The conference was attended by over 500 delegates from central ministries, sectors, and agencies, local leaders, representatives of local external affairs agencies, Vietnamese Ambassadors and Heads of Vietnamese Representative Offices abroad, Heads of newly designated Representative Offices, and leaders of units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Comrade Le Hoai Trung, Member of the Political Bureau and Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a speech

Speaking at the conference, Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung outlined four key orientations for local external affairs in the upcoming period. These include innovating the mindset and enhancing the quality of strategic planning for local external relations, ensuring that such activities truly become an integral part of local development strategies.

The Minister stressed the need to strongly innovate diplomacy to serve national development, evaluating success by how effectively foreign relations are converted into resources and concrete results. Key priorities include reforming leadership and coordination mechanisms to render local external affairs unified and seamless, streamlining the administrative apparatus, enhancing workforce capacity, and fundamentally overhauling management practices.

Minister Le Hoai Trung also requested Vietnamese Representative Offices abroad to step up coordination and provide more effective support to localities. At the same time, he expressed the desire for local authorities to proactively report specific difficulties and obstacles arising during implementation so the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can coordinate timely solutions, continuously refining institutional frameworks and coordination mechanisms.

In the summary report, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngo Le Van stated that local external affairs have been implemented in a synchronized manner recently, contributing to maintaining a peaceful environment and consolidating partnerships. Development-oriented diplomacy has received increased focus, particularly in priority sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, science and technology, and digital transformation. However, certain limitations remain, including awareness and alignment with development strategies, proactive engagement, consistency, resource conversion efficiency, organizational structure, staffing, and cadre capacity, alongside institutional and legal framework constraints.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dieu, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee (far left), had the honor of receiving the "For the Cause of Vietnam's Diplomacy" commemorative medal.

Attending the conference in Hanoi, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dieu, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (PPC) and Head of the Dong Thap delegation, represented the province. On this occasion, two leaders of Dong Thap province - Mr. Tran Van Dung, Permanent Vice Chairman of the PPC, and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dieu, Vice Chairman of the PPC - were honored with the Commemorative Medal "For the Cause of Vietnamese Diplomacy." Additionally, five individuals from Dong Thap province received Certificates of Merit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs for their outstanding achievements in local external affairs during the 2024–2026 period.

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