President of VUFO Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga emphasised that external information and communication work has always been one of the key political tasks of the union. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

In her opening speech, President of VUFO Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga emphasised that external information and communication work has always been one of the key political tasks of the union, which is carried out regularly through activities for peace, solidarity and friendship, and international people-to-people cooperation.

VUFO’s external information activities have helped update international friends on Vietnam’s achievements in socio-economic development, promotion of human rights and international integration, and the country’s efforts to protect national sovereignty over its seas and islands and territorial borders; promote images of the land and people of Vietnam; refute misrepresentations about the situation in Vietnam; contribute to calling for support from international friends and increasing the prestige of the country, she added.

During the seminar, participants focused their discussion on the requirements and tasks of the external information work and measures to better the quality and efficiency of external information activities of VUFO.

Addressing the event, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, who is also Director of the Ministry’s Department for Press and Information, highlighted the role of external information in the Ministry’s operation, saying that the external information work effectively serves political and foreign tasks.

The external information work has contributed to firmly safeguarding Vietnam's sovereignty, territory, sovereign rights and jurisdiction through raising awareness and creating high consensus among cadres, Party members and people across the country, and calling for support of people worldwide for Vietnam's legitimate rights and interests, Hang said.

For his part, Nguyen Van Hay, Office Chief of the Central Steering Committee for External Information Service said the external information work is an important task of the Party's ideological, communication and foreign affairs.

In the coming time, the external information work should be renewed in terms of objectives, mottos, objects and corresponding tasks, he stressed.