(BNP) - On the afternoon of June 8th, at the headquarters of VSIP Bac Ninh Co., Ltd. (Tu Son Ward), Mr. Le Xuan Loi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee received and worked with a delegation from the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, led by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão along with his delegation and other delegates visit the model of the VSIP Bac Ninh Industrial Park.
On behalf of the provincial leaders,Vice Chairman Le Xuan Loi expressed his pleasure in welcoming Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and the Timor-Leste delegation to Bac Ninh. He noted that this was the Prime Minister’s first visit to the province and took place amid the steadily strengthening relationship between Vietnam and Timor-Leste, more than two decades after the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Providing an overview of the province, the Vice Chairman said that Bac Ninh Province was officially established on July 1, 2025, following the merger of the former Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces. Located in Vietnam’s Northern Key Economic Region, the province occupies a strategic position along major economic corridors and benefits from a well-developed transportation network encompassing road, rail, air, and inland waterway connections.
Delegates attend the meeting.
Over the years, Bac Ninh has emerged as a major industrial hub and a key growth driver in northern Vietnam. The province’s economy is estimated at VND 522 trillion (approximately USD 19.8 billion), ranking fifth nationwide. Its economic growth reached 10.27% in 2025 and 9.82% in the first quarter of 2026. Import-export activities continue to rank among the highest in the country, with total trade turnover in the first five months of 2026 estimated at USD 85.3 billion.
To date, Bac Ninh has attracted 3,584 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with a combined registered capital of more than USD 49.7 billion, ranking second nationwide. Under the provincial master plan, Bac Ninh is designated to develop 52 industrial parks covering a total area of more than 16,100 hectares, of which 39 have already received investment policy approval. VSIP Bac Ninh Industrial Park is regarded as one of the province’s flagship industrial park developments, serving as a model of green, modern, and integrated industrial infrastructure.
Vice Chairman Le Xuan Loi delivers a welcoming speech to the Timor-Leste delegation.
Although Bac Ninh and Timor-Leste have yet to establish specific cooperation programs and no Timor-Leste enterprises have invested in the province so far, the Vice Chairman expressed hope that the Prime Minister’s visit would open new avenues for cooperation between the two sides.
He affirmed that Bac Ninh is ready to welcome businesses from Timor-Leste to explore investment opportunities, promote trade and tourism, and enhance people-to-people exchanges. The province is also willing to share its experience in planning, developing, and managing industrial park infrastructure, providing useful references for Timor-Leste’s industrial development efforts.
Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão speaks at the meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão expressed his appreciation for the warm reception extended by the leaders of Bac Ninh Province. He noted that this was his first visit to Vietnam since Timor-Leste became a member of ASEAN and emphasized that cooperation, mutual learning, and support are fundamental values of the ASEAN community.
The Prime Minister highly praised Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, particularly Bac Ninh’s success in industrialization and attracting investment, describing them as valuable experiences for Timor-Leste’s own development journey. He affirmed Timor-Leste’s desire to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in areas such as economic development, agriculture, human resource training, and youth employment.
The Prime Minister also expressed hope that both sides would continue to expand exchanges, share development experiences, and promote practical cooperation initiatives, contributing to the prosperity of Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and the broader ASEAN community.
Vice Chairman Le Xuan Loi presents a Dong Ho folk painting to Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
As part of the working program, representatives of VSIP Bac Ninh Co., Ltd. delivered a presentation on the industrial park’s scale, development orientation, and strategic vision. The participants also exchanged views on Bac Ninh’s investment environment and the province’s industrial development strategy.
Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Vice Chairman Le Xuan Loi, and other delegates take a photo at the VSIP Bac Ninh Industrial Park master-plan exhibition area.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, together with his delegation and accompanying officials, toured the industrial park’s master-plan model and conducted a field visit to inspect the park’s modern and integrated infrastructure system.
