Diplomacy helps raise Vietnam’s position in international arena: veteran diplomat

Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Over the past five years, Vietnam’s external affairshave produced outstanding results, thus helping consolidate national security,create favourable conditions for economic development and elevate the country’sposition in the international arena.

The affirmation was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to IndiaPham Sanh Chau in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency onachievements of the diplomatic sector during the 12th National PartyCongress tenure and expectations for the upcoming 13th tenure.

In the 12th tenure, the diplomatic sector has completedmany great tasks, notably its effective response to changes in the world,creating a new position and strength to safeguard sovereignty over sea andislands and territorial integrity, consolidating a peaceful, stable andfavourable environment for development, and amicably handling arising problems.

The relations with other countries, particularlyneighbouring nations and big powers, have been further deepened, whilemultilateral diplomacy has witnessed an important transition, from activelyparticipating in to proactively getting engaged in building and formingimportant multilateral institutions, Chau said.

He went on to say that international integration andeconomic diplomacy have been stepped up, with the signing of the RegionalComprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement a highlight, and citizenprotection has been carried out promptly and effectively.

The sector has also worked proactive and resolutely in thefields of democracy and human rights, and made efforts to improve theefficiency of cultural diplomacy and external information.

The sector has truly turned risks into opportunities and transformedopportunities into advantages for the country, Chau affirmed.

A street decorated to welcome 13th National Party Congress (Photo: VNA)

Regarding the diplomatic work as mentioned in the 13th Congress’s draft documents, the diplomat said that the content continues toinherit the Party’s wisdom from the previous tenures and contains newdevelopment steps in conformity with the country’s new position and power, itscurrent diplomatic environment, as well as the complicated and unpredictablesituations of the world and the region.

According to him, the draft documents highlight the key roleand important contributions of external affairs to national construction,defence and development, and for the first time affirm the diplomatic sector’spioneering role with three main targets of creating and maintaining a peacefuland stable environment, mobilizing outside resources to develop the country,and improve its position and prestige.

An important new point of the 13th Congress’sdraft documents is defining national interests as the lodestar for externalaffairs, Chau added./.

VNA