Professor Carl Thayer speaks to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in during a recent interview in Australia. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Đạt

SYDNEY — Professor Carl Thayer, a Việt Nam specialist at the Australian Defence Force Academy, University of New South Wales, has said that Việt Nam has undergone decisive transformations, building its role and position in the international stage.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Australia on Việt Nam’s 80-year journey of reconstruction, nation-building, defence and development, Prof. Thayer noted that Việt Nam’s strategic shift was marked by opening its economy, joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and signing multiple free trade agreements.

Việt Nam has become increasingly confident in promoting multilateralism, establishing strategic partnerships, and more recently, comprehensive strategic partnerships, he said.

The expert highlighted Việt Nam’s active engagement in international institutions, including two terms as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Since publishing its first Defence White Paper in 1998, he said, Việt Nam has consistently pursued a defence policy of not participating in military alliances, not affiliating with one country to oppose another, not allowing foreign countries to establish military bases or use the Vietnamese territory to oppose other countries, and not using force or threatening to use force in international relations.

He expressed his admiration for Việt Nam’s investment in human resources development, noting the country’s growing pool of highly educated people. Under the leadership of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, he said, state apparatus are undergoing restructuring to improve efficiency.

In diplomacy, Việt Nam has built a professional corps and developed a strong global information network through its media agencies such as the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), while also strengthening foreign language training to enhance international communication.

Prof. Thayer stressed that Đổi Mới (Renewal) was a turning point that truly opened the country to the world. Since 1989, Việt Nam has seen tangible results, particularly in reducing poverty through its own efforts and international cooperation. It has also advanced social justice, gender equality, and support for ethnic minorities.

He praised improvements in living standards, citing rising life expectancy, falling unemployment, and Việt Nam’s transition into a lower-middle-income country. He added that many Vietnamese students and professionals who study or work abroad are now returning home to contribute to national development.

According to the professor, Việt Nam is a dynamic nation pursuing active cultural diplomacy and multilateral engagement, while consistently showing warmth and hospitality. These qualities, he said, have brought tangible benefits, especially to the tourism sector, which has recorded robust growth.

On social welfare, he highlighted government-sponsored pension schemes and a relatively strong healthcare system, calling them major leaps for a developing country.

Concluding the interview, Prof. Thayer recalled President Hồ Chí Minh’s principle of self-reliance and friendship with all nations.

Over the past 80 years, he said, Việt Nam has adhered to this approach and achieved remarkable success, emerging as a constructive and reliable global partner. No longer just an aid recipient, Việt Nam has become a provider of assistance, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic through its pioneering virtual conferences and participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

Looking ahead, he emphasised that amid global uncertainties and the challenges of digital transformation and climate change, Việt Nam must continue to foster resilience and self-reliance to firmly advance into a new era. — VNA/VNS