Not only impressing with the number of foreign trips by key leaders as well as the number of visits by senior leaders of countries to Vietnam, foreign affairs in 2023 also demonstrated achievements through the FDI attraction index, import and export, total cooperation documents signed with ministries, branches, and localities of countries... The above achievements were recognized by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, when affirming that the diplomatic and foreign affairs sector of the whole country has achieved many important results and achievements of historical significance, becoming an impressive bright spot in the overall achievements of the country.

50 visits both domestically and internationally

According to Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, in 2023, foreign affairs were successful when 22 foreign visits by key leaders and 28 visits by senior leaders of other countries to Vietnam were well organized. The events affirmed Vietnam's new stature and position in the world. 2023 marked a vibrant year in foreign affairs activities. This is considered a highlight. In particular, many events of historical significance contributed to affirming that "never before has our country had such a foundation, potential, prestige and international position as today". Most recently, General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping paid a State visit to Vietnam on December 12-13. This was the third time Mr. Xi visited Vietnam in this position, the previous two times were in 2015 and 2017. The visit ended with many important results, including 36 cooperation documents signed and the two sides issued a joint statement on continuing to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building a community of shared future between Vietnam and China of strategic significance. On September 10-11, US President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam also marked a new milestone in bilateral relations, when the two countries issued a joint statement on upgrading relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development. Within the framework of the official friendship visit to Japan on November 27 by President Vo Van Thuong, Vietnam and Japan signed a Joint Statement on upgrading the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World. In addition to the above events, Vietnam also welcomed many leaders and high-ranking delegations from other countries; and established diplomatic relations with two more countries, Trinidad & Tobago and Tonga. According to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, from a country under siege and embargo, Vietnam has now expanded and deepened relations with 193 countries. Of these, 3 countries have special relations, 6 are comprehensive strategic partners (the US and Japan have just been added to this group in 2023), 12 are strategic partners and 12 are comprehensive partners. "Many heads of state and senior leaders of countries and major international organizations have visited Vietnam, painting a very beautiful, vivid, and highly attractive picture on the foreign affairs front in the past two years; creating a new position for Vietnam in the international arena, highly appreciated by domestic public opinion and international friends," the General Secretary emphasized.

70 documents and nearly 100 cooperation agreements

With proactive and active international integration, increasingly comprehensive and extensive, foreign affairs in the past year have contributed to constantly enhancing the country's international position and prestige in the international arena. In particular, Vietnam has been nominated by international friends to shoulder many important international responsibilities in multilateral mechanisms and forums, especially in ASEAN and the United Nations. Currently, the roles that Vietnam assumes include: Non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, Vice President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, International Law Commission for the 2023-2027 term, etc. Vietnam also continues to make active and responsible contributions to solving international issues such as reducing emissions and combating climate change; sending hundreds of officers and soldiers to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Africa. Notably, for the first time, Vietnam sent forces to support the recovery from the earthquake in Turkey, proactively promoting cooperation in disease prevention and control, natural disasters, food security, water security, etc. In addition, foreign affairs activities, especially high-level foreign affairs, took place vigorously and widely across continents and at many important multilateral forums and mechanisms such as ASEAN, the United Nations, the Mekong Sub-region, APEC, AIPA, COP28, BRI, etc.

Along with upgrading relations with other countries in the past year, foreign affairs have created breakthroughs in economic cooperation, opening up many opportunities for Vietnamese localities and businesses. Specifically, in addition to effectively implementing signed FTAs, in 2023, Vietnam signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Israel and is 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 businesses...

Economic diplomacy attracts FDI up 14.8%

In the context of active foreign affairs activities taking place across continents, diplomacy has taken the lead in mobilizing external resources, making an important contribution to the implementation of socio-economic development tasks, especially expanding and improving the effectiveness of foreign economic affairs. Along with that, Vietnam's international position and prestige continue to be enhanced, the framework of relations with many important partners has been raised to a new level, the foreign relations network has achieved new qualitative developments, more firmly consolidating the open and favorable foreign affairs situation. "In the context of many world instabilities, the international community considers Vietnam a bright spot for investment and business," emphasized Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.

In particular, in 2023, 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%, accessing many new sources of quality capital in the context of many difficulties in the world economy. With the event of GDP surpassing 400 billion USD for the first time, Vietnam is ranked 3rd in ASEAN and among the 40 largest economies in the world, the top 20 economies in trade and foreign investment attraction. From the above achievements, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that the field of economic diplomacy has innovated thinking, changed perceptions, grasped the regional and world situation, continued to advise the Party and State, built policies and implemented policies on economic diplomacy. Economic diplomacy also skillfully combines the strength of the nation with the strength of the times; strongly promote the relationship between internal resources and external resources, thereby mobilizing resources to develop the country.

3 goals of diplomacy in 2024

After a year with many historic foreign affairs events, the diplomatic sector faces new opportunities and challenges in 2024 with three goals: Innovating thinking about foreign affairs, promoting a pioneering role and creating new changes.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that in the coming time, the world and regional situation is forecast to continue to develop in a complex and unpredictable manner. Peace, cooperation and development are still the major trends, but they also face many new difficulties and challenges. The multipolar, multi-centered world situation and strategic competition among major countries will become increasingly fierce, even with the risk of conflict and confrontation, creating great challenges for developing countries, especially those with high economic openness and limited resilience and competitiveness like Vietnam. At the same time, major countries will increase strategic adjustments, attract and gather forces, both cooperate and compromise, and struggle and restrain each other, and interfere with and influence other countries' internal affairs. Many security hotspots continue to exist, with the risk of spreading... "Therefore, we need to regularly monitor developments closely and forecast the right direction, especially accurately assess the impacts on Vietnam so as not to be passive, surprised and always calm, alert to seize opportunities, advantages, overcome difficulties and challenges", General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong assigned tasks to the diplomatic sector in 2024.