Making international agreements deliver tangible results

On August 12, Le Truong Son, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai City People's Committee, chaired a working session with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DoFA) to review the implementation of the city's international agreements and the department's 2027 work program.

Le Truong Son, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai People's Committee, chairs the working session with the DoFA. Photo: Ngoc Lien

According to a report by the DoFA, Dong Nai has so far signed 28 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) at the city level, while municipal departments and agencies have signed another 10 MOUs with 16 partners from seven countries. Most of these agreements remain in effect and have been implemented to varying degrees. The partners include Ehime and Hyogo prefectures, the Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI-Kansai) and Kobe in Japan; Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeollanam-do in the Republic of Korea; Champasak province in Laos; Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Kratie, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Tbong Khmum provinces in Cambodia; Jiangsu province in China; Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal; and Pinar del Río province in Cuba.

The DoFA assessed that the signing and implementation of Dong Nai's MOUs have so far been concentrated mainly on partners in Asia. Efforts to establish and expand cooperation with partners in other regions remain limited due to geographical distance, limited connectivity and a relatively low level of common ground for cooperation.

In some cases, the agreements have remained largely at the stage of establishing initial relations and have yet to be translated into specific cooperation programs and plans. Their provisions also lack concrete projects and activities that can deliver tangible results.

To improve the effectiveness of MOU implementation, the DoFA has proposed that the Dong Nai City People's Committee direct departments, agencies and localities to review and assess the effectiveness of signed MOUs, with designated agencies serving as focal points for each agreement.

On that basis, priority should be given to maintaining and developing practical and effective partnerships, while considering the adjustment, suspension or termination of agreements that are no longer appropriate. The department also called for stronger inter-agency coordination and greater responsibility among relevant agencies and organizations in implementing international agreements, ensuring consistency and effectiveness in their implementation.

In addition, the DoFA plans to expand and diversify the city's international partnerships, while gradually expanding beyond Asia to establish relations with potential partners in Europe, the Americas and other regions, in line with the city's development needs.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman Le Truong Son stressed that the city leadership attaches great importance to ensuring that signed MOUs are translated into concrete cooperation activities and tangible results. He asked the DoFA to closely follow resolutions, policies and guidelines issued by the Politburo and the Government and promptly incorporate them into its work.

He also urged relevant departments and agencies to fully understand and comply with legal regulations, while calling on the foreign affairs sector to propose practical solutions to support the city's development across various fields in the coming period. This would help the city redefine the direction and priorities of its foreign affairs work.

By N. Lien – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha