33rd Diplomatic Conference Concludes, Reaffirming Diplomacy's Strategic Role as Component of National Strength

The 33rd Diplomatic Conference officially opened in Hanoi on August 1, with presentations from ministries, central agencies and local authorities offering in-depth analysis of practical developments and proposing breakthrough solutions across a wide range of sectors, contributing to the country's diplomatic agenda in a new era of development. Party General Secretary and State President To Lam asserted that diplomacy is now a component of national comprehensive strength. He dissected Party diplomacy’s strategic role across three levels, including building the political foundation for the broader diplomatic landscape, feeding policy formulation, and safeguarding ideological footing and strategic autonomy. By upholding the tradition of Vietnam’s revolutionary diplomacy and bringing into full play collective wisdom, mettle and sense of responsibility, the entire diplomatic sector and external relations forces will remain united, proactive and creative in successfully fulfilling their tasks, contributing to maintaining peace, safeguarding the Fatherland, expanding development space and enhancing Vietnam’s international standing. State President To Lam urged the effective implementation of the action plan for the Vietnam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2026–2031 and expressed his hope to welcome the King and Queen of Thailand on a visit to Vietnam soon. The upcoming state visit to Australia by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam is expected to generate fresh momentum for deepening bilateral relations, deliver practical benefits to people and businesses in both countries, and make a positive contribution to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region. A deputy of Ha Tinh province said there is currently no clear legal basis for sharing technical infrastructure data. While the issue may be less apparent under normal circumstances, it could hamper local coordination and response during storms, floods and other disasters when detailed infrastructure data is not readily available. Lawmakers called on the drafting body to clearly lay out the scope, eligible parties, and implementation guidelines, and to share the list or criteria for determining which projects and works qualify for the special policies. Despite differences in history, culture, languages, religions, levels of development, and social conditions, ASEAN member states have chosen to respect one another, build consensus, and pursue shared regional interests. It’s the unity in diversity that has shaped ASEAN’s identity, strength, resilience, and central role in the regional architecture. The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. Vina Nadjibulla, former Vice President for Research and Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, credited pragmatic diplomacy with allowing Vietnam to build relationships with a range of partners without becoming overly dependent on any single country. That approach, she noted, has become more relevant as major-power rivalry heats up, the global economy fragments, and pressure mounts on countries to pick sides. Presenting the draft law on amending and supplementing several articles of 10 laws concerning administrative procedures and business conditions in the agriculture and environment sector, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung said it is designed to institutionalise the Party's policy of reducing and simplifying administrative procedures and business conditions, while promoting decentralisation, innovation, and more effective state governance. As the highest-level external activity of the Vietnamese Party and State, and the first State visit by a Vietnamese State President to Australia, the trip holds particular historical significance, serving as an important milestone to translate high-level political commitments into concrete outcomes and further strengthen political trust between the two countries. The messages posted on Australian Government media platforms highlighted Australia and Vietnam as close regional partners with a long-standing friendship. This will be General Secretary and President Lam’s first visit to Australia since being appointed as President in April and it is also the first in-person meeting between the two leaders. The legislative package includes a draft Law on Urban Development, a bill amending and supplementing several articles of 10 laws that govern administrative procedures and business conditions in agriculture and environment, and the draft Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Radio Frequencies, the Law on Telecommunications, the Law on E-Transactions, and the Law on Technology Transfer. Vietnam's 31-year journey with ASEAN stands as compelling testimony to its strong commitment to regional integration, as well as its pioneering spirit, sense of responsibility, and proactive contributions to building a united and resilient ASEAN Community. Manufacturing remains one of Vietnam's core industries, making a major contribution to economic growth, exports and foreign direct investment. The country has become an important production base for multinational corporations in electronics, precision engineering, electrical equipment and high-tech industries. The Lao leaders expressed satisfaction with the steady development of bilateral ties, noting that political relations have become increasingly close, deep and trustworthy, serving as the guiding force for overall cooperation. According to the expert, another key outcome was the reaffirmation of the 2023 defence cooperation MoU and the Action Programme for implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as the principal roadmap for future collaboration. The framework builds on existing cooperation in delegation exchanges, consultation mechanisms, military education, defence industry, and coordination within ASEAN and other multilateral forums. The task of diplomacy is not simply to take the lead in opening doors. It must work alongside ministries, sectors, localities and businesses to turn the opportunities that have been opened up into concrete results. Opening the event, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said Vietnam is entering a new era of development in which foreign affairs and international integration is a crucial and regular task, contributing to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, mobilising external resources and enhancing the country's international standing. The draft laws include the Law on Urban Development; the Law on amending and supplementing several articles of 10 laws concerning administrative procedures and business conditions in the agriculture and environment sectors; and the Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Radio Frequencies, the Law on Telecommunications, the Law on E-Transactions, and the Law on Technology Transfer. Information Source: VietnamPlus English