Trung said that in the documents of the 14th Party Congress, the Party reaffirmed its commitment to “consistently implementing an independent, self-reliant, and self-strengthening foreign policy of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, with multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations.”

Alongside core and overarching contents, the foreign minister noted the congress has added several new elements. Regarding goals, the Minister stressed that the country is facing urgent requirements in the new era and epochal changes that require Vietnam's foreign affairs to rise to new heights.

The concepts of “strategic autonomy" and "self-reliance” are very important guiding viewpoints for foreign affairs. “We believe this is both our proactive adaptation to the current complex international context and a distillation of lessons learned over time,” the minister said.

The congress documents affirm the role and mission of foreign affairs and international integration as crucial and regular tasks. The minister noted that “crucial and regular” means work of paramount importance, related to the survival, security, prosperity or decline of the country, closely linked to the history of nation building and defense.

Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung said that in the new era, foreign affairs must clearly demonstrate a new mindset and new aspirations of the Vietnamese nation.

Therefore, foreign affairs should contribute to maintaining a peaceful environment, identifying and neutralizing risks of conflict, protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, seizing opportunities, consolidating a favorable external environment for the country, building sustainable, in-depth, stable, and substantive relationship frameworks with partners, and positioning the country in the most advantageous way in the new world order.

Foreign affairs must proactively promote a pioneering role, going first and opening the way to maximize external resources and favorable conditions to serve the country’s security and development interests.

The country’s position, prestige, and image on the international stage need to be enhanced, mobilizing support, trust, assistance, and companionship from international friends and partners for Vietnam’s greater role and position on the global stage in the new era.

The Minister said this is both an international responsibility and national interest, which will contribute to "enhancing Vietnam's role and position in world politics, the global economy, and human civilization," in the true spirit of Party Chief To Lam's direction.

To implement the orientations, Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasized the need to disseminate and widely propagate the foreign policy to Party committees at all levels. In addition, he proposed perfecting the Party's regulations on implementing foreign affairs and international integration; and perfecting the State's legal system and legal documents from the Central to local levels.

According to the Minister, it is necessary to promote the construction and implementation of a comprehensive foreign affairs strategy at a new height based on the three pillars of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy across all fields.

Specifically, the Minister noted the need to further expand the network of cooperative relations, not only with traditional partners such as nations and organizations but also with partners for which the country has a need (such as large technology corporations, especially in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum, and semiconductors).

He also noted the maximum exploitation of the contents of established relationship frameworks, especially regarding mobilizing resources for development, and maximizing the effectiveness of head-of-state diplomacy and high-level diplomacy.

Foreign affairs information and propaganda need to be elevated, "telling the story" of a renovated and developing Vietnam that is striving to contribute to the common progress of humanity. The Minister also proposed allocating appropriate resources for foreign affairs commensurate with the new position and strength of the country.

Along with that, the Minister believed it is necessary to strengthen the training of experts; place Vietnamese people into international and regional organizations; equip and re-equip professional skills and foreign languages; innovate cadre evaluation work; have mechanisms and policies to attract talent and screen cadres; and have mechanisms to encourage, treat, use, and value talents.

The Foreign Affairs sector determines to promote a “culture of execution,” where “words go hand in hand with actions, and tasks are followed through to the end” as directed by Party Chief To Lam. In this regard, international commitments and agreements must go hand in hand with perfecting domestic institutions and policies.

Tran Thuong