Closely follow the trend, remove all difficulties, strongly and effectively implement economic diplomacy work

On the evening of July 18, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the Prime Minister's Conference with Heads of Vietnamese Representative Agencies Abroad on promoting economic diplomacy and boosting economic growth in the last 6 months of 2024 and the following years.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang; representatives of leaders of ministries, departments, branches, central agencies; representatives of leaders of associations, economic groups, and key enterprises. The conference was broadcast live to the headquarters of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities; 94 Ambassadors, Heads of Representative Agencies, and Trade Counselors of Vietnam abroad.

At the conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that implementing Resolution 21/NQ-CP dated February 20, 2023 of the Government promulgating the Action Program for the period 2022-2026 to implement Directive 15-CT/TW dated August 10, 2022 of the Secretariat on economic diplomacy to serve national development to 2030; In the first 6 months of 2024, economic diplomacy has been implemented methodically and effectively, making substantial contributions to socio-economic development.

Regarding the results achieved, it contributes to maintaining a favorable foreign situation for national development and promoting the attraction of resources to serve growth drivers. In 36 high-level foreign affairs activities from the beginning of 2024 to present, economic content continues to be the focus, bringing specific and substantive results, signing many commitments and cooperation agreements with partners.

Foreign relations continue to be expanded, upgraded and upgraded. The content of promoting the opening of export markets, negotiating FTAs, and increasing the attraction of investment cooperation resources in new areas such as green economy, energy conversion, high-tech agriculture, tourism, labor, etc. is focused on integrating and concretizing into specific commitments and projects in all high-level foreign affairs activities with major partners in Northeast Asia, Europe, North America, and potential partners in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

Implementing the Prime Minister's direction, the inter-sectoral review of international agreements and commitments signed on the occasion of high-level foreign affairs activities is carried out periodically every month under the chairmanship of the Government leaders, and is increasingly becoming routine. To date, this mechanism has held 3 meetings, reviewing nearly 400 agreements of ministries, branches and localities, actively contributing to speeding up progress and removing obstacles; contributing to consolidating growth momentum through reviewing the implementation of recently signed trade liberalization agreements, upgrading existing agreements and proactively negotiating new agreements.

In the first six months of the year, Vietnam has reviewed and accelerated the implementation of key FTAs that have a great impact on Vietnam. Within the framework of the CPTPP, we have presided over the drafting of documents to establish the CPTPP Secretariat, agreed on the regulations for reviewing the implementation of the Agreement, submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval of the UK's application for accession, and advised on the application for accession of other economies.

In RCEP, we closely coordinate with member countries to establish an Implementation Support Unit located at the ASEAN Secretariat, creating the premise for the establishment of the Secretariat.

With the EU, we are reviewing the progress of implementing the EVFTA for many products, while vigorously campaigning and increasing the number of EU members ratifying the Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to 18/27 countries. With the UK, we are actively preparing to summarize 3 years of implementing the bilateral FTA.

Vietnam is researching, promoting and accelerating negotiations to upgrade many FTAs that have been in effect for a long time, such as the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), striving with ASEAN countries to complete the roadmap by the end of 2024. Many FTAs between ASEAN and partners such as China, India, Australia-New Zealand, South Korea, Hong Kong (China) are also in the process of upgrading negotiations or feasibility studies to proceed to upgrading negotiations.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son reports at the conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Actively support localities and enterprises, resolutely remove obstacles in projects with the spirit of taking people, localities and enterprises as the center of service, leaders of the Government, ministries, branches and localities actively meet with foreign corporations to mobilize high-quality investment, develop green economy, promote the resolution of obstacles to ensure a favorable business environment.

For localities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated to organize many promotional delegations both domestically and internationally and supported provinces and cities to sign more than 20 Memorandums of Understanding with international partners. At the same time, the Ministry supported localities to successfully lobby UNESCO to recognize 3 more natural and cultural heritages, bringing the number of UNESCO heritages to 68, contributing to creating more resources to promote tourism development.

Representatives of leaders of central ministries and branches attended the conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

For domestic enterprises, we focus on supporting Vietnamese enterprises' projects to expand abroad, organizing international investment promotion events, and responding to many anti-dumping lawsuits targeting Vietnamese agricultural products in key markets such as frozen warm-water shrimp, honey, wooden furniture, plywood; continuing to mobilize EU member countries to support the removal of the IUU yellow card for us, actively lobbying politically and diplomatically for the US to recognize Vietnam as a market economy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and sectors are actively implementing the Halal project, issuing an action plan, coordinating with the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish a national Halal certification center, welcoming a Brunei business delegation to Halal, and negotiating and signing a Halal cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat speaks at the conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Promote economic diplomacy to support and connect foreign businesses: organize a business seminar within the framework of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 co-chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister with the theme "A cohesive, resilient and sustainable ASEAN business community: seizing opportunities in the digital age".

In the first half of 2024, many large associations and enterprises from the US and Europe, especially the world's leading technology corporations, visited and worked in Vietnam to seek opportunities to expand cooperation and business.

Research and strategic advisory work serving socio-economic management continues to be focused on, closely following the country's development requirements, especially research work serving the drafting of documents for the 14th Party Congress and the socio-economic development plan for the 2026-2030 period is one of the top priorities. Institutionalization of management mechanisms and coordination in implementing economic diplomacy is enhanced to create a combined strength...

Leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade speak at the conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

At the conference, Ambassadors, Heads of Vietnamese Representative Agencies Abroad, leaders of several ministries and branches of the association spoke highly of the results of economic diplomacy in recent times, contributing positively to the country's socio-economic development; proposed many solutions to the Government and the Prime Minister to remove all difficulties and obstacles, promoting economic diplomacy in the coming time to achieve greater effectiveness.

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