Vinh Phuc province has carried out external affairs completely, diversely, consistently and effectively in recent years, helping domestic and international friends know more about Vinh Phuc, thus boosting its international friendship and cooperation and attracting more foreign investment for provincial socioeconomic development.
The investment promotion delegation of Vinh Phuc province at a working session with Cammsys Company in Korea
Vinh Phuc province is located in the northern key economic region, the Red River Delta and the Greater Hanoi region, and has an important position and high potential for socioeconomic development. Diplomacy is an important helping hand for Vinh Phuc to realize its socio-economic development goals in the current context of extensive international integration.
Over the past time, Vinh Phuc has focused on developing friendly relations with foreign localities and international organizations, especially with foreign embassies in Vietnam. The friendship between Vinh Phuc province and foreign localities has been increasingly consolidated, especially the close ties with sister localities in Laos, South Korea, Japan and other nations. At the same time, Vinh Phuc has further reinforced and expanded cooperation relationships with foreign partner localities such as Voronezh Oblast of the Russian Federation; Pontedera City in the province of Pisa, Tuscany, central Italy; Brno City in the Czech Republic, Pernik Province of Bulgaria; and some localities of the United States, Germany, France, Thailand and other nations. International cooperation has been buttressed substantively and effectively, and made positive contributions to local socioeconomic development.
Since 2013, Vinh Phuc has organized dozens of investment promotion delegations to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa, Russia and other nations. Besides, the province has received and worked with nearly 500 delegations of foreign investors, businesses and investment consulting organizations seeking to learn about the investment environment of the province. In particular, despite the difficult context of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted activities around the world, Vinh Phuc successfully signed a friendship cooperation agreement with Tochigi Prefecture of Japan on the occasion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit in November 2021 to open up opportunities for cooperation, and boost mutual understanding and economic exchanges in investment, trade, agriculture, industry and other aspects between the two localities.
In addition, the province’s cooperation with embassies, development agencies and international organizations of Japan, South Korea, the United States, the EU and others has been bolstered. Vinh Phuc province is among the biggest recipients of FDI, ODA and foreign nongovernmental funds, with many large-scale influential projects launched. According to statistics, in the past 15 years, Vinh Phuc has attracted more than 400 programs and projects of all sizes funded by about 30 foreign nongovernmental organizations, mainly in education, vocational training, Agent Orange victim support, environmental protection, community development and philanthropy with a total aid value of nearly US$31 million. The local Import and export activities grow well. The province’s external security, political security and social order are guaranteed and maintained.
Vinh Phuc is one of the first provinces to have a complete database of overseas Vietnamese. In 2022, the province signed five international agreements. The Center for Research, Investment Promotion and Business Support under the Department of Planning and Investment signed a memorandum of understanding with the Council of Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce on the “Support program for investment promotion and human resources for Taiwanese companies in Vinh Phuc. It inked a memorandum of understanding with the ICT Cooperation Promotion Bureau under the Taiwan-Vietnam Economic, Cultural and Educational Development Association on the “Taiwan investment promotion cooperation program in Vinh Phuc province”. The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs signed a memorandum of understanding with the Taiwan-Vietnam Economic, Cultural and Educational Development Association on “Support program for human resources development for Taiwanese businesses in Vinh Phuc province”. The Department of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement with the Department of Economy-Trade of Chungcheongbuk province, South Korea on strengthening cooperation between the two localities. And, the Provincial People's Committee signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) on enhancing the attraction of Japanese investment into Vinh Phuc province.
In 2022, the Provincial People's Committee launched a number of external events like “Vinh Phuc-Japan Workshop: Cooperation and Development”; activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos relations (September 5, 1962 - September 5, 2022) and the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (July 18, 1977-July 18, 2022), a golf tournament for 150 golfers (including 106 South Korean golfers) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-South Korea diplomatic relations (December 22, 1992 - December 22, 2022), a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-India diplomatic relations; and trade promotion events in Singapore, Malaysia and Gyeonggi province of South Korea. The province also arrived in Oman to receive the honorary award for Tam Dao Town - the world's most impressive destination town. It also hosted the Miss Tourism World Finals.
Currently, Vinh Phuc has established cooperative ties with about 20 embassies of other countries. This important premise paves the way for cooperation between Vinh Phuc and countries around the world in the future.
Clearly, Vinh Phuc's foreign affairs over the past time have brought practical effects and helped enhance the position and image of a dynamic and creative province. To promote the achieved results, in the coming time, Vinh Phuc province will continue to direct stronger external affairs on all pillars, hence creating favorable conditions to attract resources for economic development, improve the position and image of the province, and successfully carry out local socioeconomic development goals.
By Nguyet Tham, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
