The Hanoitimes - By May 2012, fifty-six different localities across Vietnam had made 340 cooperative agreements with over 200 counterparts from 30 countries around the world.
The Hanoitimes - By May 2012, fifty-six different localities across Vietnam had made 340 cooperative agreements with over 200 counterparts from 30 countries around the world. One fifth of the agreements was reached under inter-provincial cooperation within governmental agreements or multi-partner cooperation framework while the remainder were signed bilaterally at provincial level, according to the Foreign Ministry’s report that was revealed in Ho Chi Minh City on June 18. Thirty-five Vietnamese localities established relationships with their Lao counterparts and 16 others with those in Cambodia . Thirty-eight French localities also penned agreements with 18 Vietnamese provinces and cities, focusing mainly on infrastructure and health care. HCM City took the lead in international relations as it has been linked with 36 other cities around the world. However, 70 percent of the agreements are only framework agreements and have either yet to come to fruition or have been simply exchanges of delegations or culturally based. The Foreign Ministry underlined the need to make foreign relations more practical for everyone’s benefit and encourages the private sector, businesses and non-governmental organizations to become involved. HCN |