Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh has called for applying digital diplomacy into building a modern diplomatic sector to catch up with global trends.

He made the statement at a plenary session on building a professional, comprehensive and modern diplomatic sector in Hà Nội on Saturday within the framework of the 31st Diplomatic Conference.

In the context of the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, online diplomacy has been strongly deployed to maintain contacts of senior leaders through digital technology, the Deputy PM said.

He urged the diplomatic sector to apply science technology, learning from other countries to apply the virtual embassy model.

With 96 embassies, consulates and representative offices abroad, the Vietnamese diplomatic sector should consider applying digital diplomacy in order to further expand coverage to all countries, especially at embassies in Latin America and Africa.

Deputy PM Minh emphasised the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in applying digital diplomacy.

He once again urged the sector to improve institutions, consolidate and build a streamlined, efficient and suitable apparatus for building a comprehensive and modern diplomacy to implement foreign policy objectives set out by the 13th Party Congress.

He also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue to work with other ministries and sectors to develop a strategy for the diplomatic sector’s development towards 2030.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn said over the past years, the diplomatic sector had synchronously and closely combined pillars, including political, economic, cultural diplomacy, external information, overseas Vietnamese affairs and citizen protection, in order to fulfil its task of maintaining an environment of peace and stability, contributing to firmly safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity, and improving the country’s stature.

Apart from traditional fields, the sector is required to actively seek new approaches to meeting national development demands such as technological, digital, environment, medical and energy diplomacy, he said. — VNS