Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the first National Conference on Foreign Affairs, December 14, 2021. (Photo: WVR)

The 13th National Party Congress in January 2021 set a comprehensive and modern diplomatic sector consisting of three pillars, including the Party, State and people-to-people diplomacy.

Reviewing the first half of the 13th National Party Congress term, in his article, member of the Party Central Committee and head of its External Relations Commission Le Hoai Trung highlighted important achievements in external affairs and global integration, which continue improving the country’s position and reputation on the global arena.

According to the article, the first national conference on foreign affairs held by the Party Central Committee's Politburo and Secretariat under the direction of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on December 14, 2021 was a historic event and a new approach that holds lasting and profound significance in realising the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution in the realm of external affairs.

In his speech at the conference, Party chief Trong stressed that that Vietnam has developed a distinct and unique foreign policy and diplomacy in the spirit of Ho Chi Minh era, reflecting the identity of the 'Vietnamese bamboo”. Regarding the fundamental directions and tasks of foreign affairs, he underlined the need to build a new posture and spirit for Vietnam in dealing with and managing relationships with bilateral and multilateral partners.

Addressing the seventh plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on May 17, Trong said external affairs and global integration have kept growing with significant outcomes, contributing to elevating Vietnam's position and reputation on the global arena.

These achievements hold even more significance amid rapid and complicated global political and economic developments such as increasing strategic competition and conflicts, economic downturn and the prolonged impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Trung wrote that from the 13th National Party Congress to early July, Party leader Trong chaired and engaged in 98 external activities, including official visits to China, direct or online dialogues, receptions, working sessions, and attendance at international conferences with Party and State leaders and international organisations.

Officials of the Government, National Assembly and standing members of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat also presided over and joined in more than 50 external activities. There were also activities involving the members of the Politburo and the Secretariat heading various departments and agencies of the Party, political organisations, as well as members of the Politburo and Party Central Committee and leaders of centrally-run municipal and provincial Party committees.

People's foreign organisations are also making efforts to build strategies and long-term plans that are suitable for changes in people-to-people diplomacy on the global stage and the emerging tasks.

Following the 13th National Party Congress’s policy of elevating multilateral diplomacy, activities in this field have been actively and effectively carried out, demonstrating Vietnam's international responsibility, new position and posture. Notably, Vietnam successfully completed its two-year non-permanent membership term at the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021 and secured roles in several important United Nations mechanisms such as the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, and UNESCO.

Vietnam has been playing an active and proactive role in maintaining unity among ASEAN nations, addressing newly emerging complex issues, building new visions, developing relations with partners, and enhancing the role of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). It has also upheld the role of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Mekong cooperation mechanisms.

Since the 13th National Congress, external relations activities have been actively, synchronously, flexibly, creatively and effectively implemented, strongly promoting its pioneering role.

Vietnam's participation reflects its high responsibility in the international community's collective efforts to prevent, combat, and respond to negative climate change impacts for the common and long-term interests of the nation. The country's contributions to the UN peacekeeping activities and its response to the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey in February 2023 have been highly valued by the international community.

In the overall context of bilateral and multilateral external activities, Vietnam, along with neighbouring countries, has effectively managed and maintained a borderline of peace, friendship and development. It has resolutely and persistently protected sovereignty, sovereign and jurisdiction rights at sea, striving to promote cooperation and negotiate maritime boundary delineation.

The positive development of both bilateral and multilateral relations has created favourable conditions for economic diplomacy work to create new frameworks for economic, trade, and investment cooperation, either on a bilateral or multilateral basis, as well as to pool international resources.

Trung said Vietnam has taken advantage of the significant support from the international community in terms of knowledge, experience, medical supplies and equipment to control the COVID-19 pandemic. It also made contributions to other countries, which have been appreciated by the international community.

In 2021, the total registered foreign investment in Vietnam surpassed 31 billion USD while its combined export-import turnover exceeded 668 billion USD. The respective figures for 2022 were 27 billion USD and 730 billion USD.

The significant achievements in external affairs and global integration during the past half of the 13th National Party Congress term provide an important foundation to continue fulfilling key tasks in the latter half of the term, toward realising the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution, Trung said.