A conference was held in the northern province of Bac Giang on October 30-31 to discuss how to promote international integration and sustainable development in Vietnam in future.

Jointly organised by the provincial People’s Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Germany’s Hanns-Seidel Foundation, the event saw the participation of speakers from several ministries.

The discussions focused on issues around Vietnam’s international integration efforts and plans to achieve the millennium development goals. Participants were informed on the imminent formation of the ASEAN Economic Community, and discussed labour and labour export, as well as measures for ensuring social security.

As part of the conference, a training course on foreign affairs and international integration was organised for leaders of departments and sectors in the northern provinces of Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen and Tuyen Quang.

The course helped participants gain an insight into global and national issues, offering them the chance to share their experience in promoting international integration in their respective localities.

Cao Tran Quoc Hai, Deputy Head of MoFA’s Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation, said the localities needed to develop local action plans, accelerate the restructuring of their economies, and renovate growth models in order to increase their integration into the global economy.

It is essential to improve the competitiveness of goods; make full use of the domestic market; develop basic infrastructure; pay attention to training management staff; and boost trade and investment in preparation of the international integration process in each locality, he added.-VNA