The World and Vietnam Report top 10 highlights in Viet Nam's External Relations in 2020

1. Viet Nam’s multilateral diplomacy has elevated to upper level, as it has successfully undertaked important roles in international organizations, including the ASEAN 2020 Chairmanship, 41st AIPA Presidency and non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2020-2021 tenure. Viet Nam has navigated ASEAN through many challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and finalized the ASEAN Community Blueprint 2025. In the first year as a UNSC non-permanent member, Viet Nam has strongly demonstrated its activeness and responsibility. For the first time, a Resolution to establish the International Day of Pandemic Preparedness (on Dec. 27), drafted and promoted by Viet Nam, was approved with great consensus at the UN General Assembly.

2. Viet Nam’s relations with countries, especially neighboring and important partners, have been strengthened and promoted with regular online meetings at all levels. Vietnamese leaders have conducted 34 bilateral phone talks, presided or attended 35 online multilateral meetings with country leaders. Meanwhile, we still carried out exchanges of delegations safely. Leaders and senior officials in many countries have chosen to visit Viet Nam for diplomacy promotion. The past year witnessed the upgrade of Viet Nam-New Zealand relationship to a Strategic Partnership, further increased our network of strategic partners to 17 countries in total, together with 13 comprehensive partners. We have also enhanced cooperation with neighboring countries and the region through actively bringing issues of Mekong region cooperation into extensive discussion in regional development cooperation mechanisms.

3, Effectively implementing “COVID-19 diplomacy”, Viet Nam has provided masks, medical equipment and financial support to 51 countries and international organizations. Meanwhile, the country has also received financial support and medical equipment from many countries and international organizations for fighting the pandemic. International friends have praised Viet Nam’s efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as our demonstration of responsibility and dignity regarding international cooperation.

4. Viet Nam witnessed a breakthrough in international economic integration by promoting three important Free Trade Agreements (FTA), which has fundamentally shaped the extensive network of economic linkages. We signed and ratified the Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA, effective from August 2020), the Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) with the European Union (EU), pushed the negotiation and signed the FTA with the UK and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in the framework of ASEAN agenda in 2020.

6. Viet Nam has promptly deployed efforts to support overseas Vietnamese in overcoming difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Vietnamese communities oversea have donated more than 75 billion VND to support the domestic pandemic fight, as well as people affected by the flood in the central provinces. The oversea Vietnamese community also actively supports the people and authorities at the host countries to fight against COVID-10. Their support has enhanced Viet Nam’s position and image in the eyes of international friends.

8. Economic growth, especially external economic relations, contributes to improving the economic position of the country. Viet Nam has become a bright spot for economic development regionally and globally. With GDP growth in 2020 expected to reach nearly 3%, Viet Nam is considered one of the top 10 countries with the highest economic growth and among the 16 most successful emerging economies in 2020. According to the International Monetary Fund, in 2020, Viet Nam have become the fourth largest economy in ASEAN with an estimated GDP of 340.6 billion USD. Total import and export turnover reached a record of 543.9 billion USD, up 5.1% over the previous year.

9. Cultural diplomacy has achieved the following UNESCO titles: Dak Nong Geopark as a global geological park; Vinh (Nghe An) and Sa Dec (Dong Thap) as global learning cities. Moreover, the nomination file for 8 new titles has been submitted to the UNESCO for review.

10. Our promotion of Viet Nam as a safe, peaceful and attractive destination for international investment has been successful. We have appeared frequently on international media as a successful model in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic - keeping the pandemic under control while maintaining economic growth.