Vietnam News Today (Jan. 8): Vietnam Races Ahead in GDP Growth, Closing Gap with Southeast Asia’s Giants
	Seminar: Promotes Diplomacy and Deeper Global Integration in New Era

The conference was attended by leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of local foreign affairs agencies nationwide, and representatives of various related units.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngo Le Van noted that local external affairs work has achieved many positive results in recent years, making important contributions to the country’s international integration process and socio-economic development.

According to the Deputy Minister, localities’ networks of international partnerships have continued to expand, with numerous cooperation agreements and twinning programs producing substantive outcomes. Many localities have proactively linked external relations activities with development objectives, gradually transforming cooperative relationships into tangible resources such as foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, export growth, international tourist arrivals, and cooperation programs in labor and human resource training.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngo Le Van officiated the opening of the 2026 Conference of Leaders of Local Foreign Affairs Agencies. (Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper)

In addition, cultural diplomacy, the promotion of local images to the world, and efforts to mobilize international organizations, including UNESCO, to recognize cultural heritage have been carried out in an increasingly systematic and professional manner.

Emphasizing the growing importance of localities in the international integration process, Deputy Minister Ngo Le Van stated that, in practice, localities are the places that directly receive capital flows, technology, and knowledge from around the world, while also serving as the places where the national image is experienced most vividly and concretely. “Localities are no longer the rear line; they are becoming the frontline of integration,” the Deputy Minister affirmed.

At the conference, Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, observed that the international and regional landscape is undergoing significant changes, requiring localities to continue strongly promoting their external affairs role in mobilizing international resources, expanding development space, and making practical contributions to the country’s development process.

Delegates attend the conference. (Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper)

The Ho Chi Minh City leader stated that the city has consistently regarded external affairs as one of the key drivers of growth. He also expressed the hope of continuing to receive support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and enhancing exchanges of experience with other localities to improve the quality and effectiveness of external affairs work in the coming period.

As part of the conference, delegates listened to a review report on local external affairs work in 2025 and a report on the implementation of development-oriented diplomacy in the new context. They also shared practical experiences, discussed difficulties and challenges, and proposed various solutions to improve the effectiveness of local external affairs activities.

Discussions focused on strengthening coordination mechanisms between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and localities, between foreign affairs agencies and local departments, sectors, and the business community; ensuring smooth operations under the new organizational model; and enabling localities to proactively seek cooperation opportunities and connect with international resources to support socio-economic development.

The exchanges and recommendations presented at the conference were regarded as an important source of practical grassroots information, contributing to the development of the agenda for the 22nd National Conference on Foreign Affairs, which is scheduled to take place in August.

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