Quang Tri’s top 10 foreign affairs events in 2023

In 2023, the province of Quang Tri is entering its third year of implementing the resolutions from the 17th Party Congress. Alongside notable achievements in political, economic, social, and national security aspects, the province has attained significant outcomes in its foreign affairs activities. Here are ten noteworthy events:

1. Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Cuban Leader Fidel Castro’s Visit to the Liberated Southern Region of Vietnam in Quang Tri Province (9/1973 - 9/2023)

Overview of the ceremony in Quang Tri. Photo: Thanh Tung - VNA

From September 26-27, 2023, Quang Tri Province, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and central ministries and sectors, hosted a solemn ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the day when Cuban leader Fidel Castro visited the liberated southern region of Vietnam. On this occasion, the province is honored to welcome Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State, along with senior leaders from the Party and State of Vietnam and Cuba. This event provided an opportunity to reflect on and express deep gratitude to President Fidel Castro, an outstanding leader of the Cuban people and a great friend of the Vietnamese people.

2. Activities Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Temporary Revolutionary Government’s Headquarters in Quang Tri (6/6/1973 - 2023)

Overview of the scientific workshop. Photo: Quang Tri Newspaper.

Fifty years ago, immediately after the signing of the Paris Agreement to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam, the Revolutionary Government’s headquarters moved from Tay Ninh to the liberated Quang Tri. In commemoration of this significant event, Quang Tri Province organized a ceremony, a scientific workshop on the “Historical Evidence and Role of the Temporary Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in the Resistance War against the United States for National Salvation,” and various other activities.

3. Dynamic Foreign Affairs Activities of Provincial Leadership in the Post-COVID-19 Adaptation Era

From January 10-11, 2023, the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Le Quang Tung, joined the official delegation of the Prime Minister on an official visit to Laos. During this event, Secretary Le Quang Tung signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Governor of Champasak to establish friendly cooperation. Additionally, discussions with the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment focused on coordinating the research and construction of the Cross-Border Economic and Trade Zone project at Lao Bao-Densavan.

Secretary Le Quang Tung signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Governor of Champasak to establish friendly cooperation.

From April 18, 2023, to April 29, 2023, Provincial Party Secretary Le Quang Tung accompanied National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on an official visit to Cuba, Argentina, and East Uruguay. During this diplomatic journey, at the Provincial Government Headquarters in Santiago De Cuba, Secretary Le Quang Tung and Governor Julio César Estupiñán Rodríguez of Holguín Province, Cuba, exchanged Memoranda of Understanding to establish friendly relations and cooperation. In Argentina, Secretary Le Quang Tung had the honor of representing Vietnamese localities and delivering a speech on local-level cooperation between the two countries.

Activities of Quang Tri’s delegation in Cuba.

From December 12-14, 2023, the Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council Nguyen Dang Quang, along with the provincial leadership delegation, visited and worked in Cuba at the invitation of the Head of the Central Foreign Affairs Committee of Cuba. During their time in Cuba, the delegation held working sessions with Party leaders, and fraternal organizations, and engaged in various significant activities.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Hung conducted a working trip to the provinces of Salavan, Champasak, and Savannakhet (Laos).

From April 8-11, 2023, the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Hung conducted a working trip to the provinces of Salavan, Champasak, and Savannakhet (Laos) to participate in the inauguration and handover ceremonies of projects supported by Quang Tri Province in Salavan. The visit also included celebrating the traditional Bun Pimay New Year in 2023 and participating in the conference to promote investment, trade, and tourism connectivity between Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand in Champasak province.

4. “Meet Thailand - 1st Meet Thailand” Conference Held for the First Time in Quang Tri

To commemorate the 47th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (1976-2023) and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand (2013-2023), the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Thai Embassy in Vietnam, organized the “Meet Thailand - 1st Meet Thailand” conference for the first time in Vietnam from August 3-4, 2023, in Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province.

Overview of the event. Photo: Bao Khanh

The conference was attended by nearly 500 delegates from domestic and international diplomatic representative offices of Vietnam and Thailand, Vietnamese ministries and sectors, businesses, business associations, and localities from Vietnam and Thailand along the East-West Economic Corridor.

5. Groundbreaking for the Quang Tri Industrial Zone Project

On December 15, Quang Tri Province held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Quang Tri Provincial Industrial Zone project. The project, approved by the Prime Minister on March 23, 2021, covers an area of 481 hectares with a total investment of VND2 trillion.

Leaders from the central government and of Quang Tri at the launch of the project.

The first phase, covering 97.4 hectares with a total investment of VND504 billion, is located in Dien Sanh Town, Hai Truong Commune, and Hai Lam Commune, Hai Lang District. The project is implemented by the Joint Venture Development Company Quang Tri, a joint venture between the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park Joint Venture Company, Amata Bien Hoa Urban Development Corporation (Thailand), and Sumitomo Corporation (Japan). During the groundbreaking ceremony, provincial leaders presented memoranda to secondary investors and investment certificates and conducted the ritual of project commencement.

6. First International Yoga Day Held in Quang Tri

On June 18, the Provincial People’s Committee, in coordination with the Embassy of India in Vietnam, organized the International Yoga Day 2023 in Quang Tri with the theme "One World, One Common Health."

Overview of the event.

This important foreign affairs activity of Quang Tri province is part of a series of events commemorating the 51st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and India on January 7 (1972-2023) and celebrating the 9th International Day of Yoga on June 21 (2015-2023). Deputy Ambassador Subhash Prasad Gupta from the Indian Embassy in Vietnam also participated in the event.

7. Significant Increase in Import-Export Trade Through International Border Gates

In 2023, state budget revenue from import-export activities saw a sharp increase, exceeding VND1 trillion, equivalent to 148.51% of the assigned budget revenue target, a 56.2% increase. One of the main reasons for this revenue growth is the substantial increase in coal imports through the La Lay international border gate.

Phương tiện xuất nhập cảnh qua Cửa khẩu quốc tế La Lay Trucks waiting to move pass the La Lay International border gate.

Coal imports contributed the largest revenue to Quang Tri Province in 2023, with estimated revenue reaching VND474.48 billion, accounting for 49.15% of the total revenue from import-export activities in the area.

8. Successful Mobilization of Official Development Assistance (ODA)

In 2023, the province completed the necessary reporting procedures for the approval of loan agreements for ODA projects using funds from the French Development Agency (AFD) with a total loan amount of VND1.15 trillion.

A project model of Social welfare center at Quang Tri funded by KOICA/South Korea with a fund of US$12 million.

Negotiations and signing of loan agreements for two new ODA projects were completed with a total budget of VND2.07 trillion. Approval of investment policies for two new ODA projects with a total investment of VND1.44 trillion was obtained. Additionally, proposals for investment portfolios were approved for two projects using funds from the Vietnam-Italy debt conversion program, with a total investment of VND82.35 billion.

9. Impressive Results from Non-Governmental Foreign Aid

In 2023, the fourth year of implementing the non-governmental foreign aid promotion program for the 2020-2025 period, as per Decision No. 3315/QD-UBND dated December 2, 2019, the province implemented 94 programs and projects with a total disbursement exceeding US$17 million. Among these, 36 ongoing programs and new projects were mobilized in 2023, with a committed fund exceeding $15 million for the entire projects.

Out of 94 projects undergoing, 36 new projects have been committed in 2023 with a total funding of $15 million.

10. International Cooperation Activities Marking the Anniversaries of Diplomatic Relations between Vietnam and Ireland, the Netherlands, the US, and Japan, among others

Particularly notable were activities commemorating the 27th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Ireland on April 5 (1996-2023) and the celebration of Ireland’s National Day on March 17. In March 2023, the Provincial People’s Committee, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam, organized a “Lighting Up the Hien Luong Bridge in Green” event at the national special historical site of Hien Luong - Ben Hai.

The decision of the Irish Embassy in Vietnam to choose Quang Tri for the second time as the location to commemorate Ireland’s National Day through the “green lighting” event reaffirmed the special relationship between Quang Tri Province and Ireland.

Quang Tri Department of Foreign Affairs - Ngoc Mai