Haifa (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung introduced Vietnam's foreign policy to some diplomats, scholars, and many students at Israel’s University of Haifa during a talk themed "Exploring the World of Diplomacy in All Its Forms" on June 5.

The event aimed to shed light on the diverse forms of diplomacy in the context of globalisation as well as current geopolitical challenges.

Invited to be the keynote speaker of the talk, Trung emphasised that diplomacy is not merely a political tool but a bridge linking cultures and peoples and promoting the common values of peace, understanding, and cooperation.

He highlighted Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, and development; multilateralisation and diversification of external relations; and being a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community. This policy has helped Vietnam build a wide network of foreign relations with more than 190 countries and numerous international organisations, helping to enhance its role and position in the international arena.

Trung said that for more than 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Israel have achieved many outstanding achievements in their cooperation. The two countries’ relationship has been growing stronger, more substantial, and more effective in many fields. In particular, their partnerships in high technology, smart agriculture, education, and innovation has become bright spots.

Israel is known as a country with a world-leading startup and technology ecosystem while Vietnam is a dynamically developing economy with great demand for technology transfer, human resources development and innovation promotion. This is a favourable foundation for the two countries to support each other and promote strategic cooperation projects in the future, the diplomat said.

The two countries have signed a bilatral free trade agreement (VIFTA), opening up a wider space for cooperation in the fields of trade, investment and services. With this agreement, their trade turnover is expected to grow robustly in the coming time, and create more favourable conditions for businesses of both sides to access each other's markets.

On the basis of good political – diplomatic relations and mutual trust, the countries are expanding cooperation to many new areas such as digital transformation, cyber security, renewable energy, and sustainable development, he went on, adding that Vietnam also wishes to learn from Israel's experience in building a national innovation ecosystem, thereby facilitating creative startups and strengthening national competitiveness.

Mentioning the regional conflicts since October 7, 2023, he said the Vietnamese Embassy has proactively deployed many flexible diplomatic measures to maintain operations, ensure safety for the Vietnamese community, and continue to step up bilateral cooperation activities.

The ambassador also underlined Vietnam's outstanding socio-economic development achievements in recent years, especially the stable economic growth rate, the strongly improved investment environment, and the new-generation FTAs of which Vietnam is a member.

These are important advantages that help Vietnam become an attractive destination for foreign investors, including Israeli enterprises, he opined.

Looking to the future, the diplomat expressed his hope that Vietnam and Israel will expand collaboration not only at the government level but also among universities, research organisations and young people.

Alsཧo at the talks, Trung shared experiences gained during his diplomatic c🅰areer./.