During the past term, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations has united, strived, focused on building, consolidating and developing member associations; promoted people-to-people diplomacy; expanded peace activities, solidarity, friendship and cooperation with international organizations, foreign non-governmental organizations and people of other countries. Thereby, contributing to the socio-economic development of the province and promoting the image of Thanh Hoa people and culture to international friends.

Delegates attending the 3rd Congress of the Union of Friendship Organizations of Thanh Hoa province, term 2024-2028.

On the morning of June 30, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations held its 3rd Congress for the 2024-2029 term.

Attending the congress were comrade Trinh Tuan Sinh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; comrades of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee: Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee; Nguyen Van Thi, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations; and the Provincial Unions of Friendship Organizations.

Overview of the congress.

Presidium of the congress.

During its term, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations organized more than 100 people-to-people foreign affairs activities and coordinated and carried out many cooperative, solidarity and friendship activities with localities and international organizations; actively mobilized and implemented many foreign non-governmental aid projects, focusing on areas such as: hunger eradication and poverty reduction, healthcare, education, environment, etc. Coordinated and organized meetings and exchanges with overseas Vietnamese returning to their homeland, mobilized resources to organize humanitarian and charitable activities; contributed to improving the effectiveness of overseas Vietnamese work, with many new, more connected and meaningful points.

Comrade Hoang Van Hoang, Chairman of the Union of Friendship Organizations, term II, spoke at the congress.

At the same time, the organization of the Union and its member associations continued to be improved and had new developments, 4 new friendship associations were consolidated and established; the development of member associations was effectively implemented. With the achievements in the past term, the Union and its member associations were awarded 25 Certificates of Merit by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Central Association of Friendship with Foreign Countries. Many individuals were awarded Medals, Friendship Medals, commemorative medals by the State and Friendship Associations with other countries, Certificates of Merit by the Provincial People's Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Thanh Hoa province.

Colonel Nguyen Van Dong, Deputy Political Commissar of the Provincial Border Guard Command, spoke at the congress.

The Congress discussed and agreed on the direction of activities for the 2024-2029 term with the following contents: Strengthening the dissemination of the Party and State's guidelines and policies, promoting information and propaganda work to raise awareness of all levels, sectors, cadres, members and people of all walks of life about people's foreign affairs in the new situation; promoting peace, solidarity, friendship and cooperation activities; strengthening the work of calling for investment and aid, especially foreign non-governmental aid; continuing to innovate, gather and consolidate the organization to build a strong Union and member associations, meeting the requirements of people's foreign affairs.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thi, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke at the congress.

Speaking at the congress, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Thi congratulated and commended the efforts of collectives and individuals and the important results and contributions of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations and its member associations in the past term.

He emphasized that in the coming time, the regional and world situation is forecasted to have many complex and unpredictable changes; opportunities, advantages, difficulties and challenges are intertwined. In that context, in order to continue to effectively implement the Party and State's guidelines and policies on foreign affairs, making the province's people's foreign affairs activities increasingly effective, substantive and in-depth, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations and its member associations to continue to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement Directive No. 38-CT/TW dated September 19, 2019 of the Secretariat on continuing to innovate, promote the role and improve the quality and effectiveness of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in the new situation; Directive No. 12-CT/TW dated January 5, 2022 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership, improving the effectiveness of people's foreign affairs in the new situation; Promote activities of peace, solidarity, friendship and cooperation; attach importance to developing in-depth relations with the people of neighboring countries and countries that hold important positions in the province's foreign policy.

Closely coordinate with units and localities in the province to effectively carry out the work of promoting and mobilizing aid; increase contact and work with foreign donors and non-governmental organizations to cooperate in building and implementing new aid projects and programs; contribute to mobilizing important resources for the province's socio-economic development.

Focus on effectively implementing tasks and solutions for overseas Vietnamese; strengthen the development of relationships with the overseas Vietnamese community and the Thanh Hoa Association abroad to build a bridge of solidarity and friendship with people of other countries and organize activities towards the homeland; call for and mobilize investment resources in various fields and humanitarian and charitable activities.

Continue to consolidate and build the organization and apparatus of the Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations and its member associations to be strong, meeting the requirements of people's foreign affairs in the new situation. Strengthen coordination and connection between member associations and members; effectively carry out emulation and commendation work, timely encourage and replicate good models and creative ways of doing things.

The Party Delegation of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations presented the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations with a souvenir flag with the words "Proactive, flexible, creative, effective".

The Provincial People's Committee presented the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations with a banner bearing the words "Innovation, promoting the role, improving the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy".

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations awarded the "For Peace and Friendship among Nations" medal to individuals.

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations awarded Certificates of Merit to groups and individuals.

Comrade Trinh Tuan Sinh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, awarded Certificates of Merit from the Provincial People's Committee to the collectives.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thi, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit of the Provincial People's Committee to individuals.

Comrade Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairwoman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee awarded Certificates of Merit of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee to collectives and individuals.

Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations awarded Certificates of Merit to individuals.

On this occasion, the Party Delegation of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations presented the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations with a souvenir flag with the words "Proactive, flexible, creative, effective"; presented the "For peace and friendship among nations" Medal to 3 individuals and Certificates of Merit to 3 groups and 9 individuals. The Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee presented the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations with a banner with the words "Innovation, promoting the role, improving the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy"; presented Certificates of Merit to 3 groups and 8 individuals. The Provincial Fatherland Front Committee presented Certificates of Merit to individuals and groups; the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations presented Certificates of Merit to groups and individuals.

The Executive Committee of the Union of Friendship Organizations of Thanh Hoa province, term 2024-2029, was introduced to the congress.

The Congress elected a new Executive Committee of 37 members. Comrade Trinh Tuan Sinh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, was elected as Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations for the third term, 2024-2029.

Hoang Lan