1. General Secretary To Lam affirmed: “Entering the period of reform, our Party has determined that to achieve peace and development, we must open up to the outside world and cooperate with other countries, in which international integration is a high form and level of development of international cooperation. In other words, international integration means ‘placing the country in the mainstream of the times, beating in sync with and breathing the same air as the times,’ increasing our strength through connection with the world.”
The Party and State's policies on international integration have positioned Vietnam within the flow of the times, affirmed national interests, and met the requirements of national construction and defense.
A remarkable achievement is that Vietnam, from a poor, backward country heavily devastated by war, surrounded and isolated, has now become a developing country with a middle income, deeply integrated into the global political and economic system. In particular, with its rising status, Vietnam assumes many important international responsibilities and plays a positive role in international organizations and important multilateral forums.
In recent years, amidst unpredictable global and regional upheavals, Vietnam has continued to strengthen and enhance its position and prestige on the international stage. Countries around the world increasingly value and appreciate Vietnam, and are eager to promote deeper and more effective relations with it.
Between 2024 and early 2025 alone, Vietnam upgraded its relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with six countries: Australia, France, Malaysia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Singapore. Thus, to date, Vietnam has Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with 12 countries (previously including China, Russia, India, South Korea, the United States, and Japan).
Overall, Vietnam has now established diplomatic relations with 194 countries, bringing cooperation between our country and other nations to a deeper, more effective, strategic, stable, and long-term level.
On the multilateral stage, Vietnam is increasingly asserting its capacity, role, and responsibility in international affairs as an active member of more than 70 regional and international organizations. In international forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Group of Twenty (G20), the BRICS, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Francophone community, Vietnam continues to play a proactive and positive role with responsible and effective voices.
In the context of international integration, the fields of economic diplomacy and foreign trade have developed strongly, contributing to the realization of growth targets and promoting the restructuring of the economy based on science and technology and innovation. Notably, participation in 17 free trade agreements (FTAs) has connected Vietnam with over 60 key economies, enabling deeper involvement in global production and supply chains.
Currently, Vietnam ranks 17th in the world in terms of trade volume and is among the top 20 economies attracting the most foreign investment globally. International cooperation in culture has also further enhanced and spread the image of a peaceful, stable, and developing Vietnam in the region and around the world. In particular, amidst major global changes, national defense, security, and foreign relations have truly formed a three-pronged approach, contributing to the firm protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and safeguarding the Fatherland from early on and from afar.
2. As the capital city – the political and administrative center of the nation, a major center for culture, science, education, economy, and international trade, and the location of most of the Party and State's foreign affairs activities – Hanoi has implemented comprehensively and effectively the principles, guidelines, and perspectives on foreign affairs and international integration.
As the diplomatic center of the country, Hanoi continuously affirms its pioneering role in foreign affairs and international integration. Hanoi has expanded its relations and proactively integrated internationally with three main pillars: politics, economics, and culture. To date, Hanoi has established and maintained effective cooperation with over 100 cities and capitals worldwide. The city has also actively attracted investment and become a shining example of attracting foreign capital, especially from large global corporations.
Throughout the process of international integration, Hanoi has always clearly defined its role and responsibilities as the capital city, showcasing the elegance, sophistication, and heroic spirit of this thousand-year-old imperial land. This special status has been recognized by international friends, with Hanoi being designated a City for Peace and a Creative City. These proud achievements affirm Hanoi as a place where the noble human values of the Vietnamese nation converge and spread in the context of increasingly deep international integration.
In an era of national development, Hanoi is strongly mobilizing all resources for comprehensive, in-depth, and effective international integration. Accordingly, the Party Committee, government, and people of Hanoi continue to realize the goals set out in Resolution No. 15-NQ/TƯ dated May 5, 2022, of the Politburo on “Directions and tasks for the development of Hanoi until 2030, with a vision to 2045”: By 2030, Hanoi will be a “Cultural - Civilized - Modern” city; deeply integrated into the international community, highly competitive with the region and the world, striving to develop to the level of capitals of developed countries in the region... By 2045, Hanoi will be a globally connected city with a high standard of living and quality of life, exemplary for the whole country; with a level of development on par with capitals of developed countries in the region and the world...
3. Continuing the Party and State's policies on international integration, including the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party emphasizing: "Continuing to implement an independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy; proactively and actively integrating into the international community comprehensively, deeply, and effectively; maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, and continuously enhancing Vietnam's international position and prestige"; Resolution No. 59-NQ/TƯ dated January 24, 2025, of the Politburo on "International Integration in the New Situation" is considered a breakthrough decision, marking a historical turning point in the country's integration process by positioning international integration as an important driving force to lead the country into a new era. The overarching theme of the resolution affirms that international integration shifts from receiving to contributing, from deep integration to full integration, and from the position of a lagging nation to a nation that is rising and pioneering in new fields.
In his article "Rising to the Edge in International Integration," General Secretary To Lam affirmed: "Facing a historical moment, the country needs historical decisions. Inheriting established values, Resolution No. 59-NQ/TƯ has grasped the flow of the times and 'elevated' international integration with revolutionary, groundbreaking, nationalistic, scientific, and contemporary perspectives."
In this new era – an era of national progress – every sector, every field, and every social stratum contributes to the country's prosperous and strong development. International integration is no exception; it must possess "revolutionary spirit, breakthroughs, national character, scientific rigor, and a high degree of relevance to the times" in order to leverage external resources and favorable conditions for the goal of protecting the homeland and developing the country, with the ultimate aim of ensuring national interests and the interests of the people.
In this spirit, General Secretary To Lam affirmed: “In our understanding, international integration must be the undertaking of the entire people, of the entire political system, under the leadership of the Party and the management of the State. The people and businesses are the center, the subjects, the driving force, the main force, and the beneficiaries of the benefits of international integration. Integration must be maintained while preserving national identity; integration and assimilation should not lead to assimilation.”
In the strategic vision for the future development of the country in the new era, the Party leader emphasized the important tasks: “Together with the ‘spirit of innovation’ regarding the reorganization of the political system's apparatus as outlined in Resolution No. 18-NQ/TƯ; the ‘breakthrough thinking’ on the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation as outlined in Resolution No. 57-NQ/TƯ; and the orientation on international integration as an ‘action manual’ as outlined in Resolution No. 59-NQ/TƯ, we will create a ‘strategic triad’ within the focus of ‘Long-term stability - Sustainable development - Improved living standards’ as outlined by the Party.”
Strengthening international cooperation with Vietnam's independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy and diplomacy will continue to affirm the country's new position, new image, and new thinking in the new era - the era of national progress.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/vung-tin-hoi-nhap-and-tu-cuong-698435.html
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