From this new spring, Việt Nam enters a new era called the 'Era of Nation's Rise' under new leadership, with significant historic improvements in administration and governance. Việt Nam News reporters Lê Hương, Minh Phương and Trọng Kiên interview several ambassadors to gather their opinions on this matter.

Dakhil Allah AlJohani, Saudi Arabian ambassador

Việt Nam is truly rising and advancing in the international arena. The country has made impressive progress in its economic and sociocultural development. With a people-centric approach and flexible policies, it has become a key player in global value chains, emerging as one of the fastest-growing and sustainable economies in the region.

Dakhil Allah AlJohani, Saudi Arabian ambassador. Photo courtesy of the embassy

In recent years, Việt Nam's political position has increasingly advanced. A noteworthy testament to this is the UN’s recent choice of the capital to host the signing ceremony of an international convention against cybercrime in 2025, indicating the international community’s recognition and trust in Việt Nam.

The country has also continued to maintain its ranking as one of the leading economies in Southeast Asia, demonstrating its rapid development. Not only that, Vietnamese sports are showing their commendable progression, especially in football, as evidenced by the recent ASEAN Cup 2024 championship. Congratulations to the Vietnamese team!

I am certain that Việt Nam, with its prestigious standing and industrious population, will reach brighter horizons in the time ahead.

Saudi Arabia, as one of the leading partners of Việt Nam in the Middle East, sees great potential in strengthening the relationship between our two nations, which will benefit and propel both peoples towards a prosperous future.

Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, Cuban ambassador

The era of nation's rise is a very challenging process that the leadership of Việt Nam has established as an objective for the coming years. I think it's very interesting the objective that has been established by the leadership, and you will reach this objective in the future. Việt Nam has shown the world the way a country can be transformed in a very deep way to give more development, and more social justice for its people.

Cuban Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes. VNS Photo Minh Phương

The party, the state and the leadership and people of Việt Nam will reach this accomplishment and Cuba fully supports this objective, and we are ready to do whatever Việt Nam will need in our modest capabilities to accompany this process of the era of nation rise of Việt Nam.

Sandeep Arya, Indian ambassador

I think the new leadership, the Party General Secretary has discussed the nation's rise in the new era, in the new context. India and Việt Nam are both growing at more than double the average rate of growth around the world, which means that both of us are much faster growing countries. What is also true is that both of us have a long-term vision.

Indian Ambassador Sandeep Arya and his wife Suveta Singh visit the Temple of Literature. VNS Photo Minh Phương

India has what we call developed India 2047. Việt Nam has Việt Nam's vision 2045. So we are looking at the next 20 years of good growth, you know, 7 to 8 per cent or maybe even up to 10 per cent. That's what Việt Nam needs. That's what India needs.

It's an excellent way of doing well and looking at an ambitious future. That's true of Việt Nam. And, the leadership of Việt Nam is very determined to take it forward. It has laid out how it wants to do that in terms of better governance, more efficient, effective governance, and also using science, technology, and innovation for the future growth. So, those parameters look very good, and they also look very similar to what we are trying to do in India.

In the new year, it's good for both countries to look at how we can collaborate as we have good growth, we have good ambitions, so we can therefore convert this synergy into mutually moving forward for stronger and more prosperous and more developed countries.

Technology is really a great area for us to work together. In the last three or four months, you might have heard about the launch of something called the army software park at Telecommunications University in Nha Trang. We also launched what we call a centre of Excellence for Software Development and Training in November, which is an IT centre at the Post and Telecommunications Institute of Technology. These are two digital experiences, which we have brought from India and have implemented in Việt Nam.

And we believe that both of them will contribute in a big way in terms of using digital technology, using greater IT, what in Việt Nam you call the digital transformation of the country in terms of better skills, better education, better infrastructure and using that infrastructure for new applications such as through a data centre, networking and also teaching experiences.

Alongside, what we have implemented in the last few months, we are also wanting to move forward and have several small ideas that I think we can collaborate on, work together and contribute to greater prosperity, and the faster development of Việt Nam and also India moving forward on the same path.

Olivier Brochet, French Ambassador

The development of Việt Nam since the Đổi Mới (Renewal) has been very impressive, but all observers agree that Việt Nam has a strong potential for faster, more qualitative growth in the economic field in order to reach its goal of becoming a developed country by 2045. Recent reforms to streamline administration, invest in innovation and human resources and deliver on important infrastructures, especially in the field of energy and transportation, all go in the right direction.

French Ambassador to Việt Nam Olivier Brochet. Photo Courtesy of the embassy

Now, implementation will be key to see if Việt Nam can deliver on those policy orientations and avoid the middle-income trap. France is willing to assist Việt Nam. And the newly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our two countries provides the perfect framework to push forward our cooperation in those important fields.

France has been a long-time partner of Việt Nam in the field of e-government and digital transformation. New technologies are emerging: AI is going to deeply affect the economy and the way societies work. There is a need to address these challenges with all relevant stakeholders, and France is taking the lead with the AI Action Summit that will take place in Paris in February.

In order to achieve a double-digit growth and attract foreign investments in the tech sector, Việt Nam needs to improve its infrastructure. Carbon-free energy and transports are the key for Việt Nam to achieve its 2050 “net-zero emissions” goal and enter a “new era of sustainable development”. France is willing to contribute its expertise in nuclear energy as well as urban railways and high-speed rail to assist Việt Nam in this field.

Finally, France has long been a leading industrial and research partner for Việt Nam: many Vietnamese scientists have been trained in French universities and our tertiary education institutions and companies rank among the main research partners of Vietnamese innovation actors. Besides, here in Việt Nam, the University of Science & Technology Hà Nội (USTH) has established itself as a major institution for training engineering talents in fields such as aeronautics or Industry 4.0. On a day-to-day basis, French companies in Việt Nam contribute to the local innovation ecosystem through investments (e.g., Schneider Electric’s investment in green mobility startup Selex), mentorship (e.g., The Schoolab), patent licensing, training, etc.

2024 has been a very good year for the Franco-Vietnamese cooperation, with the visit of Secretary General Tô Lâm in France and the inauguration of metro line 3 in Việt Nam. I am confident 2025 will continue this exceptional trend in bilateral relations, with very important visits and important decisions to take concrete actions ushering in a “new era of development” for our bilateral cooperation.

Dato' Tan Yang Thai, Malaysian Ambassador

The era of Việt Nam's rise is an ambitious and transformative vision that showcases Việt Nam's determination to position itself as a key player in the global arena. Working towards this objective, Việt Nam is committed to enhancing governance, promoting digital transformation, and fostering sustainable economic progress, which are important pillars in modern nation-building from the perspective of becoming a prosperous, equitable and developed nation. This focus on becoming a prosperous, equitable, and developed nation is in alignment with Malaysia’s own aspirations for sustainable development and inclusive growth. Regionally, the vision can potentially bolster regional development and strengthen ASEAN's collective capacity.

Malaysian Ambassador to Việt Nam Dato' Tan Yang Thai. Photo courtesy of the embassy

Malaysia and Việt Nam recently elevated bilateral relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024. Malaysia is the first ASEAN country to have bilateral relations with Việt Nam elevated to Comprehensive Strategic level, and was a natural progression reflecting the strengthening of ties since the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the two countries in 2015.

General Secretary Tô Lâm’s vision for an era of Việt Nam's rise aligns closely with the strategic directions already set for bilateral collaboration – for example, both Malaysia and Việt Nam have prioritised strengthening economic ties, enhancing people-to-people connections, and fostering collaboration in emerging sectors such as digital technology, the digital economy, green growth and sustainable development. These shared priorities reflect our commitment to building a future-ready partnership that capitalises on both countries' strengths and ambitions.

Malaysia can be an important partner in this era of Việt Nam’s rise through various collaborations. This includes economic collaboration - through the enhancement of bilateral trade and investment; collaboration in digital transformation efforts – by sharing best practices technologies, and expertise and hence accelerating both country's digital economy goals; collaboration in sustainable development - by assisting each other in renewable energy development, waste management technologies and sustainable agriculture. The partnership can further build on the existing collaboration in strengthening human capital for modern industrial development.

Malaysia can be an important partner in this era of Vịệt Nam's rise through various collaborations. This includes economic collaboration – through the enhancement of bilateral trade and investment; collaboration in digital transformation efforts – by sharing best practices technologies, and expertise and hence accelerating both country's digital economy goals; collaboration in sustainable development – by assisting each other in renewable energy development, waste management technologies and sustainable agriculture. The partnership can further build on the existing collaboration in strengthening human capital for modern industrial development.

Ali Akbar Nazari, Iranian Ambassador

Let me, not just as a diplomat, but as a friend, share with you the words that come from my heart. Really, I believe in the words that I share with you, not as a diplomat but as a compliment. I share these words with a dear Vietnamese friend. You should be proud of your country. You should be proud of your Government because of a very excellent and remarkable performance across different fields, which makes Việt Nam, in different aspects and fields and arenas, a very imminent one, a very active one and also a very effective country in the world.

Iranian Ambassador Ali Akbar Nazari (right) and his wife. VNS Photo Minh Phương

I haven't got the time to go into details to show you that how much I believe in these words. Twice already Việt Nam has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations and for maybe more than two or three times within the Human Rights Council. In other different arenas of the United Nations as well, Việt Nam nowadays is considered as a very active and effective country in terms of multilateralism.

Fortunately, from the Iranian aspect, we are happy that Việt Nam is always there, because of the principal position and wise principal position that Việt Nam has toward the international issues. About the economy, that is very clear cut.

No need to explain and no need even to elaborate because the figures speak for themselves, very loudly and broadly. I know because of the war and the sanctions after the war, inflation in Việt Nam, before the Renewal (Đổi mới) was about 700 per cent, while the total value of the trade now is in the billions.

When we are talking about 2022 or 2023, the value of trade exceeded US$730 billion. Even in this year, I mean in 2024, which we just passed a few days ago, it was over US$800 billion, which really is an amazing number and puts Việt Nam among the top 20 in terms of trade.

About inflation, the Government because of its good performance, a good ruling of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, the inflation decreased from 700 per cent or even above to just three per cent.

This is enough to know how much the Party was dedicated to this country and what an excellent performance and what remarkable achievements and results they got.

And due to that, I would like to say the whole nation of Việt Nam should admire their dignitaries. They should admire their Government and appreciate them. And very fortunately, they do. I witnessed that they are well aware of this dedication and this hard work and good achievements, and they appreciate their Government, which they deserve.

As I said, we complement each other, we are not competitors with each other, due to that, we have a lot of room for cooperations.

At the same time, the population of Việt Nam is about 100 million. We are, of course, fewer, but not that different, Iran's population is now about 85 million. Eighty five million and one hundred million is, of course, a very big market for both sides.

We can not only think about the population of the two countries, but we can use the two countries as gateways to the trade to the region, to CIS countries, to Central Asia via Iran, and to ASEAN via Việt Nam. In that case, we can think about almost one billion population, which will be a very huge market for both sides. This is about the trade and economy and about technology transfer, fortunately, Việt Nam achieved a lot. At the same time, let me share very modestly to you and to your readers, that Iran achieved a lot in different fields as well. And we are completely ready to share these achievements with our brothers and sisters in Việt Nam.

Iran has a very excellent rank in the world in nanotechnology, we have an excellent rank among the top ten in aerospace. We have very excellent achievements in regards to the defence industry, we have a good achievement in terms of peaceful nuclear energy. We have a lot of achievements in regards to public health. There are a lot others as well, I just don't want to make a very long list.

What I want to say, there is a lot of room and potential for cooperation between the two brotherly and friendly countries of Iran and Việt Nam.

Talking about the cultural cooperation or people-to-people diplomacy, as I said before, I'm very interested in this kind of activity which, very fortunately, is also welcomed by the Vietnamese authorities and the people of Việt Nam.

And we were fortunately encouraged to continue and even do as much as possible, more in comparison with the previous years, we have a lot to share with each other.

Jamale Chouaibi, Moroccan Ambassador

Việt Nam's rise on the global stage is truly remarkable. The country's significant economic growth, social development and active participation in international affairs reflect the resilience and determination of its people, alongside the government's commitment to comprehensive advancement.

Moroccan Ambassador to Việt Nam Jamale Chouaibi. VNS Photo Minh Phương

Morocco, similarly, is pursuing ambitious strategies to become an emerging industrial nation, focusing on sectors such as manufacturing and renewable energy. Both countries have opportunities to collaborate by sharing experiences and expertise in areas like green energy, information technology and innovation.

This partnership could involve joint committees, business ventures and direct interactions between stakeholders, enhancing bilateral relations and contributing to our shared aspirations of becoming leading economies in our regions.

Renée Deschamps, Australia’s Chargé d’Affaires a.i.

Australia welcomes the vision of a "New Era" for Việt Nam, as articulated by General Secretary Tô Lâm. The ambition for Việt Nam to become a high-income nation by 2045 is a bold and exciting goal. We see great potential for Việt Nam to build on its remarkable past achievements to propel the country toward this vision.

Renée Deschamps, Australia’s Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Việt Nam. Photo courtesy of the embassy

The call for decisive action, as outlined in the General Secretary's recent speech, emphasises the urgency of creating the necessary conditions for change. This is a timely reminder that while transformation can bring challenges, the rewards can be profound. Việt Nam's historical experience—especially the success of the Đổi Mới reforms in the 1980s—demonstrates how far-sighted reforms can lead to transformative economic growth, and Australia stands ready to support Việt Nam in navigating this next phase of its journey.

Australia values its deep and growing relationship with Việt Nam, underscored by our shared commitment to advancing leadership and public sector development. The Việt Nam Australia Centre (VAC), based at the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, exemplifies the strength of our cooperation. The VAC plays a key role in fostering civil service reform and leadership development, ensuring that both nations learn from each other as we confront common challenges, from governance to gender equity in leadership roles.

Looking ahead, we believe that the "New Era" for Việt Nam comes at a time of heightened global complexity. As geopolitical competition intensifies, Australia supports Việt Nam in its global engagement in line with its national interests and ambitions. Việt Nam's rise as a regional and global player is one we welcome, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration in key areas such as trade, security, education, climate action, and sustainable development.

In this context, we are excited to continue our partnership with Việt Nam as it pursues its goal of becoming a high-income nation by 2045. The elevation of our bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership reflects our shared vision for a prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable future. VNS