On January 6, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an online conference to review diplomatic work in 2024 and key directions and tasks in 2025. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and directed the conference. Attending at the Quang Tri Province side were Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Nam and representatives of relevant Departments and Authorities.
In his opening speech, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that in 2024, the world situation will continue to fluctuate in a complex manner with many instabilities and conflicts. Urgent global issues such as climate change, natural disasters, epidemics, food security, water security, etc. have multi-dimensional impacts, seriously threatening the stable and sustainable development of countries. In that context, Vietnam has maintained a peaceful, stable and developing country and is considered by international public opinion as one of the "bright spots" in the region. Foreign affairs activities have been proactively and positively implemented, achieving many substantive results, creating favorable momentum for the country to enter the era of national development.
The high-level foreign affairs activites have been taking place vigorously across continents and at many forums. The country's key leaders conducted a total of 60 foreign affairs activities, including 21 visits to other countries and participation in multilateral conferences; welcomed 25 delegations of foreign leaders to Vietnam. Accelerated the implementation of international agreements and commitments, concretized upgraded relationship frameworks, and signed more than 170 new cooperation agreements in many fields, especially in fields where Vietnam has needs and interests.
Delegates attending the online conference summarizing the work of the diplomatic sector in 2024 at the Quang Tri province side. Photo: Nhat Anh
Economic diplomacy increasingly accounts for a large proportion of foreign affairs activities at all levels in digital transformation, green transformation, semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence; participating in new supply chains, expanding export markets through 17 signed FTAs; taking advantage of the wave of investment shift in the region, attracting high-quality FDI and new-generation ODA; expanding markets for tourism, labor, etc. Important areas of foreign affairs such as work on overseas Vietnamese, citizen protection, cultural diplomacy, heritage diplomacy, and foreign information are deployed promptly, synchronously, and effectively, contributing to enhancing the position, prestige, and image of Vietnam in the international arena.
At the Conference, delegates also listened to a number of speeches by the Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the Russian Federation, and the Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos on Vietnam's relations with a number of countries in the world; at the same time, discussed solutions to develop diplomacy in 2025 to a new development, with many strategic breakthroughs. In his speech, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that in 2024, global issues in the world will become more complex and unpredictable. However, the trend of peace, stability, cooperation and development is still the main trend. Science and technology, digital transformation, and green transformation are becoming new production and development trends. In particular, the Indo-Pacific region is considered the most dynamically developing region in the world, but it is also a site of fierce strategic competition between major countries.
In the past year, Vietnam continued to be a safe, attractive and appealing destination for international investment and business, among the 15 developing countries attracting the largest FDI in the world with nearly 40 billion USD registered, realized capital reaching nearly 25 billion USD; import and export is estimated at 786 billion USD, foreign tourists to Vietnam are estimated at 17.6 million, an increase of 39.5% compared to 2023.
To achieve the above results, the Prime Minister highly appreciated the Party building and diplomacy sector building work in the past year and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' development strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045 in a professional, standardized and modern direction. The diplomacy sector has closely followed the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws on foreign affairs and international integration; organized serious, drastic, timely and effective implementation. The whole sector has made efforts to promote the spirit of solidarity, responsibility, proactiveness, smooth and effective coordination of departments, ministries, localities and agencies in the political system.
Overview of Quang Tri province participating in the Conference. Photo: Nhat Anh
Acknowledging the efforts and achievements of the diplomatic sector, the Prime Minister hoped that the diplomatic sector would be more proactive and effective in promptly grasping the world and regional situation to advise the Party and State; have flexible policies suitable to each situation; further promote the pioneering role to effectively exploit signed commitments and agreements, turning them into resources and material wealth to serve the socio-economic development of the country.
2025 is a year with many particularly important events for the whole country. The Prime Minister requested the entire diplomatic sector to focus on the following five key tasks: First, all foreign affairs and diplomatic activities must effectively and efficiently serve the growth target of at least 8% and strive to exceed it if possible. Second, maintain, consolidate and enhance a favorable foreign policy situation, a peaceful, cooperative and developing environment, and promote relations with all countries to become deep, stable and sustainable.
Third, diplomatic activities must contribute to promoting new productive forces in the new context such as semiconductor chips, big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, block chain technology, cultural industry, entertainment industry, biomedicine, new energy, new materials, etc. Fourth, complete the arrangement of a streamlined and efficient apparatus; consolidate and promote the three pillars of diplomacy: Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy. Fifth, improve the quality of the diplomatic staffs, strengthen and perfect the material facilities of the diplomatic sector at home and abroad.
The Prime Minister believes that with the joint efforts of all levels, sectors and localities, the diplomatic sector will overcome all difficulties and challenges, vigorously and comprehensively implement assigned tasks, continue to achieve breakthrough results, make practical contributions, and create a foundation to bring the country firmly into a new era - the era of national development.
Immediately after the conference, at the Quang Tri side, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Nam requested the provincial Departments, and sectors to absorb and grasp the instructions of the Prime Minister and leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to concretize them in the 2025 work program.
