A diplomatic legacy to be proud of

On August 28, 1945, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established with the birth of the provisional government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. President Ho Chi Minh was both the government’s chairman and minister of foreign affairs.

Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Foreign Affairs

During the past 77 years, under the leadership of the Party, upholding the nation’s tradition of friendly and indomitable diplomacy and Ho Chi Minh’s diplomatic thought, Vietnam’s diplomacy has continuously developed in a comprehensive and firm manner, making important contributions to the revolutionary cause of the nation.

Under the leadership and training of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, diplomacy was a strategic front in the two resistance wars and national construction.

With strategic and clever decisions, diplomacy made an important contribution to protecting the revolutionary government and people after the August Revolution.

Along with the political, military, economic, and cultural fronts, and the mottos of “fighting while negotiating” and “befriending democratic countries and harbouring no grudges”, the diplomatic front enlisted the great support and help of the advanced forces and the world’s people for the just and revolutionary cause of our people, creating victories that brightened the nation’s history – from the negotiation and signing of the Geneva Agreement in 1954 to the Paris Agreement in 1973.

After national reunification, diplomacy paved the way to help break the embargo step by step, removing obstructions in the relationship with many partners, and ushering in a new situation for national development.

In more than 35 years of innovation, the diplomatic sector has inherited and applied the Ho Chi Minh diplomatic thought, while consistently implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralisation, diversification, proactive and active international integration, and being a reliable friend and partner, as well as an active and responsible member of the international community.

Widening networks

Comprehensive diplomacy in action

Looking forward on back of achievements

Promoting diplomacy through creative channels

Building on the ASEAN Community

The diplomatic sector, together with other pillars, has taken the lead in creating and consolidating a peaceful, stable, and favourable environment in favour of national development and national protection, with the enhancement of the national status.

At present, our country has diplomatic relations with 190 countries around the world, including strategic and comprehensive partnerships with 30 countries; has economic relations with over 230 countries and territories; and signed 15 free trade agreements including new generation ones.

Vietnam is also an active member of more than 70 important multilateral organisations and forums.

With an open and deepening network of foreign relations, and an increasingly strengthened environment of peace, stability, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, Vietnam has been able to expand its large network of many import-export markets, taking advantage of many sources of capital, technology, and external knowledge so as to serve the national industrialisation and modernisation.

During the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic, health diplomacy and vaccine diplomacy have made important contributions to the successful implementation of the national vaccine strategy, creating a prerequisite for our country to shift to safe and flexible adaptation, with the effective control of the pandemic and the strong boost of socioeconomic recovery and development, and rising up after the pandemic.

The fact that our country has taken on many international responsibilities such as the host of APEC 2017, chair of ASEAN 2020, and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021 – along with the nation’s correct, reasonable, and sympathetic behaviour in many multilateral forums – have enhanced the image and reputation of Vietnam as an independent, self-reliant, innovative, and peace-loving nation which respects international law with its being trustworthy, sincere, and responsible to the international community.

Cultural diplomacy and external information have contributed to strongly promoting the image of the country, people, innovation achievements, and cultural identity of Vietnam to the world. The overseas Vietnamese work has contributed to strengthening national unity, mobilising many resources of overseas Vietnamese for national development and national protection. We have been doing a good job in protecting our citizens abroad, especially when conflicts and pandemics occur.

The above achievements are thanks to the sound foreign policy of the Party and the state; the concerted efforts of the entire Party, the people, and the whole political system; the close and effective coordination of the pillars, forces, sectors, and levels.

Those achievements also mirrored the glorious tradition of Vietnam’s foreign affairs and diplomacy, and the persistent efforts and dedication of generations of diplomats. It is the nation’s revolutionary cause that has forged diplomacy to become more and more mature and developed, creating a distinctive and unique Vietnamese school of foreign affairs and diplomacy of the Ho Chi Minh era.

A modern diplomatic sector

In the light of the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress, our country’s foreign policy is entering a new stage of development, associated with the implementation of the policy of building comprehensive and modern diplomacy with three pillars: foreign affairs of the Party, the state diplomacy, and people’s foreign affairs.

As the main force for the country’s foreign affairs front, the diplomatic sector continues to closely and skillfully coordinate with foreign affairs of the Party and people, national defence and security, economy, culture, and society in order to carry out external tasks in a synchronous, creative, and effective manner.

In which, the focus is placed on maintaining a peaceful and stable environment along with resolutely and persistently defending independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; at the same time, expanding and further deepening relations with neighbouring countries, important partners, and traditional friends, taking full advantage of favourable international factors.

The diplomatic sector will also constantly innovate, and create new ways of doing things, new directions, and new fields to expand markets, mobilising external resources to realise aspirations, visions, and goals for national development; and promote Vietnam’s role in important multilateral mechanisms to further enhance the country’s international status and prestige.

Faced with the demands of the situation and tasks in the new period, it is necessary to build a clean, strong, comprehensive, and modern diplomacy. As Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong noted at the National Conference on Foreign Affairs, “a good diplomat and foreign affairs activist must first be a good politician”, and the essential thing is building a contingent of diplomatic cadres who are always absolutely loyal to the Party’s ideals, dedicated to serving the fatherland, and the people, and who are firm, strategic, professional, and internationally and regionally qualified.

To do so, it is necessary to further strengthen the building and rectification of the Party, step up learning, and follow the ideology, morality, and style of Ho Chi Minh, and boost the training and fostering of diplomatic cadres both in terms of political steadfastness and qualifications.

Looking back on the past 77 years, generations of diplomats expressed their infinite gratitude to great President Ho Chi Minh, who was the founder of the diplomatic sector. He provided our country’s diplomacy with a unique and invaluable legacy of diplomatic thought.

Learning and applying creatively his diplomatic thought and promoting the glorious tradition of Vietnam’s revolutionary diplomacy, the entire diplomatic sector under the leadership of the Party is determined to build a clean, strong, comprehensive and modern Vietnamese diplomacy, making a worthy contribution to the realisation of the goal of prosperous people and a strong, democratic, equitable, and civilised nation.