Khanh Hoa proactive in international integration

Not only affirming the posture of a new urban area, a major tourist center in the central coastal region, against the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Khanh Hoa province is still gradually overcoming difficulties, showing proactive spirit in international integration.

Khanh Hoa is located on the North-South traffic axis, convenient for various types of traffic, including roads, railways, waterways and airways. It is Central Highlands provinces’ gateway to the East Sea, and the province has the most bays and ports closest to the international maritime route in Viet Nam.

In particular, given the advantage of the three bays located near international maritime routes (Van Phong, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh), Khanh Hoa is bestowed with favorable conditions to develop integrated marine economy, such as: shipbuilding, maritime industry (transportation, seaport services), sea and island tourism, fishery economy (aquaculture and fishing).

Speaking of Khanh Hoa, people will immediately think of the beautiful and peaceful coastal city of Nha Trang and Nha Trang Bay, one of the most beautiful bays in the world with over 200 large and small islands and impressive island ecotourism. It would be flawed not to mention Cam Ranh city, with the Northern Cam Ranh Peninsula Tourist Area, Cam Ranh International Airport, Cam Ranh International Port. The city has been developing into a world-class marine eco-tourism and resort center. Along with that is Van Phong Economic Zone with favorable conditions, factors and potential for marine economic development, etc.

Lãnh đạo Tỉnh ủy, UBND tỉnh Khánh Hòa tham dự phiên thảo luận trực tuyến với Diễn đàn Toàn cầu Boston (BGF) và Liên minh Lãnh đạo thế giới (Club de Madrid).
Leaders of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee attended an online discussion session with the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the Club de Madrid.

Overcoming challenges, taking initiative in foreign affairs

In 2021, due to the impacts of COVID-19, Khanh Hoa’s foreign affairs faced multiple obstacles. The province recorded a sharp decrease in activities of delegation exchange, investment promotion, trade and tourism, etc. However, by closely following and implementing the guidelines of the Party, the policies of the State on foreign relations and international integration, Khanh Hoa province always maintains and strengthens the expansion of friendship and cooperation with foreign localities and international organizations.

Consular services and citizen protection were promptly implemented and in close coordination between agencies, departments, sectors of the province with central agencies. Cultural diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy continue to be promoted. External events, conferences and seminars are thoughtfully and respectfully organized and they all meet the requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control. External security issues continue to be ensured, actively serving the province's external affairs.

At the same time, the province also paid great interest in international integration in general and international economic integration in particular. With the implementation of the overall strategic orientation of international integration toward 2020, with a vision to 2030, Khanh Hoa’s international integration has basically brought into play its existing strengths, boost business environment, perfecting mechanism, administrative reform, improving efficiency of state management, promoting the role of all levels, sectors, enterprises and entrepreneurs in the province.

Apart from the advantages, the province also faces multiple difficulties in the expansion of international relations and the strengthening of international integration, particularly in protecting security and defense, maintaining politics and building socio-economic development in the current period. The province’s foreign affairs staff is still facing obstacles in terms of awareness, professional qualifications and foreign languages, since most of them have not been trained intensively. It is also one of Khanh Hoa’s challenges when implementing foreign affairs, especially in the exchange and expansion of cooperation with foreign localities.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected Khanh Hoa’s attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI), up to now, the province recorded 112 foreign-invested projects that have been granted investment licenses (in which 48 projects belong to Van Phong Economic Zone, Suoi Dau Industrial Park, Ninh Thuy Industrial Park). As of the third quarter of 2021, the total investment capital in the province is estimated at 1,464.93 million USD. In 2021, in Khanh Hoa province, 2,614 preferential certificates of origin have been issued to businesses under free trade agreements that Viet Nam has signed.

Orientations in 2022

The year 2022 is of great significance, creating a foundation for the implementation of the goals of the 2021-2025 five-year socio-economic development plan. It is anticipated that the international and domestic situation will be full of advantages intertwined opportunities and difficulties and challenges. Against that backdrop, Khanh Hoa will continue to closely follow the policies and guidelines of the Party, especially the foreign policy of “Doi Moi”, inherited and developed by the 13th National Party Congress, and specified by 18th Provincial Party Congress in accordance with the local situation. At the same time, the province will strictly comply with relevant legal provisions, effectively implement foreign relations, mobilize maximum external resources, with the vision to turn Khanh Hoa into a centrally-managed city possessing 3 economic zones, as follows:

Nha Trang city: Focus on investing in multi-purpose cultural - art centers, implement projects on the development of high-tech industries; put into operation tourist - service areas, commercial infrastructure, urban areas, residential areas; synchronously mobilize resources for investment in infrastructure according to planning, and the requirements of developing Nha Trang city into a central, civilized and modern urban area.

Van Phong Bay: Focus on attracting investment in industries suitable for a large economic zone, based on potentials and advantages of the marine economy such as tourism, seaport logistics, trade, high-tech industry, etc., especially the northern Van Phong area, to become one of the modern aquatic economic centers with breakthrough developments for the province and region.

Cam Ranh Bay: Focus on investing in industrial zones and clusters infrastructure, solar power projects, Da Bac fishing port. Complete and put into operation the east and west tourism projects of the North Cam Ranh Peninsula tourist area, develop concentrated, high-tech industrial production areas of agriculture and livestock, etc., to turn Cam Ranh into the dynamic economic center in the southern part of the province.

Lãnh đạo UBND tỉnh Khánh Hòa tại Hội thảo trực tuyến xúc tiến hợp tác Khánh Hòa - Ấn Độ.
Leaders of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee at the webinar on cooperation promotion Khanh Hoa - India.

Khanh Hoa continues to closely follow the direction of the Prime Minister, ministries and branches in implementing safe, flexible adaptation, and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic, as follows:

Strengthen the promotion of the image of the people and the land of Khanh Hoa to the world through overseas Vietnamese (OVs);

Actively connect with Vietnamese representative missions abroad, foreign representative agencies in Viet Nam, international cooperation agencies, foreign business associations to promote investment promotion through the organization of investment promotion conferences in the province;

Coordinate with relevant Ministries and branches in organizing conferences and seminars (possibly in the virtual platform) to disseminate knowledge on international economic integration, especially on new-generation FTAs like EVFTA, UVFTA, EVIPA, on opportunities for economic cooperation in the ASEAN community, the APEC economic community to agencies, businesses and the people, to make the most of options of international economic integration, expand markets, promote trade, investment, growth and socio-economic development.

Organize activities to celebrate friendship with foreign countries in the province, for example, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Viet Nam - Laos ties, the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam - Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in the “Viet Nam - Laos, and Laos - Viet Nam Friendship and Solidarity Year of 2022”; the 55th anniversary of the Viet Nam - Cambodia bilateral relations in the Viet Nam - Cambodia, Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Year 2022, the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and RoK, etc. especially the connections with localities of above-mentioned countries.

TIN LIÊN QUAN
Phu Tho Province - Proactive, flexible, effective socio-economic development
Viet Nam's achievements in foreign affairs during international integration
Enhancing Viet Nam’s multilateral diplomacy: Proactive, active, substanstial contributions at the United Nations
Khanh Hoa welcomes first international tourists after pandemic hiatus
Nguyen Tan Tuan
Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa