Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (centre) speaks at a plenary session of the 30th Diplomatic Conference on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI —  Diplomacy should be centred around helping Vietnamese enterprises reach out to the world, said Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc at a plenary session of the 30th Diplomatic Conference on Wednesday, which discussed diplomacy to develop the economy amid global integration. 

Diplomacy must take action to boost economic development and should translate strong relations between Việt Nam and foreign partners into opportunities for economic co-operation and global integration, the PM added. 

He expressed his appreciation of many Vietnamese ambassadors’ efforts in working with ministries and local governments to promote trade and expand markets overseas. 

Phúc urged all diplomats to take more active roles in shaping and promoting multilateral partnerships and guide and foster the expansion of co-operation with a focus on economy.

In addition, they must provide accurate and up-to-date information on foreign markets for the Government, ministries, localities and enterprises as well as give advice on foreign economic diplomacy and development, he added. 

He suggested that diplomats double their efforts to search for external resources, promote trade overseas, develop the labour market, call for official development assistance and attract more remittance and visitors to Vietnam, all of which will aid the country in striving to become digital and smart economy. 

“Vietnamese embassies should not only serve the Government and the Prime Minister, but also localities and both private and State-owned enterprises for the ultimate key goal of developing the national economy,” the PM stressed. 

The leader also emphasised the importance of information for foreign service, citing 4,000 foreign reporters covering events in Việt Nam in 2017. 

“This is an important channel to promote the potential, country and people of Việt Nam to the world,” he noted. 

At the event, PM Phúc lauded the contribution of diplomacy to the country’s achievements.

Resources brought by both internal and external diplomacy have been attributed to the country’s economic restructuring and strong economic growth over recent years, he noted, referring to the fact that Việt Nam is the only ASEAN member to have set up strategic and comprehensive partnerships with five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the entire G7, as well as 13 of the G20 countries. 

Over the last two years, Việt Nam has taken great advantage of ambassadors and delegations’ missions abroad to organise hundreds of trade and investment promotion events. 

Speaking at the conference, Chairman and General Director of the military-run telecom group Viettel Lê Đăng Dũng voiced his hopes to continue receiving support from Vietnamese diplomatic corps overseas. He asked diplomats to put more effort into bridging domestic and foreign businesses, strengthening legal support for Vietnamese enterprises abroad and helping them seek overseas trade and investment opportunities. 

The diplomatic conference, which was first launched in 1957, convenes every two years to allow the diplomatic sector to reach a consensus on actions to implement the Party and State’s foreign policy. 

The event’s 30th edition opened in Hà Nội on Monday, aiming to discuss measures to maintain the effective implementation of the 12th National Party Congress’ resolution, which emphasised the tasks of protecting national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity; maintaining peace and stability to serve national development; expanding diplomatic relations; effectively implementing international integration; and continuing to raise the country’s position and prestige on the international stage. — VNS