FM stresses importance of multilateral diplomacy in nation’s new development stage

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam's successes and imprints at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as its non-permanent member in the 2020-2021 term have contributed to affirming that the Party and State's policy of upholding multilateral diplomacy is absolutely sound, thus strengthening the foundation for the country to continue pushing forward the implementation of this policy in the new period, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has said.

According to Son, through the success of the tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC and other important foreign affairs achievements, the Vietnamese people increasingly trust in the sound foreign policy of the Party and State, and the international community expects Vietnam to continue making more important contributions to solving global and regional problems.

After three years of implementing the 12th-tenure Party Central Committee Secretariat’s Directive 25 on promoting and enhancing multilateral diplomacy by 2030 – the Party’s first document on this issue, the work has been deployed strongly and synchronously and seen many important milestones. Notably, Vietnam has fulfilled many important international responsibilities such as its roles as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in the 2020-2021 tenure, the ASEAN Chair in 2020, as well as the successful organisation of many major international conferences such as the World Economic Forum - ASEAN Summit in 2018 and the US-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Summit in 2019.

In addition, Vietnam has been elected with a high number of votes to various prestigious organisations and agencies of the UN such as the International Law Commission, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UNESCO Executive Board, the Postal Operations Council of the Universal Postal Union.

The outstanding results have contributed to the overall achievements of Vietnam's foreign policy after 35 years of Doi Moi (Renewal), contributing to raising the international position and prestige that Vietnam has never had before, thus helping inspire national pride, and expand the international community's support for the country's renewal cause.

The diplomat affirmed that, along with other important foreign affairs activities, assuming the role of a non-permanent member of the UNSC has contributed to consolidating a stable and favourable external situation for the nation building and safeguarding cause, expanding and deepening relations with many important partners, especially UNSC member states. Vietnam has also asserted its position and prestige as a faithful friend, a reliable partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community, and has received the consensus and support of all members of the UNSC and international friends.

Through the two-year term, Vietnam can learn from numerous valuable lessons. The first is the sound settlement of the relationship between independence, self-reliance and international solidarity and cooperation; between national interests and international obligations and responsibilities on the basis of fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law. The second is the promotion of the nation's tradition of diplomacy and President Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic ideology. The third lesson is skillful combination between position and power, between multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, and between political, economic and cultural diplomacy. And the fourth is the importance of training competent diplomats, FM Son added./.