Improve the effectiveness of foreign affairs activities

(Baonghean) - Recognizing the importance of foreign affairs, in 2013, provincial leaders and departments and branches have strengthened cooperation and established relations with many countries and territories. This activity created a new turning point to expand and improve the effectiveness of foreign affairs and foreign economic activities, create a favorable environment, maximize external resources to serve the cause of industrialization and modernization, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the province.

In an effort to promote cooperative relations for mutual development, in 2013, Nghe An province welcomed 25 international delegations to visit and work. During that process, the province focused on cultivating traditional friendships, while connecting more countries, regions and areas on the basis of promoting comprehensive cooperation, towards prosperous development.

Among the many highlights of the province's foreign affairs in 2013, we had many delegation exchanges with Lao provinces on the basis of understanding, respect and affection as "brothers in one family". High-ranking delegations of Nghe An province visited and worked with Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay and Hua Phan provinces many times. The Lao side also sent 10 high-ranking delegations to Nghe An to exchange information, share experiences in socio-economic development, and strengthen cooperation in building a friendly border.

JETRO (Japan) investment promotion delegation surveyed the training of skilled workers at Bac Nghe An Vocational School.

In particular, for the first time, Nghe An welcomed the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Laos to attend the event of completing the work of increasing and embellishing the border markers between the two countries. The high-ranking delegation of Lao PDR led by Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung discussed important issues to further promote the close relationship between the two countries. That strong bond opens up many directions for development in the border area - where for a long time, the people of the two countries have had close ethnic and kinship relations, helping each other in times of need...

Implementing the policies of the Party, State and Government, in 2013, Nghe An helped neighboring provinces of Laos to build a number of important traffic routes, help build infrastructure, support plants and breeds for Lao ethnic people to develop production and livestock; Focus on training human resources for 6 neighboring provinces of Laos with 295 cadres and students studying in vocational training facilities in Nghe An; Closely coordinate with neighboring countries to organize investment promotion activities, develop Vinh-Vientiane tourism and vice versa. Recognizing the contributions of the Party Committee, government and people of Nghe An through the periods in building the special Vietnam-Laos relationship, in 2013, the Lao State - Government decided to award medals, certificates of merit to 56 collectives and 86 individuals of Nghe An province.

Along with strengthening the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the provinces of Laos, Nghe An province and other provinces of the three countries: Vietnam - Laos - Thailand that share Highway 8 and Highway 12 effectively implement the signed contents; strengthen cooperation in the fields of education - training, industrial development, tourism, services; promote cultural and trade exchanges. During that process, there have been many activities promoting investment cooperation in the fields of agriculture - forestry and processing industry, actively contributing to enhancing the friendly relationship between the three countries for the goal: Peace, stability and development in the Mekong sub-region and the East-West economic corridor. Besides economic and trade cooperation, international travel businesses in the province have promoted coordination in tourism development, effectively exploiting the tourist route from Nghe An to Bolykhaxay, Khammouane (Laos) to the northeastern provinces of Thailand and vice versa. Accordingly, the cooperative relationship between Nghe An and Thai provinces such as Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Noong Khai, Bung Can... is strengthened and increasingly stronger.

In addition, the province has concretized the Party's foreign policy, consolidated and strengthened cooperation with provinces that have established cooperative relations with Nghe An such as: Gyeonggi province (South Korea), Côtes d'Armor province (France), Ulianop province (Russia), Cerro Navia city (Chile), Zhuang Autonomous Region (China); Promoted the building of cooperative relations between cities and localities in the province with foreign units such as Vinh city - Namjangju city (South Korea), Vinh city - Tua city (France), Con Cuong district - Muong Pec district (Xieng Khouang - Laos). Last year, the province also established friendly and cooperative relations with 1 locality of Japan and 1 locality of Australia, opening up many opportunities for investment, economic development and cultural exchange.

The province also focuses on expanding relations with localities of countries in the ASEAN community such as Malaysia and Singapore. In early December 2013, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Singapore to Vietnam, Mr. Ng-Teck Hean, visited and worked in Nghe An, opening up many opportunities for cooperation and development. Previously, Ambassador of Korea, Mr. Ha Chan Ho came to Nghe An to work and survey the investment environment in the province. The Chinese Ambassador also came to Nghe An to survey a number of investment projects in the province. In 2013, the province also strengthened and built new relations with a number of embassies in Vietnam such as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Finland, etc. and strengthened cooperation with international organizations: WB Bank, ADB, UNESCO, etc. to promote ODA programs, projects and titles recognized by UNESCO.

With efforts in the field of foreign affairs, in 2013, Nghe An province welcomed delegations from the investment promotion support agency JETRO (Japan), KOTRA (Korea), Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to learn about and survey the investment environment, promising new cooperation opportunities in many fields. The province also coordinated with the above agencies to successfully organize Investment Promotion Conferences and cultural exchanges in Vinh City and Hanoi. Provincial leaders also sent working delegations "overseas", including the working trip led by Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong to Japan, to work with investment partners in Tokyo and Shizuoka province. The delegation directly introduced the province's investment environment, support mechanisms and policies, calling for investment, and developing projects in Hoang Mai Industrial Park, Dong Hoi and other projects of the province.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also requested that politicians in Japan, with their prestige, have a voice for Japanese enterprises interested in investing in Nghe An - the hometown of President Ho Chi Minh and patriot Phan Boi Chau, so that more and more Japanese investors will come to Nghe An, strengthening the long-term cooperative relationship. Representatives of Japanese agencies and enterprises welcomed the visit and work of the delegation of Nghe An province, and emphasized that the Provincial People's Committee's initiative in organizing a delegation to Japan to meet and promote the image of Nghe An with the aim of attracting investment and creating a long-term cooperative relationship between the two sides has increased the confidence of Japanese investors. The Japanese side also hopes to have the opportunity to exchange and survey the investment environment in Nghe An as soon as possible.

If the government's foreign relations achieved encouraging results, people-to-people diplomacy in 2013 also reaped many successes. That is, the Provincial Union of Friendship Associations closely coordinated with departments and branches to strengthen the organization of activities serving the work of promoting Nghe An folk songs to be recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage, moving towards promoting UNESCO to recognize them as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. We also organized activities "Vietnam - Japan Friendship Year 2013" to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Vietnam - Japan friendship relations; organized the Vietnam - France Cultural Week in Nghe An to celebrate the 40th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France.

Cultural, artistic, sports and physical education exchange activities, introducing cultural characteristics have brought localities closer together. At the same time, the vibrant activities of the Vietnam Friendship Association with other countries in Nghe An have greatly contributed to promoting diplomatic relations between the governments. Friendship exchange activities, exchanges on national days of other countries or important holidays have been innovated in form, creating attractive cultural and social highlights. Within that framework, exchange programs between Lao, Thai and Chinese students studying at universities in Vinh City with Lao and Thai member families to learn about Vietnamese customs and cultural practices and learn Vietnamese have attracted the participation of many people from all walks of life.

The encouraging results in the province's foreign affairs and people's diplomacy in the past year have created an important momentum to promote economic and cultural diplomacy between Nghe An and localities of other countries. The positive signals from the survey work to promote foreign investment in Nghe An and many national and international cultural exchanges in the province in the past year are one of the clearest evidences for the efforts of the provincial leaders, departments, friendship associations and people of Uncle Ho's hometown in the work of strengthening and expanding international relations.

Nguyen Son