HÀ NỘI — Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bắc Giang province, Mai Sơn, said that from now until 2025, the province will continue to improve the quality and effectiveness of foreign affairs work and promote local-level international cooperation with foreign localities.

Bắc Giang strongly promotes the establishment of cooperative relationships between towns, districts and cities in the province with foreign localities having similar or complementary strengths in economic, cultural and social development. The province aims to effectively deploy cooperation in areas of mutual interest, bringing practical and sustainable benefits to both sides, contributing to the realisation of its socio-economic development goals and building the province's image among international friends.

Production line of brake and power steering lines for motorbikes and cars of Nichirin Vietnam Co., Ltd., at Quang Chau Industrial Park, Việt Yên district, Bắc Giang province. Photo VNS

From now until 2025, Bắc Giang province will exchange and establish cooperative relations with 2-3 foreign localities of China, Japan, Korea, Laos and ASEAN countries, focusing on partners that have exchanged goodwill, information, and had practical cooperation and friendship activities.

Districts and cities in the province will cooperate with 2-4 suitable foreign localities with advantages in developing industrial infrastructure, industrial-urban zones, smart urban areas, industrial development investment, trade, services, technology, developing high-tech agriculture, harvesting, preserving, processing and consuming agricultural products.

Modern production line of Hana Micron Vina Co., Ltd., in Vân Trung industrial park. VNS Photo

Plans include political, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. In economic cooperation, Bắc Giang and foreign localities push for promoting investment; creating conditions for citizens, organizations and businesses to learn about the investment environment; and connecting and supporting the implementation of investment, production and business projects of enterprises and traders. They will coordinate to carry out trade promotion, advertisement and introduction of industrial goods, handicrafts, craft villages and agricultural - forestry - fishery products with unique strengths; and create conditions for businesses and traders entering and exiting the country to learn about markets and production areas, to build networks, and to consume products and use services.

In socio-cultural cooperation, Bắc Giang and foreign localities focus on promoting and developing tourism; organise exchange activities, promote culture, preserve and promote heritage values and contemporary cultural values; exchange experiences and support training, fostering and coaching in high performance sports; and organise people-to-people exchanges. In addition, they aim to carry out exchanges of experts and labourers; research cooperation, exchange of experiences, transfer of scientific and technological advances; development of education and training, health care, environmental protection, information and communication, construction of rural areas, urban areas, and industrial clusters and parks.

According to Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Bắc Giang Ngô Biên Cương, the province has issued many documents and plans on foreign affairs such as: Project to promote international cooperation at local level; Project to connect, attract and promote Vietnamese resources abroad towards Bắc Giang; Plan to implement the Cultural Diplomacy Strategy in Bắc Giang province until 2030; and Plan to implement Directive 15-CT/TW dated August 10, 2022 of the Secretariat on economic diplomacy to serve national development until 2030 in Bắc Giang province in the period 2023-2026.

Mr. Park Minsu, Human Resources Director of Hana Micron Vina Co., Ltd. discussed work with Vietnamese workers. VNS Photo

Bắc Giang Department of Foreign Affairs has advised provincial leaders to participate in both local and abroad foreign affairs, such as: "Meet Europe 2021: Vietnam - EU partnership after COVID-19 and announcement of Eurocham 2021 White Paper” Conference; "Vietnamese lychees, reaching out to the world" workshop; OECD-Southeast Asia and OECD-Vietnam high-level forums in 2022; and Meet Korea.

To date, the Bắc Giang Department of Foreign Affairs has advised the Provincial People's Committee to sign a cooperation agreement with the Government of Xaisomboun Province (Laos) for the period 2021-2025 and a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a government cooperation mechanism with Nanning city (China).

In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs of Bắc Giang has actively sought, connected and exchanged with several localities in Korea, Japan and China to promote the establishment of cooperative relations with Bắc Giang province, such as Chungcheongnam province (Korea) and Gifu province (Japan). At the same time, the department supports localities in the province to find, connect, exchange, and implement cooperation agreements with foreign localities, such as Bắc Giang City signing a cooperation agreement with Nanning City (China) and Seo district, Daejeon City (Korea); Lục Ngạn district signed a cooperation agreement with Ha Khau district, Yunnan province (China) and Anuvong district, Xaisomboun Province (Laos); Việt Yên district explores establishing relations with Tran Giang city, Jiangsu province (China).

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan in Vietnam, Yamada Takio, said that the amount of Japanese business investment in Bắc Giang is still modest. The Ambassador hopes that more Japanese businesses will come to Bắc Giang in the coming time.

Regarding Bắc Giang province's proposal to develop an industrial park specifically for local Japanese businesses, Ambassador Yamada Takio said he would convey this information to the Japanese business community.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, Yamada Takio, was happy to know that the quality of Japanese language training at Bắc Giang High School for the Gifted is excellent. I hope that this education model will be spread and replicated by other schools. The Japanese Embassy will continue researching ways to provide support and training guidance. Japanese universities look forward to welcoming students from Việt Nam, Bắc Giang in particular, to study and research in Japan. The Japanese Government has scholarships for young officials, hoping that Bắc Giang province will send officials to Japan to participate in master and doctoral training courses, then return to Bắc Giang to work for local socio-economic development. VNS