According to Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, economic diplomacy activities have contributed to promoting economic growth, increasing exports by 6-7%, and attracting FDI investment of over 28 billion USD.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. Photo: VNA

The year 2023 marks a vibrant and impressive foreign affairs activity in the context of many fluctuations in the world. On the eve of the new year 2024, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son gave an interview to the press about the achievements in foreign affairs in 2023 and the key directions and orientations of Vietnamese diplomacy in 2024.

Reporter: The year 2023 marks a vibrant and impressive foreign affairs activity in a volatile world. Could you please tell us about the most significant and significant foreign affairs and diplomatic milestones of the past year? What are the factors that led to the success of foreign affairs in 2023?

Minister Bui Thanh Son: 2023 is a vibrant year for foreign affairs with many outstanding highlights. First of all, foreign relations on the bilateral and multilateral levels continue to be expanded and deepened, in which relations with many important partners have been raised to new heights with new qualitative developments, notably relations with neighboring countries, China, the United States, Japan and many other partners. Foreign affairs activities, especially high-level foreign affairs, take place vibrantly, across continents and at many important multilateral forums and mechanisms such as ASEAN, the United Nations, the Mekong Sub-region, APEC, AIPA, COP 28, BRI, etc.

Over the past year, we have successfully organized 15 foreign visits by key leaders and 21 visits by high-ranking leaders of other countries to Vietnam, affirming Vietnam's new stature and position in the world. We continue to promote our role in important international organizations such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNESCO, etc., as well as actively and responsibly contribute to common world issues such as combating climate change, maintaining peace in Africa, and sending rescue forces to Turkey.

Research, advisory and forecasting work on foreign affairs has achieved many important results. In the face of the very complicated developments of the international situation, the diplomatic sector, together with other sectors and levels, has advised the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Government to pass many important projects on foreign affairs, especially the project on developing relations with a number of important partners, ASEAN cooperation, the Mekong sub-region, policies on responding to initiatives of other countries, etc.

Economic diplomacy continues to be promoted on the basis of thoroughly grasping the spirit of Directive 15 of the Secretariat, taking localities, businesses and people as the center of service. Economic diplomacy activities have made important contributions to promoting economic growth, with import and export in 2023 reaching nearly 700 billion USD, over 30 items with export turnover of over 1 billion USD, FDI attraction increasing by 14.8% (Data updated in 11 months of 2023), accessing many new sources of quality capital in the context of many difficulties in the world economy.

A peaceful and stable environment continues to be maintained for national development. In the face of fluctuations in the international situation, the diplomatic sector, together with national defense and security, and other sectors and levels persistently promote dialogue and negotiations to resolve border and territorial issues, and properly and promptly handle activities that violate Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, rights and legitimate interests.

The fields of foreign information, cultural diplomacy, work with overseas Vietnamese, and citizen protection have also achieved many important results. In 2023, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago was recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage, with two more cities, Da Lat and Hoi An, recognized as UNESCO creative cities; was elected to important UNESCO bodies such as Vice President of the UNESCO General Assembly, Vice President of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term... We have protected and brought back to the country safely many citizens, especially from areas with conflicts and natural disasters.

The above results were achieved first of all thanks to the correct leadership of the Party, the centralized and effective management of the State; the solidarity, unity with high determination and great efforts of the entire political system; the close and smooth coordination between the Party's foreign affairs, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy; between foreign affairs and national defense, security, economy, culture and society. Under the leadership and close direction of the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Government, the diplomatic sector has closely followed the foreign policy of the Party and State, promoted the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy", closely monitored developments in the world and the region, "knew oneself, knew the enemy", "knew the times, knew the situation", was flexible and creative in strategies, handled foreign affairs issues according to the motto "with the unchanging, responding to all changes", from which appropriate measures were taken, taking advantage of opportunities and resolving challenges to successfully complete foreign affairs tasks.

Reporter: Based on the achieved results, could you please tell us what the key directions and orientations of Vietnamese diplomacy will be in 2024 and how they will be implemented?

Minister Bui Thanh Son: The year 2024 is of great significance in successfully implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. In the coming years, the instability and uncertainty of the international situation will continue, and new and more complex factors may emerge. Domestically, the socio-economic situation continues to recover and develop, but there are still many difficulties and challenges. However, the country's potential, position, international prestige and foreign affairs achievements in 2023 are a solid foundation for Vietnam's foreign affairs and diplomacy to overcome difficulties and challenges to contribute to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

On the basis of effectively implementing the foreign policy of the 13th National Congress and the resolutions, conclusions and directives on foreign affairs that the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat have issued since the beginning of the term, strongly promoting the identity of "Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy", the diplomatic sector focuses on the following key points:

First, continue to promote innovation in foreign affairs thinking. With the new position and strength of our country that has never been seen before, we need to boldly go beyond conventional thinking and find new ways to do things for the benefit of the nation. To do so, we need to step up the organization and implementation of research, consulting, and strategic forecasting on foreign affairs; be sensitive to detecting new issues, accurately identifying opportunities, correctly positioning the country's strategic position, and taking advantage of international trends to proactively have appropriate foreign policies, decisions, and steps.

Second, promote the pioneering role, at the same time closely coordinate with the Party's foreign affairs, people's foreign affairs, sectors and levels to synchronously deploy foreign affairs and diplomatic services to firmly consolidate the peaceful and stable environment, protect the Fatherland early and from afar, effectively mobilize new resources from outside for socio-economic development and enhance the country's position and prestige. The focus is to effectively promote the relationship frameworks that have just been upgraded in the past year, well implement the cooperation agreements that have been reached, at the same time continue to deepen and enhance relations with other partners to expand the market, attract high-quality investment, transfer new technologies, create new development space for the country, localities, businesses and people, as well as further promote the new role and position of Vietnam in multilateral forums and mechanisms of strategic importance.

Third, focus on creating a new step in building and developing a strong, comprehensive, and modern diplomatic sector. In particular, the focus is on organizing and implementing well projects and plans on innovation in training, fostering, planning, and arranging staff; gradually perfecting the material facilities, policies and mechanisms for foreign affairs; continuing to innovate working methods and styles towards professionalism, efficiency, and modernity...

Reporter: Bamboo diplomacy was mentioned by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 29th Diplomatic Conference in 2016. However, at the first Foreign Affairs Conference in 2021, which was also the first year of the 13th Party Congress, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong outlined very clearly the Bamboo Diplomacy school. Could you please analyze the significance of this diplomatic school and its importance to Vietnam in the current context?

Minister Bui Thanh Son: In his speech at the 29th Diplomatic Conference in 2016, the General Secretary first mentioned "Vietnamese bamboo" diplomacy, and at the National Foreign Affairs Conference in December 2021, the General Secretary outlined the basic content of foreign affairs and diplomacy imbued with the "Vietnamese bamboo" identity.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivers a speech at the 32nd Diplomatic Conference. Photo: Lam Khanh - VNA

This is a highly generalized summary and summary of the core and consistent content of the foreign policy of our Party and State as well as the unique identity of Vietnam's revolutionary diplomacy built and developed on the basis of inheriting and creatively applying Ho Chi Minh's ideology, style, and diplomatic art, and the cultural and diplomatic identity of the nation that has existed throughout thousands of years of national construction and defense.

The image of the “Vietnamese bamboo tree” vividly, but very simply and easily, reflects the core and consistent contents of our Party’s foreign policy as well as the unique identity of Vietnam’s revolutionary diplomacy, which is the solid root, the principle of national and ethnic interests, the independent and autonomous foreign policy, taking real strength as the root, taking multilateralization, diversification of foreign relations and comprehensive and extensive international integration to create a position and establish a time… The solid trunk is the method of creating strength, in which the strength of great national unity is the fundamental and vital factor; it is the combination of national strength with the strength of the times; it is raising high the flag of justice, humanity, loyalty, and the rule of law… The flexible branches are the style and art of flexible behavior based on the principle of “being unchanging, responding to all changes”; it is the way of behaving “knowing oneself, knowing others”, “knowing the time, knowing the situation”, “knowing how to advance, knowing how to retreat”, “changing and stopping, knowing how to change”…

The General Secretary's direction is the guiding principle for Vietnamese diplomacy to carry out its tasks during the 13th Congress term and has been thoroughly understood throughout the sector, determined to build a comprehensive, modern, strong Vietnamese foreign affairs and diplomacy, imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo".

Reporter: Could you please tell us about the main results and contributions of economic diplomacy to the country's socio-economic development in 2023? What are the key directions and tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue making economic diplomacy truly an important driving force for the country's rapid and sustainable development, contributing to the socio-economic development goals set by the Government in 2024?

Minister Bui Thanh Son: Implementing the policy of "building economic diplomacy to serve development, focusing on people, localities and enterprises", closely following the new thinking on economic diplomacy in the spirit of Directive No. 15 of the Secretariat and the Government's Action Program, economic diplomacy has been implemented synchronously, making important contributions to the country's socio-economic development.

[caption id="attachment_495746" align="alignnone" width="1068"] Economic diplomacy activities contribute to promoting growth. Illustrative photo: VNA[/caption]

First of all, economic diplomacy is widely deployed in foreign affairs activities, especially high-level foreign affairs, closely linked with political diplomacy, cultural diplomacy and other areas of diplomacy; in which, economic cooperation is always the core content of the relations, especially relations with important partners. Our upgrading of relations with other countries in the past year has created a breakthrough in economic cooperation with this country, opening up many opportunities for Vietnamese localities and enterprises. International economic integration and participation in international economic linkages have been more proactive, positive and effective. In addition to effectively implementing signed FTAs, in 2023, we signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Israel and are actively negotiating FTAs ​​with other partners; signed over 70 cooperation documents of ministries and branches and nearly 100 cooperation agreements of localities and hundreds of agreements of enterprises... As a result, economic diplomacy activities have contributed to promoting economic growth, export increased by 6-7%, attracting FDI investment of over 28 billion USD...

Entering 2024, the world economy still faces many difficulties and risks. Besides opportunities and advantages, there are also challenges and unfavorable impacts. Continuing to thoroughly grasp the Party's policies and orientations on economic diplomacy, closely following the 2024 Socio-Economic Development Plan and developments in the international and domestic situation, economic diplomacy continues to take advantage of the country's new position and strength, concretizing the newly upgraded relationship frameworks into practical and effective economic cooperation programs and projects, especially in terms of market expansion, access to new capital sources for infrastructure development, high technology, digital transformation, green growth, tourism attraction, skilled labor export, etc.

In addition, together with sectors and localities, proactively and actively remove obstacles in economic cooperation with partners, especially important partners. Improve the effectiveness of supporting sectors, localities and enterprises in the spirit of "taking people, localities and enterprises as the center of service".

Reporter: On the occasion of the New Year 2024, what message and wishes does the Minister want to send to the people of the whole country, Vietnamese people abroad and international friends?

Minister Bui Thanh Son: Under the leadership of the Party, the management of the State, the active participation of the entire political system and with the support and cooperation of the international community, our compatriots at home and abroad have promoted the tradition of great national unity, upheld patriotism, self-reliance and self-reliance, and achieved great achievements in 2023.

Officials and Party members of the Diplomatic sector have made outstanding efforts, overcome difficulties and challenges, devotedly served the Party, the Fatherland and the people, and made important contributions to the country's overall achievements.

A new spring is coming, every cadre and party member of the Diplomatic sector wishes for a world of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, our country's foundation and potential are increasingly strong, its international position and prestige are increasingly high, our people have a prosperous and happy life.

Reporter: Thank you very much, Minister!