33rd Diplomatic Conference: Prime Minister Le Minh Hung attends Plenary session on diplomacy serving for national development in the new era
WVR - In the morning of August 4, in Hanoi, within the framework of the 33rd Diplomatic Conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the Plenary Session on "Diplomacy for National Development in the New Era – Breakthrough Thinking, Decisive Action, Substantive Results".
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| Member of the Politburo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung delivered the opening speech at the Plenary Session on "Diplomacy for National Development in the New Era – Breakthrough Thinking, Decisive Action, Substantive Results". (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
The conference welcomed Politburo Member, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, who attended and delivered a directive speech.
The Plenary Session on Diplomacy for National Development in the New Era attracted the participation of approximately 700 attendees in person, including leaders from central committees, ministries, and sectors, leaders from provinces and cities, local external affairs agencies, representatives from state-owned enterprises, major corporations, the Private Economic Development Research Board (Board IV), the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), member associations and enterprises, and online connections from localities and Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad.
From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung attended, delivered the opening speech, and set the agenda. Also attending the Plenary Session were leaders of the Ministry, former leaders, ambassadors/heads of Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad (incumbent and designated), heads, unit leaders, and specialists from the Ministry's Office.
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung welcomes Prime Minister Le Minh Hung to the Conference. (Photo: WVR) |
The 33rd Diplomatic Conference takes place from August 1-7 with the theme "Promoting the pioneering role and fulfiling the crucial, regular Tasks of Vietnam's foreign affairs in the new era". This event holds special significance for the diplomatic sector as it marks the first diplomatic conference in the new era – an era of national growth and prosperity.
Entering a new development phase, foreign affairs in general and the diplomatic sector in particular are honored to undertake a new mission – to promote the pioneering, essential, and regular role in contributing to achieving the country's growth and development goals. This is also the overarching spirit of the 33rd Diplomatic Conference with the theme "Promoting the pioneering role and fulfilling the crucial, regular tasks of Vietnam's foreign affairs in the new era". This is an opportunity for the entire diplomatic sector to unify understanding, renew thinking, identify tasks and solutions with high actionability, and directly contribute to the national development goals by 2030, with a vision to 2045.
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| Prime Minister Le Minh Hung attends the Plenary Session on Diplomacy for National Development in the New Era. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
The 14th National Party Congress set the requirement to build a comprehensive, modern, professional diplomacy, considering international integration as a means to mobilize resources for national industrialization and modernization; simultaneously promoting comprehensive diplomacy for development, focusing on economic diplomacy and technology diplomacy. In this context, the diplomatic sector not only maintains a peaceful, stable environment but also contributes to creating a new favorable situation for national development, expanding space, and enhancing the country's development capacity.
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| Prime Minister Le Minh Hung attends the Plenary Session on Diplomacy for National Development in the New Era. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
In his opening speech and agenda-setting at the conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung emphasised the directive from General Secretary, President To Lam that the established and upgraded frameworks of foreign relations must be concretized into actionable programs, projects, and measurable results. According to the Minister, the effectiveness of foreign relations is not determined by the frequency of contacts or the name of the cooperation framework, but by the consolidation of a peaceful environment, the protection of national interests, market expansion, project implementation, technological advancement, and human resource development, benefiting the people.
The Minister also conveyed the Prime Minister's requirement for the urgent institutionalization of the 14th National Party Congress's foreign policy into resolutions, proposals, action programs, and specific solutions; while urging and supervising the implementation of results achieved from high-level visits and international commitments.
Assessing the results of the 2021-2025 period, the Minister noted that awareness of the role of diplomacy for development has undergone a clear transformation, with economic diplomacy and science-technology diplomacy becoming central tasks of the sector. Diplomatic activities increasingly align with the people, businesses, and localities, providing practical support in market exploration, partner evaluation, dispute resolution, and resource connection, contributing to enhancing the position of Vietnamese enterprises in the global value chain.
In the 2024-2025 period, Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad have conducted over 1,200 trade, investment, and tourism promotion activities; supported more than 550 local connection activities, and contributed to the signing of approximately 230 cooperation agreements.
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung speaks at the Conference. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
According to the Minister, diplomacy for development is increasingly making substantive contributions to growth, ensuring economic security, and responding to crisis situations. Vaccine diplomacy, energy diplomacy, and science-technology diplomacy have contributed to mobilizing resources for development while enabling research institutes, universities, ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises to access modern technology. Since the beginning of 2025, more than 150 commitments and cooperation agreements on science-technology and innovation have been signed during high-level foreign affairs activities; the representative missions have also connected over 50 localities and domestic organizations with international partners, including 12 leading global technology corporations.
Despite the achievements, the Minister believes that diplomacy for development still needs to innovate, particularly in enhancing the effectiveness of transforming foreign relations frameworks into specific cooperation projects and development benefits; strengthening synchronized coordination mechanisms between domestic and foreign agencies; further promoting the bridging role of Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad, while improving the quality of research, forecasting, and strategic advisory work.
Regarding future directions, the Minister stated that the diplomatic sector will focus on three key tasks. First is to innovate thinking from support to capacity creation for development, from market integration to market creation, and gradually participate in shaping the rules; promote the pioneering role in maintaining a peaceful environment, expanding markets, strategically connecting with partners, while transforming Vietnam's international reputation and position into resources for development.
| "Awareness of the role of diplomacy for development has undergone a clear transformation, with economic diplomacy and science-technology diplomacy becoming central tasks of the sector. Diplomatic activities increasingly align with the people, businesses, and localities, providing practical support in market exploration, partner evaluation, dispute resolution, and resource connection, contributing to enhancing the position of Vietnamese enterprises in the global value chain". (Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung) |
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| Prime Minister Le Minh Hung takes a commemorative photo with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' leadership at the 33rd Diplomatic Conference. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Second, the diplomatic sector will closely follow the socio-economic development goals, science-technology, innovation, and digital transformation, centering on the people, businesses, and localities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese representative missions will closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises in identifying markets, partners, and technology, pursuing the implementation of commitments until specific results are achieved.
Third, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to strongly innovate tools, mechanisms, and organizational execution capacity; build a diplomatic workforce with modern economic thinking, market understanding, and connectivity capabilities. Simultaneously, the Ministry will complete mechanisms for monitoring and urging the implementation of international commitments; establish a performance evaluation index system for representative missions and Ministry units based on results; complete coordination mechanisms, information sharing, and rapid feedback with ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises to promptly resolve obstacles in implementing agreements and international commitments.
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| Prime Minister Le Minh Hung delivers a directive speech at the Conference. (Photo: Anh Tuan) |
In his directive speech at the conference, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasised, “This year's Diplomatic Conference takes place at a particularly important time as the country enters a new development phase with expectations for breakthrough growth and successful achievement of the set goals. We are determined to successfully achieve the two centennial goals. This is also the first year the entire diplomatic sector implements the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, the strategic resolutions of the 14th Party Central Committee, and the Politburo.”
The Prime Minister referred to the Government's and National Assembly's resolutions on socio-economic development for 2026-2030, noting that the recent 3rd Plenum of the Party Central Conference has approved 13 contents, laying the foundation for four strategic shifts. First is enhancing the leadership capacity and operational quality of the Party and State apparatus. Second is unified management of development space, effectively utilizing national resources. Third is establishing a development model based on productivity, knowledge, technology, and people. Fourth is proactively preventing, enhancing resilience, adaptability, and firmly protecting the country.
“For over 80 years, Vietnamese diplomacy has always been at the forefront in every crucial moment of the nation, deserving the trust of the Party, State, and People. The new development phase poses new, much higher demands and missions. Diplomacy not only requires the courage to maintain a stable and peaceful environment and national sovereignty but also the ability to transform foreign position into resources for national development,” Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasised.
Setting specific requirements for foreign affairs officials, the Prime Minister stated: “The Party Central Committee has determined that actual results and the satisfaction of the people and businesses are the main criteria for evaluating organizations and officials. I propose that after this conference, each foreign affairs official always carries a question after each interaction, negotiation, initiative, and visit: What additional resources have we created for sustainable national development, strengthening the country's position and reputation in the international community?”
If each of us can answer this question with specific results, Vietnamese diplomacy will undoubtedly fulfill its mission excellently. This is a heavy yet very honorable responsibility for the diplomatic sector and a commitment of the sector to the Party, the People, and the Government, as the Government's operational motto is action, action, and action; work, work, and work. I also propose that the entire diplomatic sector correctly grasp this spirit and turn determination into action to successfully accomplish all assigned tasks.”
| "For over 80 years, Vietnamese diplomacy has always been at the forefront in every crucial moment of the nation, deserving the trust of the Party, State, and People. The new development phase poses new, much higher demands and missions. Diplomacy not only requires the courage to maintain a stable and peaceful environment and national sovereignty but also the ability to transform foreign position into resources for national development". (Prime Minister Le Minh Hung) |
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung presents flowers to Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad, and all delegates attending the Plenary Session, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung expressed gratitude and deeply acknowledged the directive speech of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, along with the serious, high-quality, and responsible contributions from representatives of ministries, sectors, central agencies, localities, and leaders of corporations and enterprises.
Acknowledging the Prime Minister's directives, Minister Le Hoai Trung stressed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will proactively conduct thorough research, implement, and execute tasks based on the fundamental achievements attained in recent times. Simultaneously, it will closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises to provide comprehensive information, adjust the organizational structure of foreign affairs, and effectively implement assigned tasks.
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| Prime Minister Le Minh Hung takes a commemorative photo with leaders of units at the Plenary Session on Diplomacy for National Development in the New Situation. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
The Plenary Session on "Diplomacy for National Development in the New Era" focused on discussing the role of foreign affairs, economic diplomacy in supporting growth goals, and renewing Vietnam's development model. The session content revolved around the need to strengthen coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad, localities, businesses, and economic sectors, thereby more effectively exploiting resources and opportunities from international cooperation.
At the Conference, representatives from localities exchanged views on priorities in international cooperation for growth, renewing the development model, and requirements for diplomatic work. Business representatives, including major economic corporations, shared experiences in expanding activities to international markets and proposed solutions to leverage the network of Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad to support businesses in expanding markets and deeper participation in the global supply chain.
