In 2010, Vietnam successfully accomplished its role as Chair of ASEAN,comprehensively deployed foreign affairs and deeper integrated into theinternational economy, creating a momentum for the nation to enter the 2nd decade of the 21 st century.
Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem made theremark in an article highlighting the achievements Vietnam has recordedin foreign affairs throughout 2010.
The deputy PMwrote the successful assumption of the ASEAN presidency was consideredthe most outstanding achievement of Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy aswell as foreign affairs in 2010. The country left its mark by valuablecontributions and initiatives in a wide range of issues of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Worthy of note, Vietnam helped improve the quality of the building ofthe ASEAN Community, put forth initiatives on ASEAN connectivity,reached consensus on the necessity to maintain regional peace andstability, and urged concerned parties to implement the ASEAN-ChinaDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and build aCode of the Conduct i n the East Sea (COC).
The nation also contributed greatly to strengthening ASEAN’s centralrole in shaping regional architectures and stepping up cooperativerelations in all spheres between the bloc and its important partners.
In dealing with complicated matters in the region,Vietnam demonstrated its role as a responsible and proactive Chair,which spared no efforts to enhance the group’s position in theinternational arena, Khiem stressed.
Not onlyfocusing on the ASEAN chairmanship, Vietnam also deployed multilateralforeign affairs in various fields and from sub-regional, inter-regionalto global levels.
On intensifying partnerships – amain point of bilateral diplomacy, Khiem said, Vietnam continued todevelop “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” with China, byperforming a series of diverse and practical activities during 2010,which marked the Year of Vietnam-China Friendship and the 60 thanniversary of diplomatic relations between the two neighbours.
Vietnam-China economic cooperation saw a new milestone as two-waytrade exceeded the set target of 25 billion USD, the deputy PM wrote.
Regarding the border and territory issues, Vietnam andChina announced three important legal documents, officially completingthe demarcation and planting of markers along the common landborderline. The two sides also held working-level negotiations onprinciples guiding the settlement of pending maritime issues and thedelimitation in the area out of the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf.
Khiem went on to write that Vietnam’s special relations with Laos andits comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia were consolidated andexpanded, especially in economy and trade.
Vietnamand Laos agreed to choose 2010 to be the year for speeding up theplanting of border markers and reaped practical results in building moreand upgrading border markers. Also, Vietnam actively worked withCambodia to accelerate the demarcation and planting of markers along theshared land borderline.
Vietnam’s multifacetedcooperation with other nations in Southeast Asia was stepped up, bothbilaterally and within the framework of ASEAN, the deputy PM said.
He also noted that Vietnam is gradually establishing and perfectingstrategic cooperation frameworks with powerful nations worldwide anddeepening its relations with major countries as well as economic andpolitical centres.
Vietnam’s “strategic partnership”with Russia entered a practical stage when the two nations agreed toembark on prioritised cooperation projects, particularly in nuclearpower, oil and gas and military techniques.
Inrelations with the US, the two sides actively promoted the “friendlypartnership, multifaceted cooperation, mutual respect and reciprocalbenefit” towards a more intensive, extensive and sustainable partnershipin the long term.
Vietnam and the US organised aseries of activities to celebrate 15 years of the normalisation ofrelations, conducted the third politics-security-national defencedialogue, held the deputy ministerial-level national defence dialogueand coordinated closely in the Mekong sub-regional cooperationmechanism.
According to the deputy PM, Vietnamadvocated holding dialogues with the US on the issues in which the twosides have differences such as democracy, human rights and religion, andactively dealing with the matters left from the war. However, Vietnamwas determined to struggle against the acts that interfere in itsinternal affairs.
Vietnam’s relations with theEuropean Union (EU) witnessed a breakthrough with the initialing of aPartnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) following nine rounds ofnegotiation.
Vietnam and the EU also agreed tobegin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), opening up a newopportunity for the two sides to develop comprehensive, deeper and widerties in the years to come.
During the process ofnational development, the role of Vietnam’s foreign affairs have beenimproved, not only in politics, but also in the economy and culture.Comprehensive diplomacy was strongly performed, with the harmony andclose linkage between the foreign affairs of the Party, the NationalAssembly, the State and the people, as well as the smooth and effectivecoordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sectors,agencies and localities, especially between diplomacy, national defenceand security.
Upholding the advantages of more than90 representative agencies located on all the five continents, economicdiplomacy made positive contributions, especially in advising thegovernment on important policies and decisions, including the decisionto join in negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Strategic EconomicPartnership Agreement (TPP) as an official member, as well as other freetrade agreements.
Having inherited the successes ofthe “Year of cultural diplomacy 2009”, Vietnam’s cultural diplomacyflourished in 2010, effectively supporting the organisation of ASEANactivities and major political events.
The countryalso paid due attention to overseas Vietnamese (OV)-related affairs,creating an exciting and reliable atmosphere in the OV community andenhancing linkages between Ovs and the home land.
The protection of OVs was implemented regularly, timely and effectively.The Ministry for Foreign Affairs well performed its function regardingstate management of migration, and worked closely together with thegovernment’s concerned agencies, localities and businesses to properlydeal with matters related to Vietnamese guest workers abroad andfishermen in distress or seized at sea.
Along withthe State’s diplomacy, the Party’s foreign affaires were deployedproactively and effectively, thus strengthening the solidarity andcooperation with communist, political and ruling parties, particularlyenhancing trust and friendship with neighbouring nations.
The National Assembly (NA)’s foreign affairs also saw a number ofoutstanding activities. Worthy of note was the NA’s successfulaccomplishment of its role as Chair of the ASEAN Inter-parliamentAssembly (AIPA), hosting of the 31 st AIPA General Assembly andattendance at the G-20 parliamentary consultation meeting, marking thedevelopment of Vietnam’s parliamentary diplomacy.
People-to-people diplomacy effectively supported the official channelsof external relations, with a wide range of activities organised duringthe year such as the ASEAN People’s Forum, the Vietnam-China YouthFestival, the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia people’s friendship and cooperationmeeting, and activities demanding justice for Agent Orange/dioxinvictims.
In his article, Deputy PM Khiem alsoemphasised the importance of the active and dynamic internationalintegration for the nation’s sustainable development in 2011 – the firstyear Vietnam implements the XIth National Party Congress’ Resolution,the Platform (supplemented, developed) on national construction duringthe transition towards socialism, the 2011-2020 socio-economicdevelopment strategy and the 2011-2015 development plan./.
Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem made theremark in an article highlighting the achievements Vietnam has recordedin foreign affairs throughout 2010.
The deputy PMwrote the successful assumption of the ASEAN presidency was consideredthe most outstanding achievement of Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy aswell as foreign affairs in 2010. The country left its mark by valuablecontributions and initiatives in a wide range of issues of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Worthy of note, Vietnam helped improve the quality of the building ofthe ASEAN Community, put forth initiatives on ASEAN connectivity,reached consensus on the necessity to maintain regional peace andstability, and urged concerned parties to implement the ASEAN-ChinaDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and build aCode of the Conduct i n the East Sea (COC).
The nation also contributed greatly to strengthening ASEAN’s centralrole in shaping regional architectures and stepping up cooperativerelations in all spheres between the bloc and its important partners.
In dealing with complicated matters in the region,Vietnam demonstrated its role as a responsible and proactive Chair,which spared no efforts to enhance the group’s position in theinternational arena, Khiem stressed.
Not onlyfocusing on the ASEAN chairmanship, Vietnam also deployed multilateralforeign affairs in various fields and from sub-regional, inter-regionalto global levels.
On intensifying partnerships – amain point of bilateral diplomacy, Khiem said, Vietnam continued todevelop “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” with China, byperforming a series of diverse and practical activities during 2010,which marked the Year of Vietnam-China Friendship and the 60 thanniversary of diplomatic relations between the two neighbours.
Vietnam-China economic cooperation saw a new milestone as two-waytrade exceeded the set target of 25 billion USD, the deputy PM wrote.
Regarding the border and territory issues, Vietnam andChina announced three important legal documents, officially completingthe demarcation and planting of markers along the common landborderline. The two sides also held working-level negotiations onprinciples guiding the settlement of pending maritime issues and thedelimitation in the area out of the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf.
Khiem went on to write that Vietnam’s special relations with Laos andits comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia were consolidated andexpanded, especially in economy and trade.
Vietnamand Laos agreed to choose 2010 to be the year for speeding up theplanting of border markers and reaped practical results in building moreand upgrading border markers. Also, Vietnam actively worked withCambodia to accelerate the demarcation and planting of markers along theshared land borderline.
Vietnam’s multifacetedcooperation with other nations in Southeast Asia was stepped up, bothbilaterally and within the framework of ASEAN, the deputy PM said.
He also noted that Vietnam is gradually establishing and perfectingstrategic cooperation frameworks with powerful nations worldwide anddeepening its relations with major countries as well as economic andpolitical centres.
Vietnam’s “strategic partnership”with Russia entered a practical stage when the two nations agreed toembark on prioritised cooperation projects, particularly in nuclearpower, oil and gas and military techniques.
Inrelations with the US, the two sides actively promoted the “friendlypartnership, multifaceted cooperation, mutual respect and reciprocalbenefit” towards a more intensive, extensive and sustainable partnershipin the long term.
Vietnam and the US organised aseries of activities to celebrate 15 years of the normalisation ofrelations, conducted the third politics-security-national defencedialogue, held the deputy ministerial-level national defence dialogueand coordinated closely in the Mekong sub-regional cooperationmechanism.
According to the deputy PM, Vietnamadvocated holding dialogues with the US on the issues in which the twosides have differences such as democracy, human rights and religion, andactively dealing with the matters left from the war. However, Vietnamwas determined to struggle against the acts that interfere in itsinternal affairs.
Vietnam’s relations with theEuropean Union (EU) witnessed a breakthrough with the initialing of aPartnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) following nine rounds ofnegotiation.
Vietnam and the EU also agreed tobegin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), opening up a newopportunity for the two sides to develop comprehensive, deeper and widerties in the years to come.
During the process ofnational development, the role of Vietnam’s foreign affairs have beenimproved, not only in politics, but also in the economy and culture.Comprehensive diplomacy was strongly performed, with the harmony andclose linkage between the foreign affairs of the Party, the NationalAssembly, the State and the people, as well as the smooth and effectivecoordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sectors,agencies and localities, especially between diplomacy, national defenceand security.
Upholding the advantages of more than90 representative agencies located on all the five continents, economicdiplomacy made positive contributions, especially in advising thegovernment on important policies and decisions, including the decisionto join in negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Strategic EconomicPartnership Agreement (TPP) as an official member, as well as other freetrade agreements.
Having inherited the successes ofthe “Year of cultural diplomacy 2009”, Vietnam’s cultural diplomacyflourished in 2010, effectively supporting the organisation of ASEANactivities and major political events.
The countryalso paid due attention to overseas Vietnamese (OV)-related affairs,creating an exciting and reliable atmosphere in the OV community andenhancing linkages between Ovs and the home land.
The protection of OVs was implemented regularly, timely and effectively.The Ministry for Foreign Affairs well performed its function regardingstate management of migration, and worked closely together with thegovernment’s concerned agencies, localities and businesses to properlydeal with matters related to Vietnamese guest workers abroad andfishermen in distress or seized at sea.
Along withthe State’s diplomacy, the Party’s foreign affaires were deployedproactively and effectively, thus strengthening the solidarity andcooperation with communist, political and ruling parties, particularlyenhancing trust and friendship with neighbouring nations.
The National Assembly (NA)’s foreign affairs also saw a number ofoutstanding activities. Worthy of note was the NA’s successfulaccomplishment of its role as Chair of the ASEAN Inter-parliamentAssembly (AIPA), hosting of the 31 st AIPA General Assembly andattendance at the G-20 parliamentary consultation meeting, marking thedevelopment of Vietnam’s parliamentary diplomacy.
People-to-people diplomacy effectively supported the official channelsof external relations, with a wide range of activities organised duringthe year such as the ASEAN People’s Forum, the Vietnam-China YouthFestival, the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia people’s friendship and cooperationmeeting, and activities demanding justice for Agent Orange/dioxinvictims.
In his article, Deputy PM Khiem alsoemphasised the importance of the active and dynamic internationalintegration for the nation’s sustainable development in 2011 – the firstyear Vietnam implements the XIth National Party Congress’ Resolution,the Platform (supplemented, developed) on national construction duringthe transition towards socialism, the 2011-2020 socio-economicdevelopment strategy and the 2011-2015 development plan./.
