Immediately after the issuance of Directive 25/CT-TTg dated September 10, 2021, by the Prime Minister on promoting the implementation of Vietnam's Foreign Cultural Strategy, Son La province proactively organized the dissemination and thorough understanding of the Directive's content to raise awareness of the position, role, and importance of foreign cultural relations in the era of industrialization, modernization, and international integration. This created unity in understanding and action among all levels, sectors, officials, Party members, and the people throughout the province.

The province's foreign relations work continues to be consolidated, strengthened, and expanded, especially the solidarity, friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Son La province and nine provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The province successfully coordinated with the Ministry of National Defense to organize the 2nd Vietnam-Laos Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program in Moc Chau district; and coordinated with Hua Phan province to organize the opening ceremony of the Long Sap (Son La) - Pa Hang (Hua Phan) international border gate, contributing to building a peaceful, friendly, stable, and developing Vietnam-Laos border, ensuring national defense and security.

Promote the implementation of Vietnam's Cultural Diplomacy Strategy.

International exchange and cooperation activities have been maintained and expanded across many socio-economic, defense, and security fields; coordination has been strengthened in crime prevention and control, and in resolving issues related to national sovereignty, political security, and social order and safety. Extensive propaganda efforts have been implemented in border communes between Vietnam and Laos, and in educational institutions with Lao students, contributing to fostering the special friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Laos, and between Son La and the northern provinces of Laos.

Son La province focuses on promoting the local image, the cultural identity of its ethnic groups, and its distinctive products through organizing and participating in fairs, exhibitions, and trade promotion programs both within and outside the province. Many OCOP products and typical rural industrial products with cultural value are widely introduced, contributing to enhancing the image and brand of Son La's distinctive products and expanding their consumer market. The province's amateur and professional art troupes regularly organize exchanges and performances to serve the people of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, in border areas, and on the occasion of high-level Lao delegations visiting and working in the province. In particular, Son La province successfully organized the 130th anniversary celebration of its founding (October 10, 1895 - October 10, 2025) with a series of large-scale and diverse activities, including: a literary and artistic creation contest with the theme "Son La: 130 Years of Formation and Development"; the groundbreaking and inauguration of many key projects; the Son La Provincial Ethnic Culture Festival; the exhibition and introduction of socio-economic development achievements, tourism products, safe agricultural products, and OCOP products; the Thai Xoe Dance Festival; performances of excerpts from traditional festivals and rituals; competitions in ethnic sports; and a local agricultural product exhibition… Through these activities, the province affirmed and honored the achievements of the people of Son La in the cause of national construction and defense, while also widely promoting the image of Son La's landscapes and people to friends and tourists both domestically and internationally.

External communication efforts have been intensified through close coordination between the province and central and local news agencies and media outlets. Numerous special pages, sections, news articles, and radio and television programs have been developed to promote the image of Son La to the international community and Vietnamese people abroad. The Son La Provincial Electronic Information Portal maintains sections on "External Information" and "Information for Tourists"; it also promotes the dissemination of information on outgoing and incoming delegations, international cooperation, talks, agreements, and meetings with provinces in Northern Laos. Local radio broadcasts in border districts regularly disseminate information on legal documents concerning the Vietnam-Laos border, contributing to raising public awareness of national sovereignty and border security, and building a peaceful and friendly border.

In addition, the province is implementing scientific projects such as "Preserving and promoting the value of indigenous culture to serve the sustainable tourism development of Son La province" and "Revising and supplementing the book 'History of the August 1945 Revolution in Son La'" to promote the image of the local history, culture, and tourism to international friends. At the same time, it is building a foreign information data system to promote the image of Son La province in Vietnamese and English, serving the international community and Vietnamese people at home and abroad.

Cultural diplomacy activities have been organized in a diverse and practical manner. Over the past five years, Son La province has organized and co-organized many notable cultural diplomacy activities, such as: performing arts to welcome the Ambassadors of the European Union and Denmark to Vietnam; receiving high-level delegations from the National Assembly of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam; and coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Vietnam to organize International Yoga Day 2025 at Moc Chau Island Tourist Area - Bach Long Glass Bridge with the theme "For one Earth, one shared health". Educational institutions in the province regularly organize Vietnamese-Lao cultural exchange activities, such as Bunpimay Tet (Lunar New Year), Lunar New Year, cultural knowledge contests, arts and sports exchanges, Vietnamese language clubs, and organize visits and experiences for Lao students to historical sites, festivals, and scenic spots in the province and throughout the country.

Cultural diplomacy activities are organized in a diverse and practical manner.

Cultural diplomacy in border areas and for Vietnamese people abroad has always been a priority. The province continues to maintain effective dissemination of laws and regulations in border areas, focusing on legal documents concerning the Vietnam-Laos border; contributing to raising the people's sense of responsibility in protecting territorial sovereignty, maintaining security and order, preventing and combating crime, and promoting socio-economic development in border regions. Currently, Son La province maintains relations with 20 foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam; and 39 foreign non-governmental organizations are registered to operate in the province. Cultural diplomacy serving the Vietnamese community abroad is emphasized through coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, creating conditions for overseas Vietnamese to connect with their homeland, participate in promoting the image and people of Son La, and contribute to the province's development.

In the coming period, Son La province will continue to effectively implement the Resolutions, Directives, and Conclusions of the Central Government on cultural diplomacy; strengthen unity in awareness and responsibility of the entire political system; promote local potential and advantages, and mobilize resources for socio-economic development. It will strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, and international organizations; expand cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, science and technology, and high-tech agriculture; proactively prevent and handle international risks and disputes; continue administrative reforms, creating a favorable environment to attract domestic and foreign investment. It will also strengthen cultural diplomacy, build the Son La cultural brand, and contribute to the effective implementation of Vietnam's Cultural Diplomacy Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, serving the goal of rapid and sustainable development of the province in the new period.

Nhu Thuy