(VOVworld) – The recent 18^th national conference on external affairs has worked out ways to improve external affairs work at the local level to improve national development and economic integration. This event is part of the ongoing 29^th Diplomatic Conference. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh talked with reporters

Local administrations across Vietnam have established many mechanisms for bilateral, multilateral, inter-regional, and inter-provincial cooperation. They have signed 119 cooperative agreements with foreign partners and 230 memoranda of understanding with foreign businesses and organizations. Every month, local administrations disburse about 300 million USD of non-governmental foreign aid. More than 51 billion USD of foreign direct investment has been attracted. Over the past two years, 26 billion USD of overseas remittances were sent to Vietnam, mostly to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Tho, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Hai Phong. Vietnam’s representative offices abroad have played a significant role in building bridges between local administrations and foreign countries. Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong said:“The role of diplomatic representative offices is very important because they know a lot about their host countries. The Vietnamese representative office in a particular country informs local administrations in Vietnam all about the host country’s market and offer appropriate advices. A representative office can also verify the legal status of foreign businesses who invest in Vietnam’s localities. I have travelled through many provinces in Japan and learned about their strengths and what they want from Vietnam, so as to give recommendations to localities to attract foreign investment."

Local external affairs have contributed to protecting Vietnam’s territorial border. Since 2014 Vietnam’s land border areas with Laos, Cambodia, and China have remained stable. Cooperation in safeguarding land borders has been going smoothly.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh called on localities to integrate international integration into their development strategies and master plans. Mr. Minh said:“Local authorities, businesses, and citizens should learn about the economic commitments and agreement that Vietnam has made to prepare themselves to seize opportunities that arise therefrom. Vietnamese representative offices abroad should closely observe foreign markets, help localities and businesses chose their investment partners, and warn local administrations of possible trade disputes, and incompetent investors with technology that is of poor quality or that causes pollution."

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh urged provinces and cities to work closely with the central government to make effective use of the Official Development Assistance and Foreign Direct Investment. Local administrations were urged to implement foreign relations activities, strengthen the management of territorial border, and protect citizens overseas. Deputy Prime Minister Minh called on localities to improve human resource development to meet the new demands of the country’s international integration.