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Vietnamese and international delegates attending the World Peace Council Congress held in Hanoi in November 2022. |
In this regard, people's diplomacy stands out as it has effectively demonstrated its pioneering role in establishing and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, mobilizing external resources for national development, enhancing Vietnam's international reputation and position, and ensuring the highest interests of the nation and its people.
Important achievements
In the field of people's diplomacy, Vietnamese diplomats have deeply embraced the guiding spirit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the first National Foreign Affairs Conference on December 14, 2021, regarding the construction and development of a modern and distinctive Vietnamese foreign policy - the "Vietnamese Bamboo" diplomatic approach, characterized by a "strong root, solid trunk, and flexible branches."
Vietnamese diplomats have also followed Directive No.12-CT/TW issued on January 5, 2022, by the Party Central Committee on strengthening the Party's leadership and enhancing the effectiveness of people's diplomacy in the new situation. This directive emphasizes the need to thoroughly understand the role, position, and significance of people's diplomacy, considering it as one of the three pillars of foreign affairs that contributes to comprehensive and modern diplomatic strength.
Vietnam has made efforts to build a positive and conducive social foundation, contributing to strengthening and deepening friendships and promoting cooperation with neighboring countries, important partners, and traditional friends, and expanding relations with new partners. Over the past two years, Vietnam has successfully organized several significant foreign activities that have left a remarkable impression.
These include the 22nd World Peace Council Assembly in November 2022 with the participation of over 100 international delegates from 49 countries, commemorative activities marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam, which restored peace in Vietnam (January 27, 1973 - January 27, 2023) with the participation of historical witnesses and international friends who supported Vietnam.
Additionally, a series of people's diplomacy activities have been conducted at various levels with Laos and Cambodia to celebrate the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Solidarity Year (marking 60 years of diplomatic relations and 45 years of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation) and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year (marking 55 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cambodia).
The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) has actively collaborated with partners such as Russia, China, India, Cuba, Brazil, Algeria, Italy, Belarus, and Azerbaijan, to organize numerous activities to honor and promote the values of the ideology, ethics, and style of President Ho Chi Minh.
One of the notable highlights is that VUFO has actively and proactively participated in organizing diverse people's diplomacy activities, enriching the content of high-level foreign affairs engagements. These include General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's 2022 visit to China, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc's visits to Singapore and Cambodia in 2022, President Vo Van Thuong's planned visit to Laos in 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's 2022 visit to Cambodia, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue's visits to Cuba, Argentina, and Uruguay in 2023. Additionally, there were visits from the Prime Minister of Cuba to Vietnam in 2022, the National Assembly Chairman of Mozambique to Vietnam in 2022, and the visit and work of the Chairman of the United Russia Party in Vietnam in 2023.
Furthermore, in the field of people's diplomacy, Vietnam has actively organized a wide range of meaningful and diverse activities to promote peace, solidarity, and friendship. These activities have been conducted both online and through various channels at the national and local levels. Notably, Vietnam has collaborated closely with embassies and partner countries to arrange numerous commemorative events marking important milestones such as the establishment of diplomatic relations, national days, and significant holidays of Vietnam as well as other countries including India, Russia, South Korea, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Chile, Argentina, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.
These activities have encompassed friendly meetings, dialogues, cultural exchanges, exhibitions, film screenings, and artistic performances. Many vibrant international friendship exchanges and competitions have been organized in different regions. Additionally, Vietnam has signed cooperation agreements with partners such as China and Singapore, while actively participating in solidarity and support initiatives for the people of Cuba. Efforts to strengthen cooperation with partners in China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Argentina have been intensified.
Notably, amidst the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam actively participated in the global fight against Covid-19 through people's diplomacy. Vietnam mobilized 115 non-governmental foreign organizations to provide support to the Vietnamese people, including essential goods, medical supplies, cash assistance, and training in preventive measures and skills, with a total value exceeding US$6.5 million.
VUFO and its member organizations implemented various initiatives in people's diplomacy to aid international friends in their Covid-19 response efforts, while also showcasing Vietnam's positive image to the world. They rallied their members and philanthropists to donate and promptly dispatch millions of face masks, thousands of medical devices, and significant financial contributions, totaling over VND10 billion, to support other countries in their battle against the pandemic. These actions exemplify Vietnam's enduring tradition of loyalty, solidarity, willingness to share, and support for friends in challenging times.
In addition, Vietnam actively engaged in multiple regional and international people's forums, including the ASEAN People's Forum (APF), Asia-Europe People's Forum (AEPF), and World Peace Council, as well as United Nations and ASEAN mechanisms. Vietnam played an active role in advocating for and safeguarding the national and people's interests within these forums.
Finally, in people's diplomacy, Vietnam actively mobilized external resources to serve the country's development and construction efforts. Given the narrowing scope of foreign aid resources, people's diplomacy has made significant efforts to innovate methods of mobilization and actively support the activities of foreign non-governmental organizations.
As of now, there are over 300 organizations operating regularly in Vietnam, with an average disbursement of over $230 million per year in the past two years. This has contributed to poverty reduction, addressing the aftermath of war and natural disasters, and tackling social issues while enhancing Vietnam's human resources development and international integration.
Numerous valuable lessons
Based on the achievements made in foreign affairs, especially in people's diplomacy, over the past two years, several important lessons can be gleaned. Firstly, it is essential for all strategies, plans, and implementation of people's diplomacy activities to deeply comprehend and adhere to the Party's resolutions and directives on foreign affairs as outlined in the 13th National Party Congress and other guiding documents of the Party and the State.
Building upon this foundation, it is crucial to adopt a proactive, flexible, and innovative approach, breaking free from traditional mindsets and familiar domains, thinking and acting beyond national borders, and expanding the reach to regional and international levels.
Moreover, there should be close coordination and seamless collaboration between people's diplomacy, the Party's foreign affairs, and State diplomacy in sharing information, formulating policies, implementing foreign activities, and fostering unity between the central and local levels. Additionally, it is crucial to strengthen and broaden the network of partners and mobilize and develop resources both domestically and internationally.
While consolidating partnerships with left-wing organizations, people's organizations, and partners in traditional friend countries, Vietnam also needs to expand its collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social organizations, research institutes, political parties, scholars, politicians, businesses, and individuals who are interested in fostering friendly and cooperative relations with Vietnam. Engaging various segments of society in contributing to people's diplomacy efforts is essential.
Lastly, it is essential to establish a lean and efficient foreign affairs apparatus, characterized by professionalism and effectiveness. This requires a capable and linguistically proficient team of personnel who are dynamic, innovative, dedicated, and capable of handling multiple responsibilities.
