People-to-people diplomacy plays a role in enhancing the perception of Hanoi as a welcoming and amicable destination, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh said during the 32nd national foreign affairs conference held on December 19.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh at the conference. Photos: The Hanoi Times

Thanh said that amid the increasing depth of international integration across the nation, Hanoi has proactively broadened its foreign relations and international cooperation.

“The city aspires to become a civilized, modern urban center—a reliable and responsible partner, positioning itself as a secure and appealing destination,” Thanh said.

In line with the 12th Party Congress resolution, Hanoi has demonstrated a proactive, innovative, and flexible approach in guiding, leading, and comprehensively executing foreign affairs initiatives across three pivotal pillars: Party foreign affairs, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, resulting in remarkable accomplishments.

According to the city’s mayor, diplomatic activities have been reinforced, fostering Hanoi's bilateral and multilateral friendly cooperation, resulting in positive outcomes.

After the effective containment of the Covid-19 pandemic, the city has quickly engaged in upgrading relationships, focusing on traditional and strategic partners to expand opportunities for collaboration and sharing insights on local construction and development, he continued.

Moreover, Hanoi has inked numerous cooperation agreements with various localities in Laos, China, Cuba, and South Korea, providing an important framework for forthcoming international cooperative endeavors.

“In 2023, Hanoi marks significant milestones with major international events such as the 12th cooperation conference between Vietnamese and French localities and the 10th economic corridor cooperation conference involving Lao Cai, Hanoi, Haiphong, Quang Ninh (Vietnam) with Yunnan Province (China), creating a favorable and beautiful impression among international friends about the dynamic, creative, and integrated capital," emphasized Thanh.

Simultaneously, Hanoi actively supports localities with traditional relations, especially in Laos. "High-level foreign affairs activities have enhanced the substantive and effective relationships between Hanoi and localities worldwide, expanding the city's international partnership," said Thanh.

Furthermore, according to the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, economic foreign affairs remains a cornerstone. The city actively seeks to expand cooperation opportunities with suitable partners to propel the socio-economic development of the capital.

In tandem, people's foreign affairs have been conducted with vibrancy, richness, diversity, and strength, thereby bolstering Hanoi's image as a friendly and hospitable cultural capital for global harmony.

Discussing decentralized cooperation, in his opening statement at the conference, Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that, within the overall panorama of foreign affairs achievements in recent times, localities have closely coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to actively, positively, and systematically deploy foreign affairs tasks. Many aspects of these efforts have been marked by innovation, creativity, and increased effectiveness.

Concerning the future course of local foreign affairs, Son called for greater efforts in leveraging the country's newfound position and strength to further advance local foreign affairs, with economic diplomacy as a central and foundational task; adopting a novel mindset in interactions with international partners based on equality, mutual benefit, inter-regional and inter-sectoral approaches, with an emphasis on quality, efficiency, and sustainability as the top criteria; and steering local foreign affairs in a professional and modern direction, with an emphasis on enhancing the quality and capacity of the personnel.

The theme of the national foreign affairs conference, "Promoting the pioneering role, building a comprehensive, modern, strong diplomacy, successfully implementing the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress," succinctly encapsulates the essence and core content of the event.

Beyond assessing and forecasting the international landscape, the conference conducted a thorough evaluation of the outcomes achieved during the past two years of implementing the Resolution of the 13th Congress, drawing lessons and experiences.

The conference also served as an opportunity for the Foreign Affairs sector to discuss significant and novel foreign affairs issues, contributing to taking stock of 40 years of implementing foreign policy during the Renewal period.

Furthermore, the conference extensively deliberated on directions, tasks, and solutions for developing the diplomatic sector, particularly pivotal issues such as personnel management, Party building, and foreign policy mechanisms.