General Secretary To Lam's speech at the 80th anniversary of the Diplomatic sector's establishment
WVR - The World and Vietnam Report is honoured to present the speech by General Secretary To Lam at the 80th anniversary of the Diplomatic sector's establishment.
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| General Secretary To Lam speaking at the anniversary. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Dear leaders, former leaders of the Party and State, leaders, former leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations,
Dear all leaders, officials, public servants, employees working in external relations and diplomacy through various periods, representatives of Vietnamese representative missions abroad, and international friends,
Dear Ambassadors, Chargé d'Affaires, Heads of international organizations in Vietnam,
In the heroic and sacred atmosphere leading up to the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, we gather here today to reflect on the 80-year journey of building and growing the Vietnamese diplomatic sector. This is a shared joy and pride for our entire Party, people, and army.
Born and matured alongside the nation, over 80 years of the nation's glorious history, generations of officials, public servants, and employees in foreign affairs and diplomacy have tirelessly contributed, even with silent sacrifices, to writing a grand heroic epic for the entire nation. Diplomacy has always been intertwined with the country's destiny, from the dawn of independence in the autumn of 1945 to the triumphant song of peace and reunification in 1975, and the renewal, integration, and elevation of Vietnam's stature on the international stage today.
In this glorious historical journey, Vietnamese external relations and diplomacy have the right to be proud of their worthy contributions. Congratulations to the diplomatic sector for receiving the First-Class Labour Medal, and congratulations and best wishes to Labour Hero Nguyen Thi Binh.
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| General Secretary To Lam speaking at the anniversary. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Dear comrades and friends,
On September 2, 1945, at the historic Ba Dinh Square, our beloved President Ho Chi Minh solemnly proclaimed to the world the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. From that moment, when Vietnam "rose from the mud, shining brightly", Vietnamese diplomacy, under the direct guidance of President Ho Chi Minh as the first Foreign Minister of independent Vietnam, carried a dual mission: Safeguarding the newly gained independence and expanding cooperative relations with friends across the five continents.
Alongside national defense and security, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh highly valued the essential role of diplomacy. He affirmed: "After defense, diplomacy is a vital issue for an independent nation". Before the country gained independence, President Ho Chi Minh directly engaged in very diverse people-to-people diplomacy and party diplomacy during his quest to save the nation. He laid the first bricks to build a comprehensive, modern Vietnamese diplomacy with three pillars: party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. This is a unique, distinctive feature of Vietnamese diplomacy in the Ho Chi Minh era.
During the resistance, external relations and diplomacy were a battlefield without gun shots. When the nation's fate hung by a thread, under the brilliant leadership of President Ho Chi Minh, the "Peace to Advance" policy was flexibly applied: The Preliminary Agreement on March 6, 1946, and the Temporary Agreement on September 14, 1946, "turned time into force", protecting the young government. Throughout the two resistance wars, external relations and diplomacy were closely linked with military and political efforts, creating a "fighting and negotiating" stance, leveraging the three revolutionary waves, and strongly mobilizing international support and assistance, becoming an important front with strategic significance. From the Geneva Agreement in 1954 to the Paris Agreement in 1973, each document bears the mark of the intelligence, courage, and silent sacrifices of countless generations of external relations and diplomatic officials, contributing to transforming and affirming victories on the battlefield into victories at the negotiating table, forcing invading forces to recognize Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
After the country's reunification, implementing the renewal process, external relations and diplomacy continued to lead, gradually breaking the siege and embargo, promoting international integration, creating an open foreign affairs landscape, implementing an independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy. External relations and diplomacy actively and proactively connected internal strength with external strength, contributing to transforming Vietnam from a war-torn, besieged, and embargoed country into a dynamic economy, among the top 20 countries in terms of trade scale and foreign investment attraction worldwide; participating and taking on many multilateral responsibilities at ASEAN, the United Nations, APEC, ASEM, the Mekong sub-region, and many other important mechanisms.
External relations and diplomacy are important components in the strategy to protect the Fatherland from early and afar. In the renewal period, alongside national defense and security, diplomacy has always affirmed and demonstrated its core role, proactively and actively participating in maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; promoting the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means; contributing to strengthening international solidarity, enhancing national soft power, and maximizing external resources and favourable conditions to serve the cause of building and safeguarding the Fatherland. Important contributions of external relations and diplomacy in negotiating border demarcation and land border marking, maritime delimitation with countries, enhancing trust, and promoting common ground with partners have contributed practically to safeguarding our beloved Vietnam from early and afar.
External relations and diplomacy are also the main force in elevating Vietnam's position. To date, we have relations with 194 countries, with a network of 98 representative missions (and continuing to expand); comprehensive partnership relations with 38 countries, including all major countries and all five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council, 18/20 G20 members, and all ASEAN countries. Our Party currently has relations with 259 political parties in 119 countries, including 63 ruling parties...
Diplomacy has also built a growing, mature team of officials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the specialized agency, the main force in external relations, after merging with the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations and taking over part of the tasks of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, implements unified state management of foreign affairs on all three pillars: party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. Generations of outstanding diplomats have continued to affirm the essence of Ho Chi Minh era diplomacy in the hearts of international friends. Many diplomatic officials have been honoured by the Party and State with the Gold Star Order, Ho Chi Minh Order, and many other noble titles. Many generations of specialized foreign affairs and diplomatic officials have become increasingly mature, well-trained, highly qualified, with firm political courage, absolutely loyal to the Party, the Fatherland, and the People.
These achievements are the sweet fruit of courage, intelligence, solidarity, and sacrifice, making a significant contribution to the overall victory of the Vietnamese revolution.
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| General Secretary To Lam visits the photo exhibition on 80 years of diplomatic achievements at the anniversary. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Dear comrades and friends,
Looking back on the 80-year journey, we deeply appreciate the core reasons that have shaped the courage and success of Vietnamese diplomacy:
First and foremost is the wise and correct leadership of the Party over external relations and diplomacy. The correct, consistent, independent, and self-reliant policy; the strategic vision of the Party Central Committee, directly and regularly by the Politburo and the Secretariat, is the decisive factor for all victories in external relations and diplomacy.
Secondly, the ideology, style, and art of Ho Chi Minh diplomacy with the method of combining national strength with the strength of the times; the principle "unchanging principles to respond to changes"; the art of "knowing five things" (knowing oneself, knowing others, knowing the times, knowing when to stop, and knowing how to change); the style of harmoniously combining national and human values have made everyone feel close and sincere. Nothing else, the ideology, style, and art of Ho Chi Minh diplomacy are the guiding principles for all victories of Vietnamese diplomacy.
Thirdly, the strength of great national unity and the consensus of the entire political system. The foundation of diplomacy is the Party, the Fatherland, and the People. Diplomacy always closely combines with national defense - security - economy - culture, connecting the Central - localities - enterprises - overseas Vietnamese; promoting the comprehensive strength of the entire political system and the entire country.
Fourthly, the broad support and cooperation of international friends and partners. From friends in the peace movement to today's development partners, the trust in Vietnam is built on universal human values and the beautiful cultural traditions of the Vietnamese nation: Solidarity, loyalty, benevolence...
Dear comrades and friends,
The tradition, achievements, and 80-year glorious history have left Vietnamese diplomacy with great lessons, still valuable today and for the future. These are the crystallization of revolutionary theory and practice, forging the courage of a mature diplomacy today. I also find the four lessons that former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien shared to be very profound, reflecting the accumulated experience of many generations of diplomatic officials. I would like to add some lessons to share with you:
The lesson of steadfastness in national interests. All thinking, strategies, and foreign affairs steps must serve the highest goal: safeguarding independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity; protecting the Party, the Fatherland, the People, and the socialist regime; maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; promoting sustainable development, continuously improving people's lives. In the period 1945 - 1946, when the nation's fate was difficult, we had to temporarily make principled concessions to preserve our forces and maintain the young government. Later, in the integration process, national interests have always been the basis for us to negotiate, sign, and participate in high-quality free trade agreements, proactively participating in building international standards and laws in a way that benefits the country's development.
The lesson of combining national strength with the strength of the times. In which, internal strength is the core, decisive; external strength is an important, breakthrough resource. During the resistance, external relations and diplomacy contributed to combining the strength of the great national unity bloc with the global people's movement supporting Vietnam's just cause, creating an incredibly powerful comprehensive strength. In peace, building, and developing the country, diplomacy has made an important contribution to combining the strength and creativity of our people with external capital, technology, and modern management knowledge; turning integration into a development driver, bringing Vietnam deeply into the global value chain.
The lesson of steadfastness in principles, flexibility in strategies. Principles are unchanging: independence, sovereignty, national unity, national interests, respect for the UN Charter and international law, respect for justice and reason. Strategies are ever-changing: Resolving differences through dialogue, building trust, expanding cooperation, interweaving interests. Thanks to this, diplomacy has harmoniously managed relationships; both defending interests and expanding cooperation, deepening, stabilizing, and substantiating relationships with many partners.
The lesson of taking research, forecasting, and strategic advice as the basis of Diplomacy. In a world of strong, rapid, and complex changes, diplomacy must look far, anticipate, and go one step ahead - grasping trends, identifying difficulties, forecasting scenarios, proposing timely and feasible policy choices. Maximizing the intellectual, professional and creative contributions of various sectors in society to continuously strengthen the "knowledge flow" for research, forecasting, and strategic advice in foreign affairs.
The lesson of building a team of officials as the key of keys. President Ho Chi Minh's teaching: "Officials are the root of all work" remains valuable. To have strong diplomacy, there must be a team of officials with firm political courage, proficient expertise, good foreign language skills, understanding of international law and practices, rich cultural knowledge, imbued with the spirit of serving the Fatherland and the People, with discipline - integrity - responsibility. Training - fostering - practicing must be regular, continuous, methodical; coupled with mechanisms to attract talent and effectively control power.
The lesson of linking diplomacy with the people's hearts. Diplomatic success must be measured by the practical benefits to the country and the people. Citizen protection, supporting overseas Vietnamese, facilitating trade - investment - tourism, spreading the image of a friendly, reliable Vietnam - are vivid measures of a modern diplomacy that centres on serving the people, localities, and businesses.
Dear comrades and friends,
The world is undergoing epochal changes: The sharp rise of global issues that no country can solve alone; arms races, local conflicts; reshaping supply chains; the strong development of modern science and technology, especially artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology... are both challenges and opportunities for our country.
Domestically, after 40 years of renewal, our country has created a new position and strength but continues to face the risk of falling further behind economically; its position in the global value chain remains modest. The goal of maintaining peace, stability, rapid, sustainable development, and continuously improving people's lives is a heavy responsibility but also a great honor for our entire Party, people, and army, including the foreign affairs and diplomatic sector.
In this context, Vietnamese diplomacy must continuously enhance its comprehensive capacity, have strategic vision, policy agility, accurate forecasting ability, keep pace with the situation, and skillfully handle relations with partners; proactively and actively "connect - coordinate - lead" in regional and global issues, especially those where we have practical interests. At the same time, Vietnamese diplomacy also needs to continue to contribute positively to mobilizing resources for development, especially capital, technology, and high-quality human resources; enhancing the effectiveness of external communication to strengthen trust, build the image of a dynamic, creative nation with a position and a reliable partner of the international community.
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| General Secretary To Lam with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Leadership members at the 80th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Vietnamese Diplomatic Sector, August 25, 2025. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Dear comrades and friends,
Vietnamese diplomacy is facing a historical mission. It must maintain a peaceful, stable environment, creating favorable conditions for the successful implementation of the country's major breakthroughs, especially the two centenary goals, contributing to the country's entry into an era of prosperous development. With a long-term vision for the journey ahead, continuing to promote the "pioneering" role and the "important, regular" task of external relations and diplomacy based on the independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy, the resolutions and conclusions of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, especially Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW of the Politburo on international integration in the new situation, I propose that the diplomatic sector thoroughly grasp and focus on implementing some major orientations as follows:
Firstly, build a comprehensive, modern, professional diplomacy deeply imbued with Vietnamese identity.
Comprehensive on all three pillars: Party diplomacy - state diplomacy - people-to-people diplomacy, closely combined with national defense, security, economy, science, technology, culture, and external information.
Modern in thinking, methods, tools: Implement digital diplomacy transformation, big data analysis, digital diplomacy - digital citizenship - digital communication; standardize diplomatic processes and standards.
Professional in people, organization, discipline in execution; negotiation etiquette, negotiation style, multilateral skills on par with the region and the world.
Promote Vietnamese diplomatic identity: Steadfast in principles, flexible in strategies, ensuring the highest national interests, enhancing national position while honouring the value of peace, upholding noble humanism, and actively contributing responsibly to the common values of humanity and the international community.
Secondly, ensure the highest national interests based on the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
Safeguardi independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and a peaceful, stable environment for national development. Based on the United Nations Charter, international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), appropriately address issues at sea and on land with the principle of both cooperation and struggle, striving to promote cooperation, dialogue, and seek common ground with relevant parties.
Promote comprehensive diplomacy serving development, focusing on economic diplomacy, technology diplomacy: Proactively attract high-quality resources (strategic investment capital, core technology, elite human resources); continue to expand markets, upgrade, and sign new-generation, high-quality free trade agreements; connect infrastructure, logistics, supply chain, green finance initiatives; enhance Vietnam's position in the global value chain.
Maximize the role of diplomacy in specialized fields, especially science - technology, education - training, new technology cooperation, expert exchange...
Effectively protect citizens, care for and be a reliable support for the Vietnamese community abroad, wherever and whenever; effectively harness the intellectual resources of Vietnamese people worldwide.
Thirdly, elevate Vietnam's contributions in world politics, the global economy, human civilization, for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Proactively, actively propose initiatives at strategic multilateral forums; rise to take on core, leading roles at multilateral forums and organizations of strategic importance, in line with the country's requirements, capabilities, and specific conditions.
Contribute to increasing common ground, narrowing differences, promoting and elevating multilateral activities. Proactively and actively work with countries to contribute to building a fair, equal world political and economic order, based on the United Nations Charter and international law.
Promote the pioneering role, ready to lead in priority areas, related to the country's practical interests, especially in responding to climate change, energy security, water security, technology transfer. Actively and responsibly participate in solving common regional and global issues. Harmonize national interests with international obligations; enhance Vietnam's contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations and humanitarian relief activities...
Strongly innovate cultural diplomacy, external information, contributing to enhancing, consolidating the country's soft power, promoting the image, identity, and values of Vietnam, enriching human civilization.
Fourthly, improve the quality and effectiveness of research, forecasting, and strategic advice on foreign affairs.
In a deeply changing, unpredictable world, diplomacy must truly be the ears, eyes, and reliable support for strategic foreign policy advice to the Party and State; closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities, continuously improving the quality of research, forecasting, and strategic advice, ensuring the Fatherland is not passive or surprised in any situation.
To achieve this, it is necessary to increase investment in research, innovate thinking and approach to advisory culture towards frankness, responsibility, daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility for national interests.
Build a foreign affairs research ecosystem: Connect strong research centers domestically and internationally, overseas scholars, businesses; promote the application of new technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence in research and advice; develop a strategic data analysis center. Complete early warning mechanisms, geopolitical - economic - technological risk scenarios; propose timely, feasible response options.
Fifthly, build a team of diplomatic officials who are "both red and expert", meeting the requirements and tasks in the new era.
Do well in planning, training, and fostering officials in political theory, international legal expertise, partner language - culture, multilateral diplomatic skills, digital diplomacy, public diplomacy. Lifelong learning, continuous learning is the guiding principle in building the team of officials, public servants, and employees of the diplomatic sector.
Attract and utilize talent; create an environment for young officials to train themselves through difficult, new tasks; allocate sufficient resources for foreign affairs commensurate with the country's new position and strength to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation, care for the material and spiritual life so that diplomatic officials can devote themselves with peace of mind.
Focus on building clean, strong party committees and organizations throughout the sector. Tighten discipline, prevent and combat corruption, negativity, and waste.
Continue to closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities, especially national defense and security, to create a solid "tripod" to protect the Fatherland from early and afar; while contributing to promoting rapid, sustainable national development.
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| General Secretary To Lam speaking at the anniversary. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Dear comrades and friends,
Through the upheavals of time, Vietnamese diplomacy has continuously risen, affirming the courage of a nation that loves peace, aspires to develop, and is skillful and wise in foreign affairs. Today, standing in the international community with a new posture, we have the right to be proud that: Vietnamese diplomacy not only serves the Fatherland and the People but also contributes to lighting the belief in a world of peace, cooperation, and development.
Looking back on the 80-year journey, we forever remember the brilliant, right, and wise leadership of the Party, the immense contributions of President Ho Chi Minh, and we are grateful to the previous generations who shed sweat, blood, and intelligence on this silent yet glorious front; we sincerely thank international friends who have accompanied us; we are grateful to our compatriots, soldiers across the country, and overseas Vietnamese who have always been a solid rear for external relations and diplomacy.
In the next twenty years, Vietnam must rise to become a developed, high-income country, a powerful, prosperous, and happy nation. That is the mandate of intellect and heart, the great aspiration to "stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents" of President Ho Chi Minh and the entire Vietnamese nation. I am confident that Vietnamese diplomacy - with the courage, intelligence, spirit, and essence of the Vietnamese people - will continue to be the pioneering, core force in the glorious responsibilities: Establishing and maintaining a peaceful, stable environment, pioneering in connecting cooperation, opening and attracting development resources, continuously enhancing the country's position.
On behalf of the Party and State leaders, I warmly commend and congratulate the outstanding achievements and contributions of external relations and diplomacy; at the same time, I hope our entire sector continues to unite, innovate, and create, achieving many new accomplishments and achievements, worthy of the trust and expectations of the Party, State, and the People.
On this occasion, on behalf of the Party, State, and People of Vietnam, I express my sincere gratitude to international friends, especially the countries and international organizations whose Ambassadors, Chargé d'Affaires, and Heads of representatives missions are present here, who have always stood by and supported us in the struggle for national independence, reunification in the past, as well as in the cause of building and protecting the socialist Vietnam today.
Warm regards to all comrades, esteemed guests, and friends, wishing you health, happiness, and success! May the Vietnamese diplomatic sector continue to stride confidently, shining brightly on the international stage! May the friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and international friends continue to blossom and bear fruit!
Sincerely thank you, comrades and friends!
