Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn, with the 15 new Vietnamese ambassadors at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm has appointed new ambassadors to their roles, saying they not only act as diplomatic bridges but also key implementers of the Party and State's policies, leading Việt Nam's external relations efforts.

On Monday he presented appointment decisions for the Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Việt Nam to 15 countries for the 2024-27 term, at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội.

Lê Hoài Trung, member of the Party Central Committee and head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, Bùi Thanh Sơn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lê Khánh Hải, Chief of the Presidential Office, also took part in the ceremony.

During the event, on behalf of the General Secretary and President, Lê Thanh Hà, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Office, announced the President’s decision to appoint 16 Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

The newly appointed ambassadors expressed their profound honour and gratitude to have received their appointments directly from the Vietnamese top leader.

They highlighted the trust and recognition from the Party, State and personally from the General Secretary and President in the diplomatic sector and external affairs.

The ambassadors expressed their enthusiasm in taking on their new roles as the country enters a crucial stage to fulfil the resolutions of the 13th National Party Congress and prepares for the 14th Congress, marking the era of Việt Nam's ascendance.

They pledged to follow closely the policies and directives of the Party and State, contributing to Việt Nam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and multilateralisation. They also committed to promoting cooperative relations with host countries, further strengthening Việt Nam's stature, protecting national interests and advancing the country's development in the new era.

General Secretary and President Tô Lâm congratulated the ambassadors on their appointments, acknowledging the honour and responsibility entrusted to them by the Party, State, and people. He underscored that the ambassadors would serve in critical regions, including countries with traditional ties as well as new diplomatic territories.

Lâm highlighted Việt Nam's enhanced international standing and active participation in multilateral forums, noting the country's expanding relations and cooperation in all fields, not only through State diplomacy but also through Party and public diplomacy, across sectors such as economics, culture, society, security and defence.

However, despite significant achievements, the country still faces many development challenges. The goal to become a high-income industrialised nation by 2045, on the 100th anniversary of the nation's founding, is a formidable task requiring collective national effort, this means that foreign affairs remain a crucial, continuous and comprehensive mission, Lâm stated.

The ambassadors' roles extend across all fields, including diplomacy, economics, culture, national defence and security, all aimed at safeguarding the nation's interests. They are not only diplomatic bridges but also key implementers of the Party and State's policies, leading Việt Nam's external relations efforts.

Lâm encouraged the newly appointed ambassadors to embody the spirit of: "Self-reliance, self-confidence, self-determination and national pride," and to advance the modern era's diplomacy, reflective of Việt Nam's rich historical, cultural, political and economic stature.

He called on them to elevate Việt Nam's role and position in global politics and economics, laying a solid foundation for the nation to enter a new era — one of the country's ascendance and progress toward a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous and civilised Việt Nam on the path to socialism. — VNS