HÀ NỘI ( WNAM MONITORING): The Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will position foreign affairs at the centre of national development efforts while promoting economic and cultural diplomacy, as well as science, technology and innovation diplomacy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Mạnh Cường said on Wednesday.
Delivering a presentation at the plenary discussion of the ongoing 14th National Party Congress, Cường noted that this orientation is fully aligned with the draft documents submitted to the congress.
These documents affirm that, alongside national defence and security, the promotion of foreign affairs and international integration is a key and regular task, identified as a strategic pillar in the cause of national construction and defence.
He said that through successive Party congresses, the Communist Party of Việt Nam has continuously renewed its thinking and refined its foreign policy.
During the Đổi mới (renewal) period, Việt Nam gradually moved from ‘wanting to be friends’ to ‘being ready to be friends’, then to becoming ‘friends, reliable partners and an active, responsible member of the international community’. The country has also evolved from international economic integration to proactive and comprehensive international integration, and from participation to active contribution, eventually enhancing its core and leading role in multilateral mechanisms.
On that basis, the documents of the 14th National Party Congress emphasise strategic autonomy and self-reliance as the foundation for deep integration without dependence, while clearly defining the development of foreign affairs in the new era.
Designating foreign affairs and international integration as key and regular tasks, he said, stems from objective requirements amid profound, complex and unpredictable changes in the international environment, he said.
This marks an important advance in thinking, as foreign affairs and international integration have become an essential method and a continuous endeavour in building and safeguarding the Fatherland. It is a shared undertaking of the entire political system, requiring proactive participation and close, synchronised coordination across all levels, sectors and localities.
Cường said the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has identified several key tasks for the coming period.
These include thoroughly grasping and effectively implementing the foreign policy line of the 14th National Party Congress, and carrying out a comprehensive foreign affairs strategy at a higher level in the new era of prosperous and powerful national development.
The ministry will also synchronously implement the pillars of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy, while closely coordinating with parliamentary diplomacy, defence diplomacy, public security diplomacy and local-level external relations.
He also pledged to build a comprehensive, modern and professional diplomatic service, accelerate digital transformation, and focus on developing a contingent of foreign affairs officials with strong ethics, resilience and professional competence.
