Over the past five years, Vietnam’s external affairs have produced outstanding results, thus helping consolidate national security, create favourable conditions for economic development and elevate the country’s position in the international arena.

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

The affirmation was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on achievements of the diplomatic sector during the 12th National Party Congress tenure and expectations for the upcoming 13th tenure.

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

The relations with other countries, particularly neighbouring nations and big powers, have been further deepened, while multilateral diplomacy has witnessed an important transition, from actively participating in to proactively getting engaged in building and forming important multilateral institutions, Chau said.

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

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

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

Regarding the diplomatic work as mentioned in the 13th Congress’s draft documents, the diplomat said that the content continues to inherit the Party’s wisdom from the previous tenures and contains new development steps in conformity with the country’s new position and power, its current diplomatic environment, as well as the complicated and unpredictable situations of the world and the region.

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

An important new point of the 13th Congress’s draft documents is defining national interests as the lodestar for external affairs, Chau added.