On March 18, in Hanoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son cleared up questions regarding foreign affairs raised by legislators at the 31st session of the National Assembly Standing Committee. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

At the Q&A session, Foreign Minister Son emphasized that in recent times, the world situation has undergone many changes. Alongside the opportunities, many new difficulties and challenges have arisen, placing heavier new tasks on foreign affairs work and the diplomatic sector.

Under the leadership and guidance of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the diplomatic sector has strongly promoted the diplomacy deeply imbued with the characteristics of “Vietnamese bamboo”, implementing systematically and creatively on four pillars of the functions and tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including political diplomacy, economic diplomacy serving development, cultural diplomacy, overseas Vietnamese affairs, and citizen protection.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son answers questions raised by legislators. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

The coordinated, innovative, and effective implementation of the four pillars of diplomacy has brought comprehensive and significant results. The diplomatic sector has supported and directly advised, coordinated with ministries to organize foreign activities, especially high-level diplomacy taking place across continents and in many forums and multilateral mechanisms, thereby consolidating a favorable external environment for the construction and defense of the fatherland, establishing increasingly high political trust, promoting profound and comprehensive international cooperation in many fields.

"Foreign affairs work and diplomacy have played a pioneering role in mobilizing external resources to serve the country's socio-economic development," affirmed the Foreign Minister.

"Foreign affairs work and diplomacy have played a pioneering role in mobilizing external resources to serve the country's socio-economic development," affirmed the Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

The main responsibility for answering at the Q&A session is Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang at the Q&A session. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

Some other members of the Government such as Ministers of various Ministries: Public Security, National Defense, Justice, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Planning and Investment, Finance, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Home Affairs; Government Inspector General also participate in answering questions, explaining related issues.

The Question and Answer Session is connected online at 62 points nationwide in provinces/cities; broadcasted live on Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam Radio, and Vietnam National Assembly Television.

Delegate Trang A Duong - Ha Giang Provincial National Assembly Delegation raised a question. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

A number of the responses by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son is as follows:

With regards to political diplomacy

The Foreign Minister stated that Vietnam maintains diplomatic relations with 193 member countries of the United Nations. Among the 30 strategic and comprehensive partners, Vietnam holds comprehensive strategic partnerships with 7 countries.

In terms of upgrading significant strategic partnership relations, the Foreign Minister highlighted Vietnam's historically significant achievements, as affirmed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. All five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have established comprehensive or strategic partnerships with Vietnam. This demonstrates significantly higher political attention, understanding, and trust. Alongside political trust, there is an emphasis on enhancing cooperation in the strong areas of foreign partners, seizing not only market opportunities but also in labour, science and technology, education and training, and cultural cooperation. Vietnam has developed specific content and substance in each of these areas with every partner, as noted by the Foreign Minister.

Foreign Minister Son stressed that in establishing and upgrading relations with partners, Vietnam focuses on important aspects such as building higher political trust and promoting deeper and more comprehensive cooperation frameworks in trade, investment, science and technology, education, and training. Vietnam has also achieved breakthroughs in relations with partners, with the most notable example being the enhancement of infrastructure connectivity with China. This includes plans for rail connections between Vietnam's northern provinces and deeper inland provinces of China, facilitating links with Central Asian and Eastern European countries.

With the United States, Vietnam's breakthrough lies in cooperation in the semiconductor industry development, along with continuing efforts to strengthen trade and investment cooperation. With Australia, Vietnam's focus is on cooperation in high-tech agriculture and education and training. With Japan, in addition to traditional cooperation areas, the two sides have agreed to make the new generation Official Development Assistance (ODA) more favorable and convenient for disbursement, thereby supporting Vietnam in infrastructure development, digital transformation, green transformation, and energy conversion.

With regards to economic diplomacy:

Regarding economic diplomacy serving development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that implementing economic diplomacy to serve development is a priority. The Party Central Committee has issued directives on economic diplomacy serving development, based on which the government has issued action programs on implementing economic diplomacy, particularly in developing regions. Ministries, sectors, and localities have also developed specific plans for their economic diplomacy work. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers have presided over and directed three conferences on economic diplomacy serving development.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the most important task in the coming time is to exploit the cooperation potential with partners that Vietnam has elevated and upgraded relations with. This is to create new resources for the country's socio-economic development.

Currently, the Ministry is coordinating with ministries and sectors to implement several tasks: Firstly, directing representative agencies to continue supporting provinces and enterprises in participating in trade promotion, investment, tourism activities, promoting strong products in the Middle East, Africa, especially in the Gulf region. Secondly, continuing to support the export of key products, especially wooden products, to Middle Eastern and African markets. Encouraging investment from Middle Eastern investment funds in areas they are interested in. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to seek and introduce potential ambassadors, businesses, and investors from the Middle East region.

At the Q&A session, Foreign Minister Son also fielded questions about the implementation of economic, trade, and investment cooperation agreements in border localities, the planning of border gates, and the optimisation of border localities’ advantages to boost socio-economic development.

At the Q&A session, Foreign Minister Son also fielded questions about the implementation of economic, trade, and investment cooperation agreements in border localities, the planning of border gates, and the optimisation of border localities’ advantages to boost socio-economic development. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

With regards to citizen protection

To questions concerning measures to ensure the security of Vietnamese citizens in countries experiencing conflicts, Foreign Minister Son said that the Ministry has coordinated to evacuate citizens to safety immediately. Up to now, everything has been carried out smoothly. The citizen protection work has been conducted promptly. In the coming time, the Ministry will focus on forecasting situations, predicting the risk of conflicts between countries or internal conflicts in order to evacuate citizens promptly; continue to provide warning information to localities; and closely coordinate with foreign partners.

Regarding the protection of minors, the Minister affirmed that there have been many people migrating due to the enticement of various groups promising high-paying jobs recently. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also coordinated with Vietnamese concerned agencies to repatriate individuals safely and collaborated with foreign partners to prevent illegal migration cases; simultaneously, providing information, conducting communications, and awareness-raising to localities about this issue.

Regarding legal violations committed by both Vietnamese citizens abroad and foreign nationals in Vietnam, Minister Son outlined Foreign Ministry’s response to these issues, emphasising that based on information from relevant authorities, the Ministry has acted swiftly to facilitate consular visits and contacts initiated by foreign countries. This ensures that foreign embassies and consulates can effectively carry out their duties in protecting their citizens in Vietnam.

Last year, the Ministry reported 285 cases involving foreigners, with charges primarily including trafficking of drugs, fraudulent appropriation of property, deliberate injury, and murder. Notably, 70 foreign nationals were given prison terms in Vietnam, while 108 others completed their sentences. It also facilitated 414 consular visits and contacts and granted consent for an additional 337 such interactions.

The report further detailed administrative violations committed by foreigners from Da Nang to Ca Mau. These violations totaled 304, with illegal entry being the most prevalent offence (113 cases). There were 92 cases of foreigners overstaying their temporary residence permits, 60 of online fraud not yet reaching the level for criminal prosecution, 16 of illegal drug use, 13 of theft, and five of robbery.

Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry has reported 37 new cases involving foreign nationals undergoing prosecution, detention or trial. Furthermore, 20 foreign nationals commenced prison sentences in Vietnam, while 13 others completed their terms. The Ministry's efforts in facilitating consular visits and contacts continue this year, with 65 arrangements made and consent granted for 77 more cases.