Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, speaks at the January 27 working session of the ongoing 13th National Party Congress. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The diplomatic sector hassignificantly contributed to maintaining a peaceful, stable environmentfavourable for national development, as well as national security, according toBui Thanh Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In a presentation at a working session of theongoing 13th National Party Congress on January 27, Son said thesector has made noted contributions over the past five years through a good combinationof Party, State and people-to-people diplomacy.
During the 12th tenure, despite greatdifficulties and challenges, with the latest the COVID-19 pandemic and theglobal economic downturn, fierce competitions between powers, along withemerging security issues, Vietnam’s diplomacy has joined hands with the entireParty, people and army to successfully implement external affair guidelines setby the 12th National Party Congress.
In the past tenure, Vietnam has set up comprehensivepartnership with five more countries and upgraded relations with two others toa strategic partnership, raising the total numbers of its strategic partners to17 and comprehensive partners to 13, including all permanent members of theUnited Nations Security Council and ASEAN member nations.
The diplomatic sector has partnered with nationaldefence and security forces in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty over itssea and islands.
Amidst the complex development of the East Seaissue, Vietnam has been able to mobilise international support to opposeunilateral infringement, advocate the settlement of disputes through peacefulmeasures in line with international law, while maintaining stable relationswith relevant neighbouring countries, Son said.
Regarding land border, the official highlighted theratification of two legal documents recognising the completion of 84 percent ofwork in border demarcation and marker planting between Vietnam and Cambodia.
The country has also coordinated well with Laos andChina in managing their common border lines.
Thanks to such efforts, the country has built andconsolidated a land border of peace, friendship, cooperation and developmentwith all neighbours, he stressed.
The sector has also helped to attract huge resourcesfor national socio-economic development and reform, he said, citing the signingof five free trade agreements (FTAs), including new-generation, high-standardones with key partners, which put Vietnam at the centre of a network of 16 regionalFTAs.
In his report, Son also reviewed citizen protectionwork in the 12th tenure, with about 80,000 Vietnamese citizensbrought home from more than 60 countries and territories worldwide amidstCOVID-19. More than 50,000 citizens, including nearly 10,000 fishermen, havereceived protection during the past tenure.
Overseas Vietnamese have put more trust in the Partyand the State, and actively contributed to national construction in terms ofboth knowledge and economic resources, sending home nearly 90 billion USD inremittance during the 2016-2020 period, according to the official.
Son said diplomacy has played a significant role inraising the country’s position, as reflected through its hosting of theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2017, the World EconomicForum on ASEAN in 2018, the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-PacificParliamentary Forum in 2018, the summit between the US and the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in2019, its ASEAN and AIPA Chairmanship last year, and non-permanent membershipof the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.
Son attributed those achievements to the Party’ssound, comprehensive and absolute leadership, the flexible application ofPresident Ho Chi Minh’s diplomatic ideology, as well as the country’s flexible adaptationto changes.
He proposed key tasks in external affairs in theupcoming tenure, including deepening political trust and combining interests with30 strategic and comprehensive partners, with development put at the centre ofrelations, and Asia-Pacific as the strategic region, while enhancing relationswith other potential partners in the region.
It is a must to step up international integrationintensively and extensively, advance multilateral diplomacy, and more activelyengage in such multilateral mechanisms like ASEAN, the UN and Mekongcooperation, he continued.
More efforts are needed to promote multilateralismand international law, he said, highlighting the significance of economicdiplomacy in national development.
Diplomacy should join in preventing and eliminatingsecurity risks early on and from afar through promoting dialogues, buildingtrust, and advocating preventive diplomacy and respect for law, the DeputyMinister emphasised.
Diplomacy will continue to serve as a firm bridgeconnecting 5.3 million Vietnamese abroad with their homeland, enabling them tocontribute to national development and integration, Son said/.
Thanks to such efforts, the country has built andconsolidated a land border of peace, friendship, cooperation and developmentwith all neighbours, he stressed.
The sector has also helped to attract huge resourcesfor national socio-economic development and reform, he said, citing the signingof five free trade agreements (FTAs), including new-generation, high-standardones with key partners, which put Vietnam at the centre of a network of 16 regionalFTAs.
In his report, Son also reviewed citizen protectionwork in the 12th tenure, with about 80,000 Vietnamese citizensbrought home from more than 60 countries and territories worldwide amidstCOVID-19. More than 50,000 citizens, including nearly 10,000 fishermen, havereceived protection during the past tenure.
Overseas Vietnamese have put more trust in the Partyand the State, and actively contributed to national construction in terms ofboth knowledge and economic resources, sending home nearly 90 billion USD inremittance during the 2016-2020 period, according to the official.
Son said diplomacy has played a significant role inraising the country’s position, as reflected through its hosting of theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2017, the World EconomicForum on ASEAN in 2018, the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-PacificParliamentary Forum in 2018, the summit between the US and the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in2019, its ASEAN and AIPA Chairmanship last year, and non-permanent membershipof the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.
Son attributed those achievements to the Party’ssound, comprehensive and absolute leadership, the flexible application ofPresident Ho Chi Minh’s diplomatic ideology, as well as the country’s flexible adaptationto changes.
He proposed key tasks in external affairs in theupcoming tenure, including deepening political trust and combining interests with30 strategic and comprehensive partners, with development put at the centre ofrelations, and Asia-Pacific as the strategic region, while enhancing relationswith other potential partners in the region.
It is a must to step up international integrationintensively and extensively, advance multilateral diplomacy, and more activelyengage in such multilateral mechanisms like ASEAN, the UN and Mekongcooperation, he continued.
More efforts are needed to promote multilateralismand international law, he said, highlighting the significance of economicdiplomacy in national development.
Diplomacy should join in preventing and eliminatingsecurity risks early on and from afar through promoting dialogues, buildingtrust, and advocating preventive diplomacy and respect for law, the DeputyMinister emphasised.
Diplomacy will continue to serve as a firm bridgeconnecting 5.3 million Vietnamese abroad with their homeland, enabling them tocontribute to national development and integration, Son said/.
VNA
