Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary and State President To Lam attended and delivered a keynote address at the opening session of the 33rd Diplomatic Conference in Hanoi on August 1.
The conference was held in-person at the International Convention Centre in the capital city, and connected online to the Party Committees of provinces and cities, as well as the country’s representative missions abroad.
Held alongside the 22nd National Conference on External Affairs, this year’s Diplomatic Conference carries the theme: “Promoting the pioneering role and fulfilling the crucial and regular task of Vietnam's external affairs in the new era”.
Since its inception in 1957, the conference has served as the foreign affairs sector’s most important forum for reviewing international developments, assessing diplomatic performance, disseminating the Party’s foreign policy and guidelines, and defining priorities for the coming period.
In his opening remarks, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said the event comes at a particularly significant juncture for both the country and the diplomatic sector, as it follows the success of the 14th National Party Congress and the elections of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and the People’s Councils at all levels. Under the leadership of General Secretary and President Lam, the Party Central Committee and its Politburo and Secretariat, and the State have adopted major strategic orientations aimed at achieving the country’s two centennial development goals for 2030 and 2045.
The 14th National Party Congress also reaffirmed that foreign affairs and international integration, together with national defence and security, are crucial and regular tasks. Vietnam is pressing ahead with comprehensive reforms, including streamlining the political system and implementing the two-tier local administration model, while accelerating socio-economic development, transforming its growth model, promoting breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation, advancing cultural and social development, strengthening national defence and security, and deepening international integration.
As part of institutional reforms, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was merged with the former Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and assumed the commission's functions under the principle of comprehensive Party leadership. The Politburo also established the Central Steering Committee for Foreign Affairs and International Integration, chaired by General Secretary and President Lam.
According to Trung, with its theme, the conference will focus on assessing regional and global developments, reviewing the implementation of foreign affairs and international integration, and discussing ways to effectively implement the foreign policy adopted by the 14th National Party Congress.
Over nine days, the conference is expected to hold 18 sessions with the direct participation of key leaders, representatives of ministries, sectors, localities, heads of overseas missions and diplomats across the country and abroad.
Participants will discuss the evolving international and regional landscape, relations with major powers and neighbouring countries, border and territorial issues, the formulation of a comprehensive foreign affairs strategy at a higher level, development-focused diplomacy, science and technology diplomacy, innovation, support for businesses, and the building of the Party and the diplomatic sector.
New agenda items include dedicated discussions on Party diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy, parliamentary diplomacy. For the first time, a joint meeting among the Ministries of National Defence, Public Security and Foreign Affairs will be held. Delegates will also examine measures to improve the quality and effectiveness of Vietnam’s representative missions abroad.
The conference is expected to adopt a resolution and an action programme to realise its outcomes.
At the opening session, representatives of ministries and sectors are scheduled to deliver presentations on implementing the foreign policy adopted by the 14th National Party Congress./.
