Strengthening foreign affairs and international cooperation

Can Tho City leaders exchanged at the reception of the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ho Chi Minh City.

Maintain and develop diplomatic relations

According to statistics from the Department of Foreign Affairs of Can Tho City, in the period of 2020-2025, Can Tho City welcomed 2,012 foreign delegations to visit and work; allowed agencies, units and enterprises to organize 185 international conferences and seminars in the area; received and coordinated with relevant authorities to support and manage the activities of 41 foreign press delegations working in the city.

Through focused and key activities through connecting, exchanging, receiving and providing information to serve the development of international cooperation relationships, it is expanded and strengthened. In addition, close connection with foreign representative agencies in Vietnam and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad is effectively implemented. The work of promoting investment - trade cooperation and cultural exchange between Can Tho City and foreign partners is also organized by the city in the event of celebrating the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with other countries... From there, further tightening and strengthening diplomatic relations with other countries.

In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs also regularly provides information on training programs, scholarships, promotional activities, seminars, and events promoting products of other countries to the city's departments, branches, and sectors, and provides information on cooperation situations, potentials, and strengths of local promotional publications to serve foreign affairs activities at the request of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Vietnamese Embassies in other countries.

Through various diplomatic measures, in the period of 2020-2025, the city leaders signed 25 documents, agreements, memorandums of understanding, international contracts to establish local-level relations; the city's departments, branches and sectors signed 30 international agreements with partners in many countries such as the United States, France, Japan, Korea, Hungary, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Laos... in the fields of agriculture, tourism, trade, education, investment, health, environment, biotechnology, startups, innovation, logistics...

During this period, the city attracted 216 projects and non-project aid funded by foreign agencies, organizations, individuals, and foreign non-governmental organizations to Can Tho City, with a total project capital of over 25 million USD; 16 ODA projects invested in the city in the fields of climate change, health, electricity, transportation, urban infrastructure, fisheries, etc. with a total investment of over 37,000 billion VND; 121 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in various fields with a total investment capital of about 4 billion USD.

Promote international cooperation

One of the typical activities in the city's international cooperation in the 2020-2025 period is to carry out "medical diplomacy". The city has received support in terms of equipment and means for COVID-19 prevention and control activities with a total value of nearly 1.7 billion VND from 4 provinces/cities that have close cooperative relationships with Can Tho, namely Riverside (USA), Kaposvar (Hungary), Okayama (Japan) and Jeollanamd (Korea). At the same time, the city has mobilized and organized support for the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic in terms of medical supplies, medicines, chemicals, necessities and cash for COVID-19 prevention and control with a total value of about 2 billion VND.

However, according to Ms. Ho Thi Thanh Bach, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Can Tho City, the cooperation programs that bring economic efficiency are still not many, the economic diplomacy activities to attract foreign investment of the city are not effective compared to the potential and expectations. The staff working at the Department of Foreign Affairs is still lacking compared to the current number of jobs and locations. In addition, the number of civil servants with the ability to interpret up to now is still small and not diverse in languages (only English). Some mechanisms, policies, and laws related to foreign affairs activities are not fully regulated, affecting the coordination and implementation of tasks...

Orienting foreign affairs activities, the city builds a plan to synchronously, drastically, promptly and effectively implement tasks and solutions according to the Resolutions of the Party, National Assembly, Government, City Party Committee, City People's Council on implementing socio-economic, defense and security tasks and deploying the orientation of local foreign affairs. Harmoniously combine Party Foreign Affairs, State Diplomacy and People's Foreign Affairs; focusing on international economic integration, international integration in politics, defense, security, international integration in science and technology and innovation, culture, society, tourism, environment, education - training, health and other fields. At the same time, deploy practical activities to strengthen investment cooperation with foreign organizations, localities and enterprises; focus on promoting investment and trade cooperation in markets that are strategic partners of the city in priority sectors and fields, encouraging investment in the city.

Strengthening external information work to effectively promote the local image. Deploying the Plan to implement the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025 of the Politburo on international integration in the new situation in the city. Continuing to implement international agreements signed with foreign provinces and cities; implementing the Cultural Diplomacy Strategy. Promoting the implementation of solutions to connect supply and demand, linking production with distribution and consumption.

Continue to implement solutions to improve the investment and business environment; effectively remove difficulties and obstacles to support businesses, investors and investment projects in the city. Proactively integrate and cooperate with domestic and international businesses. At the same time, improve the quality of civil servants, create favorable conditions for civil servants to participate in training courses at home and abroad to improve their professional qualifications and skills, build a team of party members and civil servants with strong political will, solid expertise, proficient skills, increasingly professional, creative and dynamic, adaptable to the new situation.

Article and photos: KHÁNH NAM

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/tang-cuong-doi-ngoai-hop-tac-quoc-te-a191470.html