General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong holds talks with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping

Viet Nam has recorded many encouraging results amid complex and unexpected developments in the world in 2023. Many experts and international organizations perceive the country as a bright spot in the global panorama.

Elevating stature

This year, Vietnamese leaders have paid tens of visits to other countries, attended a series of regional and international events, and engaged in several bilateral meetings with important partners.

Leaders of many countries and international organizations have also come to Viet Nam, including Party General Secretary, President of China Xi Jinping, and U.S. President Joe Biden.

Hundreds of exchanges and celebrations of the founding anniversaries of Viet Nam's diplomatic relations with major countries and traditional friends have also been held at home and abroad, bringing Viet Nam closer to people worldwide.

Grigory Trofimchuk, Chairman of the Russian Council of Experts of the Eurasian Research Fund, said Viet Nam's influence is spreading to almost all continents in the world, even to the Middle East and Africa, with different levels and diverse areas of cooperation.

Dr Ruvislei Gonzalez Saez from the Cuban Centre for International Policy Research (CIPI) held that upgrading relations with essential partners marks a particularly successful year of Viet Nam's diplomacy.

Assoc. Prof. Beak Yong-hun from the School of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies under South Korea's Dankook University said along with the previously established comprehensive strategic partnerships with China, Russia, India, and South Korea, the progress in 2023 has shown that Viet Nam is continuing to pursue a balanced foreign policy imbued with the identity of "bamboo diplomacy".

Meanwhile, Dr. Bharti Chhibber, an Indian expert on Viet Nam, stressed that the country is emerging as an essential stakeholder in a multipolar world. Its "bamboo diplomacy" with a flexible foreign policy has brought about many achievements in its international relations this year.

With its active participation in multilateral frameworks and forums, the strides in bilateral ties have helped perfect a bright panorama of Viet Nam's external relations in 2023.

Resilient internal strength

Amid continuous and complex changes in the world, the firmness on the diplomatic front has created more momentum and opened up more opportunities for socio-economic development.

Experts said the attention paid to Viet Nam following diplomatic activities has been translated into investment and business cooperation opportunities and external resources for the country to boost socio-economic development.

The elevation of relations with other countries, including the U.S. and Japan, is a leverage for Viet Nam's economic development.

On the other hand, the stability and growth of Viet Nam's economy have also provided an essential basis for other countries to place their confidence in and bolster partnerships with Viet Nam.

Despite the global economic contraction, Southeast Asia is considered a bright spot, with Viet Nam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore posting fast growth.

Yasuhiro Nojima, Chairman of the Viet Nam - Japan Friendship Association, affirmed that Viet Nam's economic strength is growing. In terms of potential, it could be said that the country is the most shining among the ASEAN members.

Experts of WB and ADB described the Vietnamese economy this year as resilient in the face of recession shocks or headwinds, with the recovery drivers of export, public investment, and private consumption.

Viet Nam has taken firm steps to affirm its voice, role, and stature in the international arena and attract external resources for socio-economic development.

The expansion of substantive and practical relations and the consolidated political prestige in the eyes of international partners are believed to provide a solid stepping stone for the country to obtain more socio-economic achievements in the coming years.