International integration is an important driving force for national innovation and development.

International integration is one of the three pillars that Vietnam has chosen to carry out the country's renovation. After 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 22 of the Politburo on international integration (2013 - 2023), Vietnam has achieved great and historic achievements.

On this basis, in the coming time, Vietnam is determined to create new qualitative steps in international integration, bringing the country to an optimal position in the new international situation and maximizing resources for national development. Vietnam currently has diplomatic relations with nearly 200 countries. Since 2013, Vietnam has created a network of Strategic Partners/Comprehensive Partners with 33 countries, including all major countries. Vietnam has also officially participated in United Nations peacekeeping activities; signed 16 free trade agreements (FTAs) with the participation of about 60 economies. Vietnam's national brand has the fastest growth rate in value in the world (74%) in the period 2019 - 2022, reaching 431 billion USD last year.

Speaking at the first meeting of the Steering Committee for the Project "Summary of 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 22-NQ/TW dated April 10, 2013 of the Politburo on international integration" on August 2, in Hanoi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that international integration is a difficult and sensitive task but one that cannot be avoided. Vietnam still has a lot of potential, space and opportunities for international cooperation to continue to take advantage of and promote. Accordingly, international integration must be considered a truly strategic issue, the cause of the entire people and the entire political system.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting. Photo: Internet.

To effectively implement the integration process in the coming time, Vietnam needs to properly resolve the relationship between independence, autonomy and deep and comprehensive international integration; considering international integration as an important driving force for innovation and development. Closely link the international integration process with enhancing the country's autonomy, competitiveness, resilience and adaptability to all external fluctuations. Promote external resources in the process of building and perfecting institutions, improving governance capacity, mobilizing finance, training human resources, researching and transferring technology. According to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, international integration needs to be implemented with the mindset of daring to think, daring to do, daring to break through, and taking decisive action. Integration in all fields needs to complement each other, in which economic integration remains the focus, integration in other fields must actively contribute to economic development.

To create a new step of development in international integration, according to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnam needs to creatively apply three pillars in building and protecting the country (building socialist democracy, building a socialist rule-of-law state, and developing a socialist-oriented market economy).

Along with that is the continued implementation and concretization of the foreign policy set forth by the 13th National Party Congress: Continuing to concretize the Party's very important policy in the integration process, applying it creatively and appropriately to the domestic and foreign situation; continuing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralization as a good friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community for the goal of peace, cooperation, and development in the new context.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the first meeting of the Steering Committee for the Project "Summary of 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 22-NQ/TW dated April 10, 2013 of the Politburo on international integration". Photo: VGP

Continue to build an independent and self-reliant economy but proactively integrate the economy substantially and effectively; then implement the "4 no's" defense policy in integration (no participation in military alliances; no alliance with one country to fight another; no allowing foreign countries to set up military bases or use territory to fight against other countries; no use of force or threat of use of force in international relations".

The head of the Vietnamese Government also emphasized that Vietnam effectively, seriously and fully implements international agreements and commitments, both bilateral and multilateral, in the spirit of "what is said must be done, what is committed must be implemented, what is implemented must have results".

Vietnam's achievements in international integration over the past 10 years have made an important contribution to enhancing the country's position and prestige in the international arena. Now is the time for Vietnam to create new qualitative developments, effectively take advantage of new trends in the 4th industrial revolution, in shifting and rearranging supply chains, networks of free trade agreements that Vietnam has participated in, and partnerships to put the country in an optimal position in the new international situation, making the most of resources for national development./.

Thu Hang