Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Diplomacy has laid a solid foundation for Việt Nam to enter a new era of development, according to an article written by Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ ahead of the 14th National Party Congress.

The article says that during the Party’s 13th tenure, the world has undergone profound, epoch-shaping changes, creating significant opportunities and favourable conditions while also posing unprecedented challenges.

Against this backdrop, Việt Nam has faced intertwined opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the international environment has remained relatively conducive to development, while rising demand for cooperation and economic connectivity has enabled the country to deepen international integration and move up the development ladder. On the other hand, it has had to contend with the unpredictability of global developments, heightened risks to the world economy and security environment and the danger of falling behind if scientific and technological advances and emerging development trends are not seized in a timely manner.

In a volatile global context, under the sound leadership of the Party, the effective management of the State, the governance of the Government and the National Assembly and the concerted efforts of ministries and localities, Việt Nam has consistently implemented a foreign policy of peace, cooperation and development, independence and self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification. As a result, it has continued to stand out as a bright spot of peace, stability and development in the region.

A hallmark achievement has been the expansion and deepening of Việt Nam’s relations with neighbouring countries, major powers and key partners. Việt Nam now maintains diplomatic relations with 194 countries and has established comprehensive strategic partnerships, strategic partnerships and comprehensive partnerships with 42 partners. Notably, it has, for the first time, forged comprehensive strategic partnerships with all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and partnerships at comprehensive level or higher with 18 of the 21 G20 members. Political trust and cooperation with key partners, especially neighbouring countries and traditional friends, have been steadily strengthened, while bilateral cooperation has recorded notable breakthroughs in trade, investment, digital transformation, green transition, science and technology and defence and security.

Diplomacy had also contributed to safeguarding the nation early and from afar, firmly upholding peace and stability, Vũ wrote, affirming that in the face of major global upheavals, Việt Nam has effectively managed relations with partners and consistently prioritised the peaceful resolution of existing issues based on international law. This approach helped maintain peaceful, stable and cooperative land borders, advance negotiations with various countries, establish the baseline in the Gulf of Tonkin, submit a dossier on the extended continental shelf in respect of the central part of the East Sea and promote the development of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

On the multilateral front, Việt Nam had increasingly demonstrated its capacity, responsibility and stature by hosting major international events, while also expanding participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations and global efforts to address shared challenges such as climate change and food security.

These achievements affirmed that during the 13th Party Congress tenure, diplomacy, especially multilateral diplomacy, had been a vital driving force in consolidating peace, enhancing national stature and laying favourable conditions for Việt Nam to confidently enter a new era of development, the official stressed.

In the coming years, global uncertainties will persist, while the country stands at the threshold of a new historic starting point, presenting fresh tasks and challenges for foreign affairs, the article says. Accordingly, the diplomatic sector will continue to strengthen diplomacy and international integration, treating them as critical and continuous tasks closely coordinated with national defence and security, to serve the dual strategic objectives of protecting the homeland early, from afar and achieving rapid and sustainable national development.

It will focus on creating momentum and unlocking new opportunities for development by connecting domestic strengths with international forces, while shifting mindset from passive recipients to active contributors, from learning to leadership, from broad integration to full integration and from a follower nation to a pioneering one. In this regard, Việt Nam will take a central role in strategic global issues and mechanisms aligned with its interests, while contributing responsibly and constructively to addressing shared global challenges.

The sector will also work to elevate Việt Nam’s role and stature in global politics, the global economy and human civilisation, while developing diplomacy with a streamlined, efficient and effective structure. The diplomatic apparatus will be equipped with resources commensurate with the country’s growing strength at regional and global levels.

With the guidance of the 14th National Party Congress and the absolute leadership of the Party, the nation’s diplomatic sector, from central to local levels, would continue to play a pioneering role in maintaining peace, mobilising international resources and favourable conditions for development and enhancing the country’s position in the new era, affirmed the Deputy Foreign Minister. — VNA/VNS