Hanoi (VNA) – Minister ofForeign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has highlighted the six priorities the diplomaticsector will focus on in 2023, during a recent interview granted to the press.

He pointed out that complex and unpredictabledevelopments in the world economy in 2023 will pose more latent difficultiesand challenges than last year. Meanwhile, Vietnam is pushing ahead with realisingthe development targets set at the 13th National Party Congress andthe socio-economic development plans for 2021 - 2025.

Given this, the diplomatic sectorwill apply itself to implementing six priorities, he said.

First, the sector will continue consolidatinga stable, peaceful, and favourable external environment for development;enhance relations with neighbouring countries, powers, strategic andcomprehensive partners, traditional friends, and other important partners in asubstantive manner to promote political trust and common interests; step up andelevate multilateral diplomacy, active, comprehensive and intensive integrationinto the world, and raise Vietnam’s role in the building and shaping ofmultilateral institutions; actively engage in the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN), the Mekong sub-region, and the United Nations;effectively make use of development initiatives and actively take part in thebuilding of new rule and standard frameworks; boost diplomacy to serve digitaltransformation, green transition, and climate change response; proactively,flexibly, and effectively respond to new connectivity initiatives in the region.

Second, Minister Son went on, thediplomatic sector will help with macro-economic stability maintenance andsocio-economic development amid recession risks facing the global economy;foster economic diplomacy to serve development; proactively grasp and proposemeasures for stabilising the macro-economy; improve the effectiveness of internationaleconomic integration; expand export markets and gradually diversify export products,markets, and partners.

It will help locate Vietnam in theshift of global supply chains and green transition so as to make preparationsfor seizing and optimising new development trends; capitalise on othercountries’ assistance in sustainable agricultural restructuring, supply chainshifting, digital transformation, and energy transition; and effectively makeuse of the signed free trade agreements, especially the Comprehensive andProgressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU - VietnamFree Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP).

Third, the sector will strengthen thecoordination of diplomacy with defence and security by grasping the East Seaand land border situation, proactively promoting cooperation with relevantcountries, opportunely proposing the fight against and effectively preventingany violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, territory, sovereign rights, andlegitimate interests; stepping up the negotiations on an efficient andeffective code of conduct (COC) in the East Sea that matches international law,including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); andproactively, flexibly, and opportunely refuting propaganda and distortions withsabotage and incitement purposes by hostile and reactionary forces, theofficial noted.

Fourth, modern and comprehensivediplomacy will be promoted, with the coordination among the Party, State,National Assembly, and people’s diplomacy to be enhanced. The sector will workto ensure the Party’s consistent leadership, the State’s concentratedmanagement, and the close and concerted coordination among all pillars andforces engaging in external affairs.

Fifth, the sector will also bringinto play the role of diplomacy in protecting the Fatherland early and fromafar; increase studying, forecasting, and proposing diplomatic strategies,especially for issues with direct and long-term impacts on national securityand development; and press on with implementing the major plans and strategieson diplomacy, security, and defence. And

Last but not least is to build acontingent of comprehensive diplomats in terms of politics, thought, morality,mettle, and wisdom with a modern and professional working style and creativity.Special attention will be paid to the Party building and rectification andpersonnel affairs; the development of regional- and international-level experts;the consolidation of a lean, scientific, and efficient apparatus for thesector; and the acceleration of modernisation and digital transformation,according to the minister./.