80th anniversary of diplomatic sector: Vietnamese diplomats spread homeland love in Europe
WVR - 2025 marks an important milestone - the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnamese Diplomatic sector, and is also an opportunity for each of us, the diplomats, to look back on our journey of contributing to the country's foreign affairs.
Latest
 |
| The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic and Embassy staff welcomed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse during their official visit to the Czech Republic, January 2025. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic) |
To me, the term of my assignment in the Czech Republic was not only an honour but also a deeply meaningful journey—one marked by unforgettable memories that carried not just personal significance but also reflected major milestones in the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
Among those memorable events, I would like to share two special recollections: the preparation for and welcoming of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse during their official visit to the Czech Republic in January 2025—a visit that marked a turning point in bilateral relations—and their participation in the "Xuan Que Huong 2025" (Homeland Spring 2025) event to celebrate the Lunar New Year with the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.
The official announcement of the Prime Minister’s visit came on short notice - just a few weeks before the traditional Lunar New Year. With limited preparation time, a heavy workload, and high demands in terms of content, security, protocol, and logistics, the entire diplomatic mission quickly entered a state of urgency. What moved me deeply and made me feel especially proud was the sense of responsibility, unity, and excellent coordination shown by our Czech partners and the Vietnamese community in the host country.
A Strategic Step Forward
The Czech Republic is one of the Central European countries with a long-standing traditional friendship with Vietnam. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1950. Over more than seven decades, bilateral ties developed positively; however, before 2025, cooperation remained within the scope of a traditional friendship across various sectors.
Upgrading the relationship to a strategic partnership had been a shared aspiration and joint effort of both sides for many years. It was not until Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit that a breakthrough occurred to realize this plan. Under the guidance of Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam, the entire staff of the Embassy worked diligently to prepare every detail—from protocol and security to content consultation and bilateral exchanges with key Czech partners, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic.
On January 20, 2025, in a solemn setting at the Czech Government Office in Prague, the leaders of Vietnam and the Czech Republic issued a Joint Statement officially upgrading the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, making Vietnam the first Southeast Asian country to achieve such a status with the Czech Republic. That moment was the culmination of meticulous preparation and marked a milestone paving the way for deeper cooperation between the two nations across multiple sectors. I understand that behind a diplomatic document lies coordinated efforts between domestic and international entities, as well as between central and local authorities. In that unforgettable moment, I felt proud to have played a small part in writing the next chapter of Vietnam–Czech relations in this new era.
 |
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala met with the press to announce the two sides issued a Joint Statement on upgrading relations to a Strategic Partnership. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic) |
Warmth in the Winter of Prague
On January 19, 2025, following the official activities of the visit, a culturally rich and emotionally resonant event took place: the "Xuan Que Huong 2025" (Homeland Spring 2025) celebration organized by the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, at the Sapa Trade Center - affectionately known as "Little Hanoi". Here, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse met with, extended Lunar New Year greetings to, and engaged with the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic. This was a highly meaningful event proposed by the Embassy, marking the first time that a Prime Minister and his spouse attended the "Xuan Que Huong" program in the Czech Republic. It was also the first time a head of government took time out of an official overseas visit to personally meet and extend Tet greetings to overseas Vietnamese right in the host country.
The presence of the Prime Minister and his spouse not only clearly demonstrated the consistent position of our Party and State in viewing the overseas Vietnamese community as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation, but also served as a profound source of encouragement for over 100,000 Vietnamese people living, studying, and working far from home. Especially touching was the fact that the delegation's aircraft carried more than 200 traditional "banh chung" (square sticky rice cakes), carefully prepared and transported from Vietnam to Prague as gifts for the community. In the cold winter of Europe, this gift—rich in the flavours of home—carried deep emotional value. It was not merely a taste of Tet from the homeland, but a heartfelt gesture and profound expression of the nation's affection for its people abroad.
The image of the Prime Minister gently handing out each banh chung, warmly inquiring and attentively listening to the stories of overseas Vietnamese, left a lasting impression in the hearts of the community. Many were deeply moved, with some overwhelmed with emotion, as receiving a banh chung—a powerful symbol of homeland—directly from the head of government was something they had never imagined. This gesture not only conveyed the humanistic message of the Party and State leadership, but also embodied a vivid expression of people-to-people diplomacy in the new era—where affection, culture, and tradition are elevated into soft power in the nation’s foreign policy.
 |
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse met and extended wishes for a happy new year and interacted with Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic) |
Diplomacy in the New Era
Looking back at recent events, I clearly see the increasingly expansive role of the diplomatic sector in this new era. Today's diplomacy encompasses everything from political dialogue to economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, digital diplomacy, technological diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. Diplomatic missions no longer merely advise on policy or organize external affairs — they truly serve as bridges between the State and its people, between the homeland and overseas Vietnamese, and between Vietnam and international friends.
The success of the visit and the "Xuan Que Huong 2025" (Homeland Spring 2025) program is the result of consensus and smooth coordination between domestic and overseas missions. It also reflects the effectiveness of a comprehensive and synchronized implementation of the pillars of foreign affairs — professionalism and humanism — the core values of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector over the past 80 years.
In the current context, the Vietnamese representative mission in the Czech Republic continues to make unceasing efforts to concretize the contents of the Strategic Partnership, with particular focus on implementing Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation. At the same time, the mission is stepping up citizen protection, preserving cultural identity, and strengthening unity within the Vietnamese community there.
I firmly believe that with the proud 80-year tradition of the sector, with the spirit of Ho Chi Minh’s diplomacy, and with the support of all levels and sectors as well as the joint efforts of generations, Vietnam’s diplomatic sector will continue to reap even greater successes — for a strong and prosperous Vietnam, for the nation's rising era, and for global peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.
