Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) - The Mayors' Conference, part of the third Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue 2026 (FD 2026), kicked off in the southern metropolis on September 11, highlighting local diplomacy as an important driver of innovation and sustainable growth.
Hosted by the municipal People’s Committee, the event brought together representatives of central and local agencies, 35 delegations from Vietnamese localities, international partners from more than 20 countries, economic-financial and sci-tech experts, and representatives of domestic and international businesses.
In his opening remarks, Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Loc Ha said cities - where resources, intellectual capital, and scientific and technological achievements converge, and where economic activities are most dynamic - are playing an increasingly important role in creating new drivers of development for each country, the region and the globe as global challenges become more complex and unpredictable.
No locality can address development challenges alone, he said, stressing that cooperation is key to building a sustainable future for cities and countries.
As one of Vietnam’s pioneers in external relations and international integration, Ho Chi Minh City has sought to turn international relations into concrete resources for development, Ha said. He stressed that deeper international integration and external cooperation are essential to mobilising capital, knowledge, technology, management experience and advanced standards, while strengthening economic autonomy and resilience.
The FD 2026, themed “City Diplomacy: A Driving Force for Innovation and Sustainable Development,” reflects the city’s development priorities and determination to turn friendship, trust and cooperation into resources for common development.
According to Ha, the conference focuses on enhancing the role of local authorities in implementing the national foreign policy, while giving localities greater flexibility to respond to development needs and new cooperation opportunities. It also seeks to turn local-level cooperation networks, friendship and political commitments into practical and measurable outcomes.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Hoang Long affirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese representative missions abroad are ready to put people, localities and businesses at the centre of their work.
They will support localities in expanding relations, identifying opportunities, connecting partners, mobilising resources and addressing specific challenges, thereby turning Vietnam’s growing international position into concrete development resources, opportunities and drivers for localities, he said.
Long called on Vietnamese and international localities and businesses to lead innovation and renew their mindset and cooperation methods, moving from cooperation to co-creation and from technology transfer to joint development.
The Mayors' Conference is expected to generate new initiatives and partnerships, helping deepen ties between Ho Chi Minh City, other Vietnamese localities and international partners, he said.
Participants at the event discussed the proactive role of local authorities in implementing the national foreign policy, and explored practical cooperation models based on the strengths and needs of each locality.
The conference is set to adopt a Declaration of the FD 2026, affirming the role of local diplomacy in the national foreign policy./.
