Comrade Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, held a working meeting with the Embassy of the Republic of India.

In accordance with the Party and State's foreign policy guidelines and orientations, Son La province maintains and expands friendly cooperative relations with other countries, especially the solidarity, friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Son La province and nine provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. During the year, four international agreements were signed, allowing 19 delegations led by leaders of provincial departments, agencies, and localities to visit and work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic; and Son La organized receptions and working sessions with 44 delegations from provinces of Laos to visit, work, and participate in activities in Son La.

The province also established working groups to visit and work in China, Greece, Italy, Japan, and Russia to exchange and learn from experiences in digital transformation, tourism development, expanding export markets for agricultural products, and building mechanisms and policies to support workers going to work abroad. It also hosted diplomatic representatives from the embassies of Japan, Denmark, Chile, Haiti, Cuba, India, and the European Union Delegation, among others, to visit and explore investment cooperation opportunities in the province.

The Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Vietnam visits Moc Chau Milk Company.

To carry out economic diplomacy, the Provincial People's Committee directed state management agencies to proactively provide information and publications to Vietnamese diplomatic representative offices in other countries, serving the promotion and investment, trade, and tourism activities of Son La; participating in exhibitions, introductions, and promotion of tourism products, agricultural products, and investment and trade promotion at the international tourism fair "Developing Green Destinations, Elevating Vietnamese Tourism"... At the same time, it organized working delegations to meet with the Indian Embassy and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam on investment, trade, culture, and tourism promotion; and attended the Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum…

In addition, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and official development assistance (ODA) to Son La has seen significant progress. Eight FDI projects with a total registered investment capital of US$160.6 million have been implemented; three projects using ODA funds and preferential foreign loans, and three projects using non-refundable ODA grants have been launched. These projects are progressing on schedule and are aligned with their intended beneficiaries and operational objectives.

A delegation from Udomxay province, Lao People's Democratic Republic, visited the Son La Provincial Public Administrative Service Center.

The project “Promoting Gender Equality through Enhancing the Economic Efficiency of Agricultural Production and Tourism Development in Son La Province, Phase 2,” funded by the Australian Government and signed in May 2024, has a total investment of over 250 billion VND, of which over 236 billion VND is non-refundable ODA capital, and the remainder is counterpart funding from the provincial budget. Ms. Naomi May Cook, Development Cooperation Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, stated: With 10 sub-projects approved by Son La province and 3 others under construction, several sub-projects have been effectively implemented locally, such as: developing bamboo shoot and medicinal herb industries, diversifying community tourism products… Through the project, it has supported livelihoods, agricultural product development, community tourism, digital transformation, and capacity building for ethnic minority women.

GREAT 2 Project staff are assisting ethnic minority women in Phu Mau village, Van Ho commune, in using online tools to develop tourism.

Taking advantage of and strengthening cooperation and mobilizing aid from foreign diplomatic missions, in 2025, Son La province organized 3 working delegations to meet with 12 foreign non-governmental organizations; it received 4 aid packages with a total committed capital of USD 770,250, including: providing warm clothing for students, building preschools, constructing cultural centers... These projects make important contributions to improving the lives, awareness, and infrastructure of ethnic minority communities.

In the area of ​​cultural diplomacy, the province welcomed the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam to visit and learn about some typical agricultural projects and famous tourist destinations in Moc Chau to assess potential for cooperation. Simultaneously, a working group was established to meet with the Embassy of the Republic of India in Hanoi to discuss promoting cooperation, especially in the cultural field. Based on these discussions, Son La province and the Indian Embassy in Vietnam successfully organized the International Yoga Day program and the Indian Film Festival in Son La.

The "Son La City Drainage and Wastewater Treatment System" project in Chieng An ward was built with ODA funding.

The achievements gained through foreign relations and expanded international cooperation have opened up opportunities for breakthroughs and elevated Son La's position; affirming the image of a dynamic, friendly mountainous province deeply integrated with the region and the world.

Thanh Huyen