Nguyen Van Chuong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, speaks at the conference.

In 2023, people-to-people diplomacy activities have coordinated closely with the Party and State diplomacy, contributing to consolidating the friendly relations between the people of other countries and the Hoa Binh people. Due attention has been paid to information and dissemination work relating to external affairs as well as optimisation of international resources through people-to-people diplomacy activities, bridging political, economic, cultural, educational, and tourism relations between the people of Hoa Binh province and foreign countries that have cooperative ties with the locality. Hoa Binh's culture, land and people have also been promoted, thereby enhancing understanding of the province and enhancing its position and reputation among international friends. 

Following the instruction of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation (VUFO), the HUFO proactively guided its member organisations - the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association, the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association, and the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association - to pay attention to maintaining people-to-people exchange activities. In 2023, the provincial People's Committee approved 14 foreign non-governmental programmes and projects with a total value of over 3 million USD.

There are 43 programmes, projects and non-project aid being implemented in the province with a total pledge of over 32.9 million USD from 16 non-governmental organisations, development cooperation agencies and donors. 

Participants at the conference were briefed about the world situation, Vietnam's external relations work in 2023 and attended a discussion on people-to-people diplomacy. Next year, the HUFO will deploy seven groups of tasks and solutions. 

To ensure the well implementation of people-to-people diplomacy, the Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee asked leaders of departments, agencies, localities, members of the HUFO’s Executive Board and member organisations to pay attention to communications work, considering people-to-people diplomacy the task of the entire political system. 

It is necessary to expand friendship and cooperation with international organisations, diplomatic agencies and people’s organisations of other countries, he said. 

The official also underlined the need to promote external information work, contributing to popularising the image, people and culture of Hoa Binh as well as its policies and achievements to international friends.