Vietnamese Diplomacy: Continuing to pioneer with honourable responsibilities
WVR - General Secretary To Lam expressed his belief that Vietnamese diplomacy will continue to be a pioneering and core force with honourable responsibilities in the future.
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| General Secretary To Lam attends the 80th Anniversary of the diplomatic sector. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
On the morning of August 25, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the diplomatic sector and received the First-Class Labour Order. General Secretary To Lam attended and delivered a speech at the event.
Also in attendance were leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, leaders and former leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Party Central Committee' Commission for External Relations; ambassadors, heads of Vietnamese representative missions abroad participating online, and all diplomatic staff across different eras. Ambassadors, Chargés d'affaires, and Chiefs of international organisations’ representative offices in Vietnam also attended the ceremony.
80 years – More than just a number...
In his speech at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son emphasized that the 80-year milestone of the diplomatic sector is not only an occasion to reflect on the past journey but also to remember and pay tribute, while instilling faith, aspiration, and responsibility for the road ahead.
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| Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son expressed his remembrance and gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh, deep appreciation to generations of Party and State leaders, and gratitude to previous generations of diplomatic staff, current diplomatic personnel, various committees, ministries, sectors, localities, as well as international friends and partners who have always accompanied Vietnam's diplomatic sector for a proactive, humane, and responsible diplomacy.
Over the past 80 years, diplomacy has been a journey of courage, intelligence, and unwavering loyalty to the Party, the nation, and the people; it has been about tense negotiations amidst the flames of war; bold steps to break isolation and expand integration; and being present at the right time and place during significant historical moments.
From the Preliminary Agreement on March 6, 1946 and the Provisional Agreement on September 14, 1946, the Geneva Agreement of 1954 to the Paris Agreement of 1973, each document, each line is imbued with the sweat, intelligence, and even blood of generations of diplomatic staff. It is a powerful testament to the soft power, strategic vision, and relentless efforts of Vietnamese diplomacy; these are glorious milestones, symbols of the courage and intelligence of the Vietnamese people.
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| General Secretary To Lam visits the photo exhibition of 80 years of diplomatic achievements at the ceremony. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Entering the Doi Moi (Renewal) period, diplomacy continued to pioneer, helping the country escape isolation, normalize relations with other countries, and expand ties under an independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy, thereby affirming Vietnam's position on the international stage. From a nation on the sidelines of global flows, we have risen strongly to become a reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the diplomatic sector has achieved many historically significant accomplishments, contributing to the cause of national construction and defense, sharing: “80 years – not just numbers, but lives of dedication, marks of thousands of diplomatic staff, from veterans to today's youth – many accepting challenges, being far from home and family, to uphold national interests, for the image and prestige of Vietnam.”
Today, in a rapidly changing, complex, and uncertain world, era-defining shifts demand urgent innovation in thinking, decisive action, and strategic vision. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized that the diplomatic sector will do its utmost, overcoming all difficulties, to continue to promote the glorious history of modern Vietnamese diplomacy, contributing to achieving the two centennial goals of the nation in a new era of prosperity, wealth, and happiness.
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| Former Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, former Head of the delegation of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, Nguyen Thị Binh speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
At the ceremony, Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, former Member of the Central Committee of the Party, former Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, former Head of the delegation of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, attended and spoke. With deep emotion, Nguyen Thi Binh expressed confidence that with 80 years of tradition and valuable historical lessons, the diplomatic sector will develop strongly, achieving great victories in the new journey, deserving the trust of the Party, State, and People.
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| Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
On this occasion, former Member of the Central Committee of the Party, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien expressed joy and pride in witnessing the steady progress and growth of Vietnam's diplomatic sector; sharing that in the 80-year journey of serving the nation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has always strived to live up to the affection and trust that President Ho Chi Minh had for the diplomatic sector; confident that with the strategic position of Vietnamese diplomacy today, Vietnam will continue to develop strongly, becoming a bright spot in the global picture.
… Facing historical missions
On behalf of the Party and State leaders, General Secretary To Lam solemnly conferred the First-Class Labour Order on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, congratulating the outstanding achievements and contributions of the diplomatic sector. He emphasized that, alongside national defense and security, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh have always attached great importance to the crucial role of diplomacy.
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| On behalf of the Party and State leaders, General Secretary To Lam solemnly conferred the First-Class Labour Order to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
General Secretary To Lam emphasized that diplomacy has always been linked with the nation's destiny from the dawn of independence in the autumn of 1945 to the triumphant peace and reunification in 1975, and the renewal, integration, and elevation of Vietnam's position on the international stage today.
According to the General Secretary, the core reason for the resilience and success of Vietnamese diplomacy lies in the Party’s wise and correct leadership over foreign affairs. The consistent, independent, and self-reliant line, together with the strategic vision of the Party Central Committee—and directly and regularly, the Politburo and the Secretariat—has been the decisive factor behind all diplomatic victories. Secondly, the diplomatic ideology, style, and art of Ho Chi Minh—anchored in combining national strength with the strength of the times, as well as fostering great national unity and the consensus of the entire political system—have been fundamental. The foundation of diplomacy is the Party, the nation, and the people.
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| General Secretary To Lam speaking at the ceremony. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
After outlining six major lessons that remain valuable for the entire diplomatic sector, the General Secretary emphasized that the world is undergoing epochal changes, and thus, Vietnamese diplomacy must continuously enhance its comprehensive capabilities, have strategic vision, be policy-savvy, possess accurate forecasting abilities, keep up with the situation, and skillfully manage relations with partners; proactively and actively “connect – coordinate – lead” on regional and global issues, especially those where we have practical interests.
Especially, Vietnamese diplomacy is facing a historical mission. It must maintain a peaceful and stable environment, creating favourable conditions for the successful implementation of the country's major breakthroughs, particularly the two centennial goals, contributing to ushering the nation into an era of prosperous development.
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| Participants attending the ceremony. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
In this spirit, the General Secretary proposed that in the coming time, the entire diplomatic sector should build a comprehensive, modern, professional diplomacy with a strong Vietnamese identity; comprehensive across the three pillars: Party diplomacy – State diplomacy – People to people diplomacy, closely combined with national defense, security, economy, science and technology, culture, and external information.
The General Secretary also called for enhancing Vietnam's contributions to global politics, the global economy, human civilization, and peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world; improving the quality and effectiveness of research, forecasting, and strategic advisory work on foreign affairs.
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| General Secretary To Lam emphasized that diplomacy has always been linked with the nation's destiny from the dawn of independence in the autumn of 1945 to the triumphant peace and reunification in 1975, and the renewal, integration, and elevation of Vietnam's position on the international stage today. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Once again, the General Secretary emphasized that in the next 20 years, Vietnam must rise to become a developed, high-income country, a powerful, prosperous, and happy nation. This 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.
The General Secretary expressed his belief that Vietnamese diplomacy—with the courage, wisdom, spirit, and identity of the Vietnamese people—will continue to serve as a pioneering and core force with honourable responsibilities: safeguarding a peaceful and stable environment, spearheading cooperation and connectivity, opening and attracting development resources, and continuously enhancing the nation’s standing.
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| On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam also solemnly conferred the title "Hero of Labour" to former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
