On the occasion of the New Year 2024, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has an article "Vietnam's diplomacy in 2023: Outstanding highlights in the country's achievements". The following is the translation of his article.

2023 is a pivotal year of particular importance in implementing the Resolution of the 13th Party National Congress. Vietnam’s socio-economy continues to recover positively, but still encounteres many difficulties and challenges. Meanwhile, the world continues to experience major changes, facing a turning point of shifting more quickly to a new, multi-polar, multi-center, and multi-level structure.

In that context, the top task of foreign affairs and diplomacy is to continue to maintain a peaceful and stable environment, mobilize external resources for socio-economic development and enhance the country's reputation and status.

Reaping new achievements of historical significance

In order to continue promoting the country's new position and strength, closely following the foreign policy guidelines of the 13th Party Congress, under the close leadership and direction of the Party Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat and other leaders of the Party and State, foreign affairs activities in 2023, especially high-level ones, have been held vibrantly across continents and at many important multilateral forums and mechanisms.

In the past year, we have successfully organized 22 trips of key leaders to visit neighboring countries, important partners and traditional friends, and received 28 visits of foreign high-level leaders to Vietnam, together with hundreds of meetings at multilateral forums and conferences. Among them, there are visits of historical significance such as the State visits to Vietnam by General Secretary, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden.

The success of these visits and external activities has created new qualitative developments in our country's foreign affairs and international integration. From a country under siege and embargo, Vietnam has had diplomatic relations with 193 countries, including 6 comprehensive strategic partners, 12 strategic partners and 12 comprehensive partners.

Moreover, Vietnam’s relationship framework with many important partners has been upgraded to a new hight, the political trust with many countries has been firmly consolidated; cooperation is expanding increasingly, substantively and effectively. Vietnam's position, prestige and voice are prominently affirmed in many important multilateral forums and mechanisms such as ASEAN, the United Nations, the Mekong sub-region, APEC, AIPA, IPU, UNESCO, and the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28), the Belt and Road Forum, etc.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits the photo exhibition on the occasion of the 32th Diplomatic Conference held in Hanoi on December 19, 2023.

Facing with the complex fluctuations of the international situation, we have properly handled relations with partners on the basis of steadfast principles, flexible tactics and behaviors. Thanks to this approach, we can both promote cooperation for mutual development and firmly protect independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Besides undertaking various international responsibilities, Vietnam has proposed many initiatives and solutions to promote cooperation and contribute responsibly to dealing with common world issues such as preventing and fighting epidemics and natural disasters, climate change response, food security, water security, peacekeeping in Africa, sending rescue teams for the first time to help earthquake victims in Turkey, etc.

It can be said, never before have the position, prestige and image of Vietnam as an independent, self-reliant, dynamically developing country, a faithful and sincere friend, a reliable partner, an active and responsible member, widely promoted on the international arena like nowadays.

Research, consultation and forecasting work on foreign affairs has achieved many important results. The diplomatic sector, along with other sectors, has given advisory to the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Government for handling many foreign affairs issues in the face of complex developments in the international situation, proposing thoughtful directions and solutions for developing relations with important partners, cooperation in ASEAN and the Mekong sub-region, dealing with international cooperation initiatives, etc.

Economic diplomacy continues to be promoted on the basis of thoroughly grasping the Directive 15 of the Secretariat, taking localities, businesses and people as the service center. Economic cooperation, market expansion and attracting quality investment capital are central contents in foreign affairs activities, especially high-level ones.

Apart from taking advantage of signed free trade agreements, we have proactively and actively participated in new economic links, promoting cooperation with numerous potential partners.

As a result, economic diplomacy activities have made an important contribution to promoting economic growth, imports and exports in 2023 reached over 680 billion USD, FDI attraction reached 36.6 billion USD, an increase of 32.8% compared with previous year. Many of the world's leading technology corporations have committed to long-term investment in Vietnam.

External information and communication work, cultural diplomacy, work for overseas Vietnamese people abroad, and citizen protection also achieved many important results. In 2023, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago was recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage, and two more cities - Da Lat and Hoi An, were recognized as UNESCO creative cities. Vietnam is trusted to be elected to important UNESCO bodies such as Vice Chairman of the UNESCO General Assembly, Vice Chairman of the Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 tenure.

We have promptly protected hundreds of fishermen and safely brought home thousands of citizens, especially from areas affected with conflicts and natural disasters such as Myanmar, Israel, etc.

Overseas Vietnamese have their legal status guaranteed, gradually stablized, integrated and developed, actively contributing to development in the host countries and had many diverse activities, participating in the cause of construction, development and protection of the Fatherland.

The work of building and developing the diplomatic sector in a comprehensive and modern direction, has seen great progress. The organizational structure has been streamlined and become more effective. Party building and rectification in terms of ideology, politics, ethics, and lifestyle have been strengthened. Working style and practices are gradually being innovated in a professional direction; the quality, capacity and qualifications of trained diplomatic officers have maturely increased.

As assessed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 32nd Diplomatic Conference which was held on December 19, 2023, foreign affairs and diplomacy work since the 13th Party National Congress, notably in the year 2023, “has obtained many important and historically significant results and achievements, becoming an impressive bright spot among all the country's overall results and achievements."

Those great achievements vividly demonstrate the Party's precise foreign policy guidelines, associated with the close leadership and direction, wise and timely decisions of the Party Central Committee, Politburo, and Secretariat, led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Party and State leaders. It is the crystallization of efforts, joint endeavours and consensus of all sectors, levels and the entire political system, including the contribution of the diplomatic sector.

Those great results also affirm that foreign affairs and diplomacy are imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo", based on Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought, the cultural identity and diplomatic tradition of harmony, humanity but tenacity of the nation, at the same time absorbing the quintessence of the world's ideas, completely suitable for the conditions and circumstances of Vietnam, meeting the requirements of national development and protection of the Fatherland in new situation.

Striving to successfully implement the 13th Party National Congress’s foreign policy guidelines

In the coming time, the instability and uncertainty of the international situation will continue, and more complicated factors may appear. The country's potential, position, international reputation, foreign policy achievements obtained in recent years, including 2023, along with diplomacy imbued the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo" and glorious tradition of Vietnam's revolutionary diplomacy are solid foundations for Vietnam's foreign affairs and diplomacy to overcome difficulties and challenges to contribute to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Party National Congress.

On the basis of thoroughly grasping and well implementing the foreign policy guidelines of the 13th Party National Congress, resolutions, conclusions, and directives on foreign affairs that the Party Central Committee, Politburo and Secretariat have issued from the beginning of the tenure and with the directions of the Party and State leaders at the 32nd Diplomatic Conference, the diplomatic sector will continue to strongly promote the pioneering role of foreign affairs, working with other sectors and levels to deploy synchronously and effectively foreign affairs and diplomatic activities to further consolidate the peaceful and stable environment, protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, and mobilizing new external resources for socio-economic development and enhancing the position and prestige of the country.

The focus is on effectively promoting the relationship frameworks that have been upgraded in the past year, implementing well the cooperation agreements that have been reached, and at the same time continuing to deepen and enhance relationships with other partners to expand new development space for the country, localities, businesses and people, as well as affirm Vietnam's new role and position at strategically important multilateral forums and mechanisms.

To successfully carry out foreign affairs tasks, one of the essential things is to build a strong, comprehensive and modern Vietnamese diplomacy. It is necessary to continue to strengthen the work of Party building and rectification; strive to build a team of diplomatic officers who are loyal, dedicated, trustworthy in quality, sensitive to the times, profound in strategy, creative in tactical measures, proficient in operations, foreign languages and expertise; gradually modernize facilities and improve policy mechanisms for foreign affairs and diplomacy; innovate management thinking, methods, and working practices towards professionalism and modernity.

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Photo: WVR

Design: Anh Tuan - Nguyen Kim