Minister Bui Thanh Son: Diplomacy needs to move beyond conventional thinking

(Dan Tri) - Talking about the key tasks in the new year 2024, Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the diplomatic sector needs to boldly move beyond conventional thinking and find new ways to do things for the benefit of the nation and people.

2023 is a memorable year for those working in foreign affairs due to a series of outstanding events and achievements. Many visits by leaders of countries have marked a new milestone in the relationship between Vietnam and important partners, as well as created a mechanism for cooperation agreements in many fields. On the occasion of the New Year and the Lunar New Year 2024, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son shared more about the factors leading to success in foreign affairs in 2023 and the direction of the sector's activities in 2024.

The year 2023 marks a vibrant foreign affairs activity with many imprints in the context of many fluctuations in the world . Could you please tell us about the most prominent and meaningful foreign affairs and diplomatic imprints of the past year? - 2023 is a vibrant year in foreign affairs with many outstanding imprints. 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 US, Japan and many other partners. 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. Over the past year, we have successfully organized 22 foreign visits by key leaders and 28 visits by high-ranking leaders of other countries to Vietnam. These events affirmed 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, sending rescue forces to Turkey, etc. Research, consulting and forecasting on foreign affairs have achieved many important results. At the same time, economic diplomacy continues to be promoted on the basis of thoroughly implementing the spirit of Directive 15 of the Secretariat, taking localities, businesses and people as the center of service. As of November 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.

Faced with the fluctuations of the international situation, the diplomatic sector, together with national defense and security, and other sectors and levels have persistently promoted dialogue and negotiations to resolve border and territorial issues, and properly and promptly handled activities that infringe upon 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. 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 and unity with high determination and great efforts of the entire political system; the close and smooth coordination between party foreign affairs, state diplomacy and people's foreign affairs; between foreign affairs and national defense, security, economy, culture and society.

Based on the achieved results, what are the key directions and orientations of Vietnamese diplomacy in 2024 and how will they be implemented, Minister? - 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 appear. Domestically, the socio-economy continues to recover and develop, but there are still many difficulties and challenges. However, the country's foundation, potential, position, international prestige and the foreign affairs achievements achieved in 2023 are a solid foundation for Vietnamese foreign affairs and diplomacy to overcome difficulties and challenges to contribute to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. Accordingly, in 2024, the diplomatic sector will focus on a number of key areas. First, continue to promote innovation in thinking about foreign affairs. 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, the diplomatic sector needs 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, while closely coordinating with the Party's foreign affairs, people's foreign affairs, sectors and levels to synchronously deploy foreign affairs and diplomatic services. The focus is on effectively promoting the frameworks of relations that have been upgraded in the past year, implementing well the cooperation agreements that have been reached, and continuing to deepen and enhance relations with other partners. This aims to expand the market, attract high-quality investment, transfer new technology, 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 the projects and plans on innovation in training, fostering, planning and arranging cadres; Step by step, improve the material facilities, policy mechanisms for foreign affairs; continue to innovate working methods and styles towards professionalism, efficiency, and modernity... Regarding economic diplomacy in particular, what are the key directions and tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue to make this work an important driving force for the country's rapid and sustainable development, contributing to the socio-economic development goals set by the Government? - First of all, 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 businesses. 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.

In that context, economic diplomacy continues to take advantage of the country's new position and strength; concretize the newly upgraded relationship framework into practical and effective economic cooperation programs and projects, especially in 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 support for sectors, localities and enterprises in the spirit of "taking people, localities and enterprises as the center of service". Bamboo diplomacy was mentioned by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 29th Diplomatic Conference in 2016. 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? - The image of "Vietnamese bamboo" 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. That is the firm foundation, the principle for the national and ethnic interests, the independent and self-reliant foreign policy, taking real strength as the foundation, taking multilateralization, diversification of foreign relations and comprehensive and extensive international integration to create a position and establish a time... The firm foundation is the method of creating strength, in which the strength of great national unity is the fundamental and vital factor; it is combining 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 branch is the style and art of flexible behavior based on the principle of "being unchanging, responding to all changes"; is the way of behaving "know yourself, know others", "know the times, know the situation", "know how to advance, know how to retreat", "change when and when to stop, know how to change"... The direction of the General Secretary is the compass for Vietnamese diplomacy to carry out its tasks during the 13th Congress term and has been thoroughly understood throughout the industry, determined to build a comprehensive, modern, strong Vietnamese foreign affairs and diplomacy, imbued with the identity of "Vietnamese bamboo". Thank you, Minister!

Content: Ha My

Design: Thuy Tien

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