Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (centre) and other leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pose for a group photo (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - In the period of “Doi Moi” (renewal) and international integration, diplomacyhas paved the way for and developing cooperative relationships between Vietnam andother countries and territories worldwide, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign MinisterPham Binh Minh has said.

In a speech at a ceremony marking the 75th founding anniversary of Vietnam’sdiplomatic sector, in Hanoi on August 27,𒀰 Vietnam’s top diplomat stressed that thesector has made efforts to actively implement the strategic orientation ofproactive and active internationa🦩l integration.

It has helped openup new markets and fields of cooperation, promote trade exchange, and attract foreigninvestment and other resources for socio-economic development, thus contributingto maintaining a peaceful, stable environment, safeguarding sovereignty and territorialintegrity, and improving the country’s position in the international arena, he said.

In particular, the sector always upholds its pioneering role in creating the mostfavourable external environment for gaining and consolidating the country’s sovereigntyand independence and for constructing and safeguarding the nation.

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, who is also General Secretary of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee, said Vietnam’s participationin and its contributions to ASEAN’s development has contributed to increasinglyaffirming the country’s role and position in the international arena.

Assessing the important benefits ASEAN brings to Vietnam, Dung said joining thebloc has brought Vietnam opportunities to promote rapid and steady development,expand relations with countries, regions, and important partners around the world,and attract more external resources for national development and international integration.

Vietnam has become an active member of not only ASEAN but also the internationalcommunity, he affirmed.

The country has contributed significantly to building development orientations andmaking main decisions and policies in the bloc, including the ASEAN Charter, the ASEANCommunity Vision 2025 and relevant masterplans, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration(IAI).

As ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam has quickly decided to adjust the focuses ofthe bloc in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and coordinated with other ASEANmembers in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, considering this as its top priorityat present.

At the same time, the country has proactively proposed and coordinated efforts forintra-bloc cooperation and between ASEAN and its partners.

According to Deputy Foreign Minister andChairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) Dang MinhKhoi, OV affairs have become a pillar of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector.

As many as 5.3 million Vietnamese people areliving in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide, of which more than500,000 have university degrees or higher and many are engineers and leading expertsin the fields of science and technology, economics, and finance. Some have joinedpolitical systems in other countries.

Overseas Vietnamese have also invested nearly 4 billion USD in more than 3,000 investmentand business projects in Vietnam, contributing to creating jobs, promoting vocationaltraining and technology transfer, and bolstering socio-economic development, hesaid.

He went on to say that Vietnamese communities abroad have proactively joined the COVA and relevant agencies in implementing cultural diplomacy policies in manydifferent forms.

With the practical and effective support of COVA, the Vietnamese language learningand teaching movement has been expanding across continents, contributing to raisingexpats’ awareness about the importance of maintaining the Vietnamese language, culturalidentity, and national traditions, he said.

He added that Vietnamese agencies, sectors, and organisations have adopted manymeasures to support Vietnamese communities abroad in the context of the ongoingspread of COVID-19, which has caused financial and employment difficulties foroverseas Vietnamese.

The work of the diplomatic sector has contributed to making Vietnam a friendand a reliable and responsible partner of the international commun💝ity, contributingto the country’s strong and prosperous development./.