Hanoi (VNA) - Over the past 80 years, Vietnam’s diplomacy, shaped by the vision of President Ho Chi Minh and guided by the principles of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), has remained committed to serving the country and its people.
The sector has played a pivotal role in many of the nation’s most important achievements, from securing independence to building Vietnam’s place on the global stage.
In the eyes of the international community today, Vietnam is no longer a peripheral player but a middle power with growing influence in ASEAN and across the wider region. The country’s voice is increasingly heard in addressing shared challenges of the global community.
These views were echoed during a scientific symposium titled “Diplomacy in the Ho Chi Minh Era: 80 Years of Devotion to the Nation”, held in Hanoi on July 28, where Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son reflected on the journey of Vietnam’s diplomatic service.
At the symposium’s opening, Minister Son noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs enjoys a unique historical honour, it was personally led and mentored by President Ho Chi Minh, who served as the nation’s first foreign minister.
Drawing on the deep well of Vietnam’s thousand-year-old diplomatic tradition, and illuminated by Ho Chi Minh’s diplomatic thought, the foreign service has, over eight decades, made contributions of lasting historical significance. It was instrumental in securing national independence and reunification, maintaining peace, attracting foreign resources, and creating favourable external conditions for development and defence.
Following reunification, diplomacy played a central role in ending isolation, lifting embargoes, and advancing the policy of independence, self-reliance, and multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations. Vietnam gradually entered the regional and global arena, joining ASEAN, APEC, and the WTO, and signing or acceding to hundreds of treaties and agreements.
Thanks to these efforts, the country’s standing has risen remarkably from a time when it was almost absent on the world’s political map to a position of growing influence in global politics, the world economy, and international cultural exchange.
Vietnam now maintains diplomatic relations with 194 countries, strategic or comprehensive partnerships with 37 of them, including all major powers and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and is an active member of over 70 international and regional organisations.
According to the diplomat, this progress was made possible by a set of enduring lessons, as in combining national strength with the spirit of the times, balancing national interests with international responsibilities, and holding firm to principles while remaining flexible in execution. Above all, it is important to ensure the Party’s comprehensive leadership and the State’s unified management over foreign affairs.
While achievements are significant, challenges remain. Implementation of some international commitments has yet to reach desired levels, strategic forecasting has at times lagged behind rapid global developments, and resources for foreign affairs have not always matched the country’s rising profile or the increasing demands of diplomacy.
In the coming time, Son stressed that the foreign service must continue to play a pioneering role in safeguarding peace and stability, attracting resources, and creating favourable conditions to achieve Vietnam’s strategic development goals for 2030 and 2045.
The recent consolidation of the Party Central Committee’s External Relations Commission with parts of the National Assembly’s External Relations Committee offers opportunities to more fully integrate the three channels – Party, State, and people’s diplomacy - thereby strengthening its overall effectiveness.
Former Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien reinforced the importance of continuing the principle of “staying firm in policy, yet flexible in its execution”, while ensuring Vietnam remains a symbol of peace, reconciliation, unity, and cooperation.
With Hanoi’s recognition as a “City for Peace” by UNESCO, the capital is well positioned to host regional and international dialogues that further elevate the nation’s standing.
Former Vice Chair of the National Assembly’s External Relations Committee Ton Nu Thi Ninh called for maintaining Vietnam’s strengths in proactive and flexible diplomacy in the face of shifting geopolitical and economic landscapes. She emphasised the need for strategic intelligence and resilience, with an unwavering focus on protecting sovereignty, security, economic interests, and cultural identity.
Hoang Binh Quan, former head of the Party Central Committee’s External Relations Commission, highlighted the “three-legged stool” of Vietnamese diplomacy – Party, State, and people’s diplomacy - as equal pillars of a comprehensive foreign policy.
He underscored the need for close coordination among these channels to ensure unity, coherence, and maximum impact, with People’s diplomacy fostering societal goodwill abroad and supporting the other two channels in advancing national interests./.
