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Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn addresses a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of HCM City’s Department of External Relations on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo |
HCM CITY — Việt Nam on Friday marked the 80th anniversary of its diplomatic service and the 50th anniversary of HCM City’s Department of External Relations with a high-profile ceremony at the Saigon Opera House.
The event drew senior leaders, including former presidents Nguyễn Minh Triết and Trương Tấn Sang, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn, and Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Nguyễn Văn Được, along with former officials and representatives from provinces across the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy PM Sơn praised the contributions of the city’s foreign affairs office, which has grown from a small unit into a professional body of more than 100 officials.
He said the department has played a “direct and active role” in supporting Việt Nam’s reconstruction, modernisation and integration into the global economy.
“Over the past five decades, HCM City’s Department of External Relations has not only carried out the foreign policy of the Party and State, but also contributed significantly to maintaining a peaceful and favourable environment for national development,” he added.
The department was awarded the First-Class Labour Medal in recognition of its achievements between 2010 and 2024.
Since its establishment in 1975, the department has been instrumental in connecting HCM City with international partners.
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Delegates at the ceremony on August 22 celebrating 80th anniversary of Việt Nam's diplomatic service and the 50th anniversary of HCM City’s Department of External Relations. — VNA/VNS Photo |
Today, the city has friendship and cooperation agreements with 58 foreign localities, from San Francisco to Lyon, and is an active member of global city networks including CityNet, C40, LUCI, the World Cities Summit, and others.
These partnerships have helped the city attract foreign direct investment, strengthen people-to-people diplomacy and promote cultural and technological exchanges.
Officials emphasised that diplomacy has become a critical pillar of the city’s socioeconomic growth.
“External relations have increasingly served as a driver for HCM City’s development, linking us to global flows of knowledge, technology, investment and culture,” said city chairman Nguyễn Văn Được.
Việt Nam’s largest economic hub has long been at the forefront of the country’s opening-up.
Since the launch of economic reforms (Đổi Mới) in 1986, the city has piloted early models of foreign economic cooperation and hosted numerous international forums.
Earlier in the day, the city and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened a photo exhibition titled “80 Years of Việt Nam’s Diplomacy: Honour and Pride” at Lam Sơn Park and in front of the Opera House in the downtown area.
The exhibition retraces the milestones of Việt Nam’s foreign policy since the country declared independence in 1945, highlighting both national achievements and the city’s international outreach. — VNS