Chi tiết tin - Sở Ngoại vụ

1. External Relations and International Integration: From a Supportive Role to a Strategic Pillar of National Development

The elevation of external relations and international integration to one of the three fundamental tasks, alongside national defense and security, demonstrates a major shift in the Party’s perception and strategic orientation. External relations are no longer viewed merely as a supportive tool but as an inseparable component of the national strategy for safeguarding the country from early on and from afar.

Nearly 40 years of Doi Moi have clearly affirmed the crucial role of diplomacy in expanding the country’s development space, advancing international economic integration, maintaining a peaceful environment, and mobilizing external resources. Viet Nam has established strategic partnerships with most major powers, become an active and responsible member of many international organizations, and played a proactive role in key multilateral processes such as ASEAN, the United Nations, APEC, and the WTO, etc.

Diplomacy has increasingly served as a pioneering channel in creating new momentum and strength for the nation. Each stage of Viet Nam’s development has been accompanied by major diplomatic milestones, from joining ASEAN (1995), signing the Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States (2000), entering the WTO (2007), to concluding next-generation free trade agreements such as the CPTPP, EVFTA, and UKVFTA, etc. These turning points have not only opened markets but also driven institutional reforms and enhanced national competitiveness.

The Draft Documents of the 14th National Party Congress inherit and further elevate this strategic thinking, affirming: “Build and implement a comprehensive and modern diplomacy, ensuring close coordination among Party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, thereby contributing to the maintenance of a peaceful environment and the maximization of external resources for rapid and sustainable national development.”

2. Economic Diplomacy and Technology Diplomacy: Strategic Breakthroughs

A key highlight of the Draft Documents is the orientation to “advance diplomacy for development, placing economic diplomacy and science-and-technology diplomacy at the center and as pioneering pillars.” This represents a breakthrough direction, aligned with global development trends in which innovation, digital transformation, the green economy, and the circular economy are emerging as major drivers of growth.

Economic diplomacy now extends far beyond investment and trade promotion. It plays a crucial role in opening pathways for enterprises, connecting them to global value chains, and shaping a conducive legal and policy environment for innovation. The Draft calls for strengthened implementation of next-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), enhanced negotiation capacity, effective fulfillment of international commitments, and the mobilization of technical assistance as well as the adoption of advanced governance models from development partners.

Notably, technology diplomacy is, for the first time, identified as a strategic spearhead of Viet Nam’s diplomatic work. In the context of global digital transformation, where artificial intelligence, big data, and green technologies are reshaping the emerging world order, proactively expanding technological cooperation with strategic partners, promoting technology transfer, and securing access to green finance and high-quality human resources have become essential tasks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Technology have begun to implement joint action programs, foster international cooperation initiatives on innovation, and engage in global forums on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and sustainable development.

3. Cultural and People-to-People Diplomacy: Unleashing the Nation’s Soft Power

Alongside economic and technological development, cultural diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy are identified as key pillars for enhancing Viet Nam’s national soft power, an increasingly vital factor in contemporary international relations. The draft document underscores the task to “promote the image of Viet Nam more widely to the world, and strengthen the role of overseas Vietnamese communities.”

In recent years, cultural diplomacy initiatives have contributed significantly to shaping an image of Viet Nam as a friendly, dynamic and innovative country that is proactively integrating into the international community. Vietnamese art, cuisine, cinema and literature have been introduced in more than 30 countries, and hundreds of cultural events have been held within the frameworks of bilateral cultural years, international fairs, and major global exhibitions. In addition, numerous Vietnamese cultural and natural heritages such as The Tale of Kieu, Tru Singing, Hue royal court music, Ha Long Bay, and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, have been recognized by UNESCO, helping elevate Viet Nam’s standing on the global cultural map.

The more than 5.3 million overseas Vietnamese living in 130 countries constitute an invaluable source of soft power. The Party places strong emphasis on strengthening connections with the overseas Vietnamese and fostering their role as bridges of friendship, “ambassadors”, in promoting Viet Nam’s culture, traditions and national interests.

4. A Comprehensive, Proactive, and Modern Diplomacy for the New Era

The draft documents clearly defines the requirement to build a comprehensive and modern Vietnamese diplomacy, ensuring the coordinated and effective operation of its three pillars: Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. A comprehensive diplomacy framework extends beyond political diplomacy to encompass economic, cultural, defense, environmental, scientific–technological, parliamentary, and local diplomacy.

Modern diplomacy calls for the application of digital technologies and digital transformation across foreign affairs activities, including the use of big data and artificial intelligence to enhance strategic analysis, forecasting, policy advisory capacity, and situational response. In addition, digital diplomacy plays an increasingly important role in external communications and in shaping a strong and credible digital national image among international audiences.

5. Building a Capable Diplomatic Workforce and Improving the Institutional Framework for External Relations

To effectively implement the new diplomatic strategy, the Draft Report emphasizes the need to develop a diplomatic corps that is both “principled and professional” - politically steadfast, highly competent, proficient in foreign languages, and well-versed in international law. It also underscores the importance of specialized training across key areas, particularly emerging fields such as digital economic diplomacy, technology diplomacy, and non-traditional security.

Strengthening the institutional framework for external relations is identified as a critical requirement. The Draft proposes a comprehensive review and revision of legal documents governing foreign affairs to ensure coherence, consistency, timeliness, and alignment with evolving circumstances. It also calls for greater decentralization and delegation of authority to localities and overseas missions, thereby enhancing autonomy and flexibility in responding to international developments.

It is evident that the Draft Resolution for the 14th National Party Congress not only continues but also expands the Party’s strategic thinking on external relations, shifting from “accompanying development” to “paving the way for development,” and from a supporting role to one that is proactive and pioneering. By affirming external relations and international integration as essential, regular tasks on par with national defense and security, and by defining clear breakthrough pillars - economic diplomacy, technology diplomacy, and cultural diplomacy - the Party demonstrates strategic vision and thorough preparation for a new phase of national development. Vietnam’s diplomacy is steadily advancing onto the global stage with a spirit of proactivity, creativity, and responsibility, contributing to the country’s firm progress toward deeper integration and sustainable development.

View the Vietnamese version at https://sngv.quangtri.gov.vn/chi-tiet-tin/-/view-article/1/442011382601115302/1765355805065

Tran Ngoc Lan

Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs