Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on the afternoon of April 28 chaired a ceremony in Hanoi to present appointment decisions to five Vietnamese ambassadors to overseas postings, including India, Belgium and Switzerland.
Ambassador of Vietnam to India, Nepal and Bhutan Trinh Minh Manh, on behalf of the newly appointed ambassadors, affirmed their determination to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted by the Party, the State and the people, while upholding Vietnam’s standing and image on the international stage.
General Secretary and President Lam stressed that the diplomats were taking up assignments in locations of major political, economic, security and diplomatic importance, and therefore must fully recognise the weight of their responsibilities, demonstrate courage, intellect and a strong sense of duty, and contribute to deepening Vietnam’s relations with partner countries in a substantive, stable, sustainable and effective manner.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly complex and unpredictable global situation, he noted that diplomacy must be closely linked to the country’s development process, helping pave the way for growth, address challenges, mobilise external resources, enhance national standing, and safeguard the nation from an early stage and from afar, in close coordination with defence and security efforts.
To meet these requirements, the ambassadors were asked to strengthen their capacity for research, forecasting and strategic policy advice; maintain and deepen Vietnam’s foreign policy orientation of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, diversification, and being a friend and trusted partner of the international community; and promote deeper relations, particularly with neighbouring countries, major partners, strategic partners and traditional friends.
They were also urged to persist in building trust, maintaining dialogue, advancing cooperation and handling differences skilfully, while firmly protecting Vietnam’s legitimate interests.
The top leader further stressed that economic, sci-tech, and development-oriented diplomacy must be placed at the centre of diplomatic work, including training human resources for science and technology development and expanding markets.
Vietnamese representative offices abroad, he said, should become “radar stations” for identifying opportunities and serving as bridges to economic, financial, scientific and technological centres, while also acting as reliable support points for businesses, local authorities and overseas Vietnamese communities.
The ambassadors were instructed to promptly develop concrete action plans for each posting, clearly identifying local strengths, needs, cooperation opportunities, available resources and expected outcomes, shifting from “activity-based” to “results-based” diplomacy and from “relationship-building” to “creating development value”.
He also emphasised that diplomacy should go beyond bilateral relations, cultural diplomacy and external information work, with stronger implementation of overseas Vietnamese affairs and citizen protection.
General Secretary and President Lam expressed confidence that the ambassadors would successfully fulfil their missions, helping maintain a peaceful environment, protect national interests, mobilise external resources and further elevate Vietnam’s international standing./.
