On the afternoon of April 2, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference between the Prime Minister and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad on promoting economic diplomacy to serve national development in 2024.

SYNCHRONOUS, COMPREHENSIVE, EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT

At the conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that from 2023 to present, in the context of the world situation continuing to evolve rapidly and complicatedly, economic diplomacy has been deployed synchronously and comprehensively, gradually becoming a basic and central task, contributing positively to the country's socio-economic development results.

Institutionalization and implementation of economic diplomacy are carried out in a more timely and systematic manner. Coordination and implementation of economic diplomacy are enhanced and innovated; actively advising on the establishment of inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms.

Economic diplomacy continues to make an important contribution to maintaining a favorable foreign policy situation for national development. Economic content continues to be the focus of 60 high-level foreign affairs activities since the beginning of 2023, with many economic cooperation agreements signed. Foreign relations and economic cooperation have been expanded, upgraded, and upgraded.

Economic diplomacy has actively supported the promotion, dissemination, and removal of trade barriers; promoted new directions for the development of the Halal industry, thereby expanding the market for industries, sectors, localities, and businesses. Actively advised on promoting investment and attracting resources to develop industries that can create breakthroughs such as high-tech semiconductors and human resource training, artificial intelligence, digital economy, green economy, and energy transition.

Actively and responsibly participate and contribute to multilateral cooperation frameworks, ensure balanced responses to initiatives from other countries, contribute to maintaining supply chains and production chains; and at the same time, enhance Vietnam's position, associated with attracting resources for economic development.

Economic diplomacy activities have contributed to bringing our country's total import-export turnover in 2023 to 683 billion USD, of which the trade surplus was about 28 billion USD, the highest ever; FDI attraction reached nearly 36.6 billion USD, an increase of 32.1% in the context of global trade and investment shrinking; realized FDI capital reached nearly 23.2 billion USD, the highest ever.

In addition to the achieved results, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that the concretization and utilization of relationships are still limited and delayed; the resolution of problems and backlogs with some partners is still prolonged and not yet finalized; there are no or are in the process of researching and developing specific preferential policies and mechanisms to attract investment and develop some strategic sectors...

At the conference, leaders of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, leaders of associations, business associations and localities reported on the economic cooperation situation with foreign partners; at the same time, proposed many solutions to remove difficulties, thereby promoting economic diplomacy activities to become increasingly in-depth, substantive and effective.

4 MAJOR FOCUSES IN ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY IN 2024

Concluding the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that in economic diplomacy, it is necessary to promote "3 developments": Promoting the country's position and strength in boosting exports and attracting foreign investment; Promoting national strength with the strength of the times to promote economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, associated with tourism and people-to-people exchange; Promoting the dynamism, creativity, flexibility and intelligence of Vietnamese people to diversify markets, connect supply chains, production chains and maximize the factors of science and technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in the current period.

Besides, there is the spirit of "3 together": Listening and understanding together; sharing vision and action together; working together, enjoying together, winning together and developing together.

Pointing out the country's shortcomings and limitations, the Prime Minister said that we must maintain our mettle, be calm, persevere, not be too intoxicated with victory, and when things go well, not panic or waver when facing difficulties and challenges, and be flexible in handling the situation appropriately.

In the coming time, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that economic diplomacy should focus on four major focuses: Foreign affairs programs at all levels need to have specific content and plans, actively implement agreements; consolidate traditional growth drivers: Export, consumption, investment and supplement and promote new drivers: Green economy, digital economy, circular economy, sharing economy, knowledge economy; maximize the country's unique potential, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages; mobilize resources of 6 million Vietnamese people abroad.

Actively and proactively convey messages to international partners in a listening and receptive spirit; urge the implementation of committed and signed agreements; resolve problems; strengthen trade and investment relations with partners and major markets, diversify markets, and focus more on potential markets; create breakthroughs in attracting investment in new fields; strengthen forecasting, grasp trends, and respond to policies promptly.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that economic diplomacy in 2024 must have breakthroughs, with the spirit of: Innovation in thinking, creativity in strategy, unity in perception and action. On the other hand, opportunities must be seized, obstacles must be resolved, solutions must be breakthroughs, implementation must be drastic, effective, focused, key and sustainable.