province's position in the region and the world. Thua Thien Hue has carried out international cooperation and cultural and artistic exchange programs, joined seminars and conferences on preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values. In particular, after many successful editions, Hue Festival and Hue Traditional Craft Festival have become popular "brands" that attract public attention and create strong ripple effects and bring in thousands of visiting and working delegations, including high-level delegations of important political, diplomatic and economic significance.

Moreover, people-to-people diplomacy and overseas Vietnamese are also promoted. The province's friendship associations operate effectively and create sustainable and growing bonds such as Vietnam - Laos, Vietnam - France, Vietnam - Japan, Vietnam - Thailand and Vietnam - Australia friendship associations. Every year, overseas Vietnamese contribute intelligence and knowhow in health, grant scholarships, carry out charitable and humanitarian activities, thus practically assisting the cause of local construction and development.

Meeting new requirements

Mr. Tran Cong Phu, Director of the Thua Thien Hue Department of Foreign Affairs, said: As one of five provinces and cities in the central key economic region, Thua Thien Hue has full potential and strengths for development to become a growth pole and a key point of defense and security. In the coming time, the province will continue to promote its internal resources, utilize external resources, and promote growth amid deeper and broader integration and globalization.

As an advisory agency of foreign affairs, a local "extended arm" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the department will further strengthen connections, foster international cooperation, consolidate and develop selective cooperative and friendly relationships that are in-depth, solid, sustainable and effective; promote and implement international cooperation programs and projects in a combined physical and online mode to improve the effect of Party diplomacy, state diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy, aiming for socioeconomic development goals.

The department will focus on advising and implementing economic diplomacy more strongly, consistently and creatively; uphold multilateral diplomacy, take advantage of international resources to develop the green economy, the circular economy, and the digital economy for a green, rapid and sustainable Thua Thien Hue. The department will pay special attention to reforming investment promotion and attraction to appeal potential investors to invest in economic zones and industrial zones; stimulate large-scale, mainstream infrastructure investment and industrial production projects to lure supporting industries, cultural industry, healthcare, information technology, processing industry (sand, wood, agricultural and aquatic materials), fiber production, mechanical engineering, high-tech, input and accessory production for the textile and garment industry; and high-tech agriculture.

Thua Thien Hue advocates utilizing the support and close coordination of Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies abroad, the Government and central agencies, international agencies like JETRO, KOTRA, KCCI, the Vietnam Association of Foreign-invested Enterprises and nongovernmental organizations to connect investment opportunities and promote economic diplomacy with the goal of strengthening and opening bridges with potential investors. 

In particular, the Department of Foreign Affairs will also strengthen international cooperation in advising guidelines, strategies, mechanisms and policies, thereby creating a legal environment to enable the construction and development of e-Government towards to digital government, digital economy and digital society, and smart urban services.

By Le Nam, Vietnam Business Forum