Leaders of HCM City and heads of Viet Nam’s overseas representative missions attend a working session at the municipal People’s Committee headquarters on March 31. — Photos sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City is stepping up economic diplomacy and calling on Việt Nam’s overseas representative missions to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and technology transfer as the city pursues ambitious growth targets for the coming years.

At a working session held at the municipal People’s Committee headquarters on March 31, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Hoàng Nguyên Đinh met with heads of Việt Nam’s overseas representative missions for the 2025-28 tenure before the newly appointed ambassadors and consuls general depart for their assignments.

Congratulating the diplomats on their appointments, Đinh said they had been entrusted by the Party and State with important responsibilities at a time when Việt Nam is entering a new development phase.

Providing an overview of the city’s development orientation, he noted that the 2025-30 HCM City Party Congress has set key targets, including average GRDP growth of 10-11 per cent per year and the digital economy accounting for 30-40 per cent of GRDP.

To achieve these goals, the city considers external relations and economic diplomacy a regular and strategic task.

“The city hopes overseas representative missions will continue to serve as reliable bridges, helping enhance mutual understanding and expand trade and investment ties with partner countries, he said. 

The city has so far established cooperative and friendly relations with 87 localities and 21 international partners.

He called on Việt Nam’s diplomatic missions to support the city in attracting investment in priority sectors such as semiconductors, information and communications technology, renewable energy, infrastructure, logistics and the development of an international financial centre.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Hằng speaks at a March 31 working session, praising HCM City’s dynamic development and strategic vision.

The city also expects overseas missions to provide policy advice on global economic trends, promote cooperation in science and technology, facilitate knowledge transfer, strengthen people-to-people diplomacy and enhance engagement with overseas Vietnamese communities.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Hằng expressed her impression of the city’s dynamic development and strategic vision, highlighting the city’s important role in the country’s overall growth, especially following the administrative boundary consolidation in July 2025.

She emphasised that alongside foreign affairs, national defence and security, building international cooperation strategies and promoting economic diplomacy should remain key and regular tasks of strategic importance.

At the meeting, ambassadors and consuls general proposed practical ideas and cooperation orientations to help the city achieve its development targets, affirming their commitment to acting as effective bridges and closely coordinating with municipal departments and agencies in implementing economic diplomacy activities.

In his closing remarks, Đinh said he was confident the newly appointed ambassadors and consuls general would successfully complete their assignments and contribute to the development of HCM City and the country as a whole. — VNS