NA Standing Committee session: Enhancing efficiency of Vietnamese representative missions abroad in the new context.
WVR - On the morning of March 18, continuing the 55th session, the National Assembly Standing Committee discussed the draft Law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Representative Missions Abroad of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam .
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| Overview of the 55th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee. (Source: National Assembly) |
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Senior Lieutenant General Tran Quang Phuong chaired the session.
Ensuring enhanced efficiency of Vietnamese Representative Missions in the new context
Presenting the summary of the draft Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Representative Missions (Missions) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung emphasized that the purpose of enacting and building the Law is to address some limitations and inadequacies of the 2009 Law on Representative Missions (amended and supplemented in 2017); to amend and supplement several regulations to ensure the effective operation of Missions meeting new requirements of the country's socio-economic development, to unify the management of foreign affairs, to enhance professionalism in the activities of representative missions, to meet the requirements of the Party and State's policy on decentralization and empowerment, to ensure the consistency and unity of the legal system, contributing to building a modern diplomacy, reflecting the vital and regular role of foreign affairs.
Regarding the perspective of building the Law, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung stated that the amended Law institutionalizes fully the Party's guidelines and the State's policies on foreign affairs, especially the comprehensive, deep, and effective international integration; on renewing the mindset in law-making towards liberating all productive forces, unlocking all resources for development; on enhancing public investment efficiency and accelerating public investment disbursement.
Simultaneously, it fully institutionalizes the new guidelines of the Party and the State's policies and laws in the 07 Resolutions issued recently - the premise and particularly important political and legal basis for national development in the new phase with the goal of double-digit economic growth and successfully achieving the two centenary goals.
The amended Law also ensures compatibility with the 2013 Constitution (amended and supplemented in 2025) and related legal regulations; strengthens administrative reform, decentralization, and empowerment in foreign affairs in line with the spirit of the Resolutions and Conclusions of competent authorities and legal regulations; simplifies procedures according to reality, ensuring rationality, feasibility, flexibility, and rigor, associated with the responsibility of related agencies;
Fully implementing the tasks assigned in Resolution No. 292/NQ-CP dated September 23, 2025, of the Government on the Plan to build and develop the Diplomatic sector until 2030, with a vision to 2045; studying to inherit applicable regulations and addressing limitations and inadequacies of the 2009 Law on Representative Missions (amended and supplemented in 2017); ensuring compatibility with relevant international treaties to which Vietnam is a member; consistency and unity with laws and resolutions issued by the National Assembly recently; selectively referencing foreign experiences suitable to Vietnam's practical conditions to ensure feasibility.
The basic content of the Draft Law aims to consolidate the functions, tasks, organizational structure, and enhance the professionalism and modernity of representative missions; promote decentralization and empowerment in the management of Missions; regimes and policies for Missions members and their family members; other contents to address conflicts, overlaps, and inconsistencies with current specialized legal regulations and some contents that need clearer stipulation in the Law.
The Government submits the draft Law to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at the First Session, 16th National Assembly (April 2026). The Law is expected to take effect from July 1, 2026.
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| Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung presenting the summary. (Source: National Assembly) |
Agreement on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Representative Missions abroad
Reviewing the draft Law, Chairman of the National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Committee, Senior Lieutenant General Le Tan Toi, stated that the Standing Committee agrees on the necessity and purpose of building the Law on Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Abroad with the political, legal, and practical bases outlined in the Government's summary; the draft Law is eligible for the National Assembly Standing Committee to consider and give opinions.
According to Chairman Le Tan Toi, the contents of the draft Law in line with the Party's guidelines on proactive and active international integration in the new context; organizing a streamlined, effective, and efficient political system; promoting decentralization, empowerment, innovation, and national digital transformation.
The draft Law basically ensures constitutionality, consistency with the legal system, and meets the requirements for ensuring national defense and security. However, the Standing Committee recommends a thorough review to ensure consistency with related legal documents such as the Law on Government Organization, the Construction Law, the Bidding Law, the Public Investment Law, the State Budget Law, the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens, the Law on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, the Law on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil Matters...
The Chairman of the National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Committee stated that the Standing Committee basically agrees with expanding the scope, functions, and tasks of CQĐD, including foreign affairs and new cooperation fields not yet institutionalized in the Law, law-making and enforcement at the host country, promoting people-to-people exchanges, supporting Vietnamese businesses in the host country, monitoring and promoting the implementation of international commitments.
The Standing Committee also suggests thoroughly reviewing the listed cooperation fields to ensure a comprehensive and accurate focus on international cooperation, contributing to enhancing the country's position in the region and globally.
The Standing Committee of the National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Committee appreciates the draft Law's amendment to clause 3, Article 9, encouraging overseas Vietnamese to preserve national identity, promote the conservation and dissemination of the Vietnamese language. However, some opinions suggest paying attention to detailed regulations and guidance on budget support and mobilizing resources from the community and businesses for this activity to ensure feasibility.
Regarding amendments and supplements related to Representative Mission's funding, the Standing Committee recommends a thorough review of related laws such as the State Budget Law, the Investment Law, the Public Investment Law... to amend and supplement appropriate, consistent regulations, ensuring no obstacles arise during implementation.
The Standing Committee of the National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Committee basically agrees with expanding the criteria for appointing Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the reasons stated in the Government's summary, but suggests clarifying the criterion "extensive experience in foreign affairs and international integration recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs" or needs to specify this criterion in detailed regulations for consistent application in practice.
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| Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son delivering a response. (Source: National Assembly) |
"Paving the way" for economic, scientific, and technological development
Speaking at the session, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man emphasized that in the new context, Missions should shift significantly from administrative and political focus to promoting economic, scientific, technological, and digital transformation. The National Assembly Chairman noted that Missions should not only be "messengers" but also "pioneers", proactively supporting businesses, providing early warnings on technical barriers, and trade defense lawsuits.
Regarding citizen protection, National Assembly Chairman Man suggested shifting from incident handling to proactive forecasting and response; building a rapid response mechanism, enhancing coordination with the overseas Vietnamese community. The National Assembly Chairman also suggested researching the establishment of a "digital representative mission", promoting the provision of online public services such as passports, visas, notarization, contributing to administrative procedure reform.
Specifically contributing to the draft Law, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh suggested researching a pilot establishment of provincial People's Committee representative offices abroad, while clarifying conditions, functions, tasks, and management mechanisms. Additionally, it is necessary to clearly define the relationship between these offices and Vietnam's overseas representative missions to avoid overlaps. Regarding reporting regimes, it is necessary to clearly stipulate the responsibilities of personnel at these offices; simultaneously supplement new foreign affairs titles according to related resolutions.
Contributing to the draft Law, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee Hoang Thanh Tung basically agreed with amending the Law to address practical obstacles, while suggesting supplementing regulations on the legal value of electronic documents, digital signatures; building a shared data infrastructure, ensuring cybersecurity.
Regarding the authority to sign cooperation documents, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee Hoang Thanh Tung believes it is necessary to ensure consistency with the Law on International Agreements; simultaneously having an appropriate mechanism for Mission's investment projects abroad.
Commenting on the draft Law, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai suggested changing the investment method, building Missions towards proactively planning medium and long-term public investment, instead of relying on fee revenue. Additionally, the Vice Chairman believes that amending the Law should contribute to diversifying investment forms, focusing on operation, maintenance, and maximizing the value of representative mission facilities.
Also at the session, Chairman of the Science, Technology, and Environment Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai suggested enhancing the role of Missions in connecting and attracting talents, intellectuals, and Vietnamese students abroad to participate in domestic scientific research. Regarding the regime and policies for Mission members and their relatives, the Chairman of the Science, Technology, and Environment Committee commented that it is necessary to review to ensure feasibility, compliance with budget regulations, and exchange rate fluctuations.
On behalf of the drafting agency, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son appreciated and thanked the reviewing agency as well as the opinions of the National Assembly leaders and members of the National Assembly Standing Committee regarding the draft Law.
Deputy Prime Minister Son stated that the draft Law was built in line with the 14th Party Congress Resolution and the Politburo's Resolutions, especially Resolution 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025, on international integration in the new context, along with Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, of the Politburo on breakthroughs in scientific, technological, innovative, and national digital transformation development, Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW dated April 30, 2025, of the Politburo on renewing law-making and enforcement to meet the country's development requirements in the new era.
The amendments and supplements to the Law also aim to concretize specific mechanisms and policies from Resolution No. 250/2025/QH15 on some specific mechanisms and policies to enhance international integration efficiency for effective foreign affairs implementation.
Maximally absorbing opinions during the session, Deputy Prime Minister Son emphasized that the Government will direct the completion of the draft Law dossier to submit to the National Assembly at the First Session, 16th National Assembly. After the Law is passed, the Government will issue detailed regulations to effectively implement the Law.
Concluding this content at the session, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Senior Lieutenant General Trần Quang Phương, stated that the National Assembly Standing Committee highly appreciates the proactive and positive preparation of the Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in preparing the draft Law dossier on schedule, and the draft Law is eligible for submission to the National Assembly for consideration at the First Session, 16th National Assembly after completing the review steps and absorbing opinions.
Emphasizing the role of amending and supplementing the Law in the current domestic and international context, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong suggested amending and supplementing the Law to clarify the position and task of strategic research to serve national development so that Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad needs to play a strong advisory role for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government; must thoroughly grasp the Party's guidelines, making diplomacy along with national defense and security a vital and regular task; legalizing the citizen protection process, especially in unstable global conditions, ensuring "no one is left behind"; promoting the establishment of "digital diplomacy", "digital representative missions" to reform administrative procedures, preventing policy inadequacies from causing difficulties for Vietnamese citizens and mission members working abroad.
