Foreign affairs work in first half of 2024: Significant milestones alongside national development
WVR - In a dynamic global context, the foreign affairs and diplomacy efforts in the first half of 2024 have continued to construct an impressive international stature, making a crucial contribution to the current strength, status, and reputation of our nation internationally.
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| Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits the photo exhibition about foreign affairs activities on the occasion of the 32th Diplomatic Conference on December 19, 2023. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Vietnam experienced a vibrant 2023 with numerous successes, leaving a significant mark in various fields including foreign affairs and diplomacy. At the 32nd Diplomatic Conference on December 19, 2023, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong highlighted that since the 13th Party Congress, particularly in 2023, foreign affairs work and diplomacy have “achieved many significant, historic results, becoming a remarkable highlight among the country’s overall accomplishments.” These achievements are a firm foundation for foreign affairs work and diplomacy to continue contributing to the nation's development and protection efforts in 2024 and the years to follow.
The year 2024 is pivotal, holding critical importance for successfully implementing the resolutions of the 13th Party Congress and preparing comprehensively for the 14th Party Congress. Amidst significant opportunities, the world also faces numerous challenges, pressures, and uncertainties. The global landscape is at a turning point, rapidly shifting to a new dynamic filled with complex and unprecedented developments. Conflicts in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, and other potential hotspots serve as “black holes” that could potentially drain global resources and pull nations into a vortex of distrust, competition, and tense confrontations; the world becomes increasingly uncertain and divided; the economic activities are fragmented and politicized.
The task for foreign affairs work and diplomacy is to transform these pressures into a driving force, leveraging the achievements of 2023 to attain new heights. In this context, during the first half of 2024, foreign affairs work and diplomacy have actively organized and implemented the resolutions of the 13th Party Congress, drawing on lessons learned and directions set during the 32nd Diplomatic Conference, achieving significant results across various domains.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a hybrid conference with Vietnamese representative agencies abroad and provinces and cities nationwide to discuss enhancing economic diplomacy and its role in Vietnam’s development in 2024 on April 2. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
One key focus has been to enhance the pioneering role of economic diplomacy, creating new opportunities for national development. On the evening of April 2, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính chaired a hybrid conference with heads of Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad, focusing on boosting economic diplomacy to serve the country's development in 2024. The directives and conclusions from the Prime Minister, reports by Minister Bui Thanh Son, and the actual practice of economic diplomacy have highlighted substantial outcomes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with other ministries, sectors, and local governments, has implemented comprehensive, synchronized strategies that delve deeply into substantive issues, simultaneously leveraging and rejuvenating, enhancing the effectiveness of traditional growth drivers such as investment, exports, and consumption. At the same time, it has captured the trends of development, pushing for the discovery of new growth drivers like the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, and knowledge economy; exploring new directions, tapping into breakthrough fields (high technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, hydrogen...), and developing potential new markets and the Halal industry. The initial results are promising and are expected to create new opportunities for the country's development.
The achievements of 2023 have been sustained and enhanced in the first half of 2024, with economic content continuing to play a central role in high-level foreign affairs and diplomatic activities. The consolidation, upgrade, and elevation of diplomatic relations, especially with comprehensive strategic partners, promote expansion, pushing economic cooperation deeper, making it more practical, linked to commitments, agreements, projects, specific products, attracting financial resources, investments; encompassing many important contents aligned with new trends such as the digital economy, green economy, science and technology, semiconductors, new generation ODA...
Proactive and dynamic economic diplomacy serves as a bridge, supporting, promoting, and removing "bottlenecks," trade barriers, restoring, and expanding markets, searching for new directions, building, developing, and protecting brands... for sectors, fields, localities, and enterprises; overcoming disruptions in global supply and production chains. Through this, economic diplomacy directly contributes significantly to the positive outcomes of foreign economics and international economic integration and linkage; maintaining an international landscape favorable for national development.
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son deliveres a speech at the high-level session of the 55th Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 26, 2024. (Photo: Nhat Phong) |
Secondly, both bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relationships have been expanded and deepened. Foreign affairs and diplomatic activities, especially at the high level, have been vibrant across continents, at many forums, and significant multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, ASEAN, the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos 2024, ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2024, etc. Vietnam continues to assert its role in international and regional organizations like the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNESCO, ASEAN...; actively and responsibly addressing global challenges such as climate change, rescue operations, peacekeeping in Africa...
Vietnam has successfully organized numerous outgoing visits by high-ranking Vietnamese leaders and welcomed visiting heads of state and high-ranking leaders from many countries to Vietnam, deepening relationships in politics, economics, diplomacy, defense, and security, ect; continuing to deepen relationships with countries, especially comprehensive strategic partners, neighboring countries, towards a stable and sustainable direction.
Escalating conflicts have deepened the world's divisions, placing Vietnam before complex, sensitive situations. The country's new posture and a dynamic, balanced, flexible, and clever foreign policy help Vietnam exploit common grounds, resolve differences, and emerging issues, especially with major countries, neighboring countries.
The consolidation, expansion, upgrade, and elevation of relationships, both multilaterally and bilaterally, create an open, comprehensive, solid international landscape, affirming the stature and position of the country on the international stage. The most important result is maintaining a peaceful, friendly environment, firmly protecting independence, sovereignty, national interests, and providing a solid foundation for national construction, development, and defense.
Thirdly, cultural diplomacy has continued to promote Vietnam to the world and attract the world to Vietnam. The national tradition, cultural identity as the "spiritual foundation" continues to spread in international relations, as the source of strength, an effective way from heart to heart, winning partners over, sustainably positioning Vietnam in the hearts of friends. In the first six months of 2024, many international cultural events were organized in Vietnam and Vietnamese cultural events abroad; the intellectual, ethical, and stylistic heritage of Ho Chi Minh continued to be honored worldwide; Vietnamese language teaching was introduced in some universities, becoming the official language of some localities abroad.
Vietnamese culture, while maintaining its identity, enriches itself by selectively assimilating external cultural elements, "integrating but not dissolving". Through cultural diplomacy, portraying and spreading the image and message of Vietnam with a tradition of humanity, compassion, peace-loving, rich in identity, vibrant, consolidating trust, contributing to bringing Vietnam to the world and attracting the world to Vietnam.
During her visit to Vietnam and meeting with Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on April 25, Ms. Simonaa-Mirela Miculescu, President of the UNESCO General Assembly, affirmed that Vietnam is a reliable, responsible strategic partner of UNESCO; one of the leaders in implementing UNESCO's activities, always receiving trust and confidence from international friends.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Ha Kim Ngoc (middle) at the 10th session of the General Assembly of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in June 2024. |
On June 11, Vietnam was elected with a high number of votes as the Vice-Chair of the General Assembly of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Thus, Vietnam has participated in six key mechanisms of UNESCO; directly contributing to the governance process, passing significant decisions of UNESCO.
These results are a vivid testament to the success of Vietnamese cultural diplomacy; the recognition of the international community for the path, foreign policy, proactive, comprehensive, and deep international integration in general, and the Cultural Diplomacy Strategy in particular of the Party, State of Vietnam.
Fourthly, efforts concerning Vietnamese people abroad have been intensified, connecting overseas Vietnamese with their homeland, attracting expatriates to join hands in developing the country. 2024 marks 20 years of implementing Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW of March 26, 2004, by the Politburo (9th tenure) on work concerning Vietnamese people abroad and the fourth "Dien Hong" Conference for overseas Vietnamese in August, aimed at "joining hands to realize the aspiration for national development".
For the Party, State, and People of Vietnam, expatriates are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese ethnic community. The Vietnamese community abroad plays a "two-in-one" role, both as an internal force (in terms of material, knowledge, spiritual cohesion, and orientation towards the roots) and an important external force, an effective bridge between internal and external forces.
The organization of these events and regular activities affirms that our Party and State always pay great attention to the work concerning Vietnamese people abroad. Through this, attracting material and spiritual resources from expatriates contributes importantly to the cause of building, developing the country, and protecting the homeland; preserving and promoting the Lac Hong cohesion tradition, promoting cooperative, friendly relations between Vietnam and other countries.
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| Expatriates along with the delegation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee visit Truong Sa island district and DK1 platforms in May 2024. (Photo: People's Army Newspaper) |
In the first half of 2024, foreign affairs work and diplomacy have been comprehensively, effectively deployed, inheriting and leveraging the achievements and results of previous years, especially 2023, continuing to ascend to new heights. These outcomes are due to multiple factors.
First and foremost is the correct foreign policy direction; the decisive, consistent leadership and guidance of the Party and State leaders. There is a tight, effective coordination between Party foreign relations, state diplomacy, and people's diplomacy; among various ministries, sectors, local authorities, dedicated forces, full-time and part-time, within a unified overall strategy and plan.
The school of diplomacy imbuing the distincts of "Vietnamese bamboo tree" — firmly rooted, strong trunk, flexible branches, deeply immersing with the soul, character, and spirit of the Vietnamese people — is grounded in the thoughts, style, and art of diplomacy of President Ho Chi Minh. This is forming a foundation to harness enduring strength, steadfast through all storms, spreading the values and image of a trustworthy, friendly Vietnam, increasingly esteemed by friends and partners.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been active and proactive, playing a central role in organizing and implementing actions; effectively handling information dissemination, situation monitoring, making research and forecast, and advising the Party and State on policies, responses, and flexible, effective solutions to avoid being passive or surprised strategically.
Foreign affairs work and diplomacy have undergone various phases and moments, inseparable from a unified journey accompanying the nation. Each milestone, each event is a historical connection with current efforts and future interactions. Six months is a conventional "slice" to strive for implementation, reflection, and lesson drawing for the next phase.
The most crucial lesson, as directed by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh at the Economic Diplomacy Conference for National Development on April 2, is: "Innovation in thinking, creativity in strategy, unity in perception and action; opportunities must be seized, difficulties must be resolved, solutions must be breakthrough, and implementation must be decisive and effective..."
In the past six months, foreign affairs work and diplomacy have strived to achieve many important results, creating momentum and a basis to successfully fulfill the goals and tasks for the year. Looking ahead, foreign affairs work and diplomacy need to capitalize on these results and achievements; not to be complacent, but to strive to overcome existing shortcomings and limitations; deeply internalize and implement the directives of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong: "Continue to innovate, build and develop a modern, comprehensive, strong Vietnamese foreign affairs work and diplomacy, distinctly characterized by 'Vietnamese Bamboo tree,' and more fittingly pioneering in the cause of building and defending the Homeland; contributing alongside the entire country to successfully implement the resolutions of the 13th Party Congress."
