Quang Ninh (VNA) – Vietnam aims to expand and strengthen its network of honorary consuls abroad to better protect citizens, promote economic diplomacy and mobilise international resources for national development, officials said at the second Conference of Vietnam’s Honorary Consuls Abroad, held in the northern province of Quang Ninh on July 30.
The event, held ahead of the 33rd Diplomatic Conference, focused on implementing the foreign policy orientations adopted at the 14th National Party Congress in support of the country’s long-term development goals for the 2030-2045 period.
Addressing the conference, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said the event provided an opportunity to review the effectiveness of Vietnam’s honorary consul network and update participants on the country’s development vision and orientations. Building on this, relevant agencies and honorary consuls of Vietnam will promote practical cooperation to strengthen trade and investment ties, and further improve consular services and the protection of Vietnamese citizens abroad.
Director of the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Hoang Minh said Vietnam has appointed 22 new honorary consuls and reappointed 32 others since the first conference in 2021. The country now has 48 honorary consuls serving in Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and the Americas.
Although they serve on a voluntary basis and receive no state salary, honorary consuls have made significant contributions by promoting their personal networks and resources. They played an active role in assisting Vietnamese citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid geopolitical conflicts, including those in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Honorary consuls have also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s economic diplomacy and international image. Notable initiatives include support for the ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the establishment of the Aichi–Vietnam Friendship Association in Japan, and the naming of a street after the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
To facilitate their work, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed new regulations allowing honorary consuls to receive electronic visa exemption cards valid for up to three years.
The ministry said it will continue expanding the honorary consul network by identifying qualified candidates while providing them with updated information on Vietnam’s economic potential and investment opportunities, enabling them to make greater contributions to the country’s development in the new era.
At the conference, Honorary Consuls from Nepal, Brazil, and New Caledonia (France) shared practical experience and discussed measures to further improve the effectiveness of their work.
Dinh Jean Pierre, Vietnam's Honorary Consul to New Caledonia, highlighted the importance of transparent and close coordination with overseas Vietnamese associations in protecting citizens, while underscoring efforts to preserve and promote Vietnamese cultural identity within the expatriate community./.
