Vietnam’s national friendship network is seeking stronger ties with young people abroad as the country looks to build lasting international relationships beyond government-to-government diplomacy.
The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) held its seventh National Congress for the 2026-2031 term on September 14.
The congress reviewed VUFO’s work during the 2019-2026 term, set priorities and key tasks for the next five years, and elected personnel for the new term.
Presenting a review of the 2019-2026 period, VUFO President Phan Anh Son said the union and its member organisations had pursued a proactive, flexible, creative and effective approach while navigating challenges.
Vietnamese leaders and former leaders attend the seventh National Congress of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations for the 2026-2031 term.
According to Son, VUFO’s people-to-people diplomacy has evolved beyond exchanges focused primarily on friendship to activities carrying greater political substance.
Its network of international friends has not only been strengthened but expanded considerably, becoming more diverse, substantive and deeply connected.
This has helped build a stronger social foundation for Vietnam’s relations with other countries while enhancing the country’s international standing and reputation, he said.
VUFO has also diversified its external communications and outreach to overseas Vietnamese communities, helping promote Vietnam’s image and garner support from international communities and Vietnamese living abroad.
People-to-people diplomacy as a ‘soft shield’
VUFO President Phan Anh Son speaks at the congress.
Addressing the congress, Bui Thi Minh Hoai, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, said VUFO had successfully carried out its responsibilities during the previous term despite numerous challenges and had introduced significant changes to its work.
She said the organisation had made a substantive shift towards a more modern approach, moving beyond a primary focus on friendship exchanges to activities more closely aligned with Vietnam’s socioeconomic development goals.
Despite a global decline in aid, VUFO has maintained and diversified sources of support and directed resources towards poverty reduction, education, healthcare, efforts to address the consequences of war and climate change response.
Such resources provide more than material benefits, Hoai said, describing them as a bridge connecting people in other countries with Vietnam.
She called for greater recognition of the role of people-to-people diplomacy and urged authorities at all levels to create favourable conditions for such activities to become more substantive.
Bui Thi Minh Hoai, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, addresses the congress.
People-to-people diplomacy should serve as a “soft shield” and a “belt of peace,” contributing to the protection of the country through early and proactive engagement, she said.
Hoai also called for major changes in both the substance and methods of people-to-people diplomacy, with greater emphasis on tangible results that contribute to Vietnam’s development.
Friendship organisations should prioritise quality over quantity, move away from high-profile events pursued for their own sake, and focus instead on depth and practical effectiveness, she said.
Alongside its core role of building a strong and stable social foundation for Vietnam’s relations with other countries, VUFO should move decisively towards a model of people-to-people diplomacy that actively contributes to development.
Hoai suggested that connections in economics, trade, investment, science and technology should become important measures of effectiveness.
Vietnamese leaders and former leaders congratulate the 97 delegates elected to VUFO’s Executive Committee for the 2026-2031 term.
VUFO should serve as a practical bridge connecting Vietnamese localities, businesses, educational institutions and research organisations with international partners.
International resource mobilisation and foreign non-governmental aid programmes should also be closely aligned with Vietnam’s national development strategy and the practical needs of individual localities.
Priority areas should include digital transformation, green growth, high-quality education and climate change adaptation.
Hoai also urged VUFO to proactively engage academics, businesspeople and research institutions abroad, while paying particular attention to cultivating a younger generation with an interest in and affinity for Vietnam.
Such engagement would help ensure continuity in Vietnam’s international friendships, she said.
At the same time, she called for a breakthrough in external communications and stronger capabilities to “tell Vietnam’s story to the world.”
VUFO should also continue restructuring its organisation at both central and local levels to become leaner, more professional and more effective, she said.
Vietnamnet.vn
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