On Dec. 14, at the first National Conference on Foreign Affairs and the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations President Nguyen Phuong Nga delivered an important speech on Vietnam's foreign relations and how it relates to the country's development. The full-text of the speech is as follows.

Honorable Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong,

Honorable Government, State leaders,

Honorable Conference participants,

It is my great honor to present on people-to-people diplomacy at the first National Conference on Foreign Affairs and the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress. On behalf of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, I would like to extend my best wishes to the General Secretary, the leaders and all the delegates.

Dear professionals,

Foreign relations professionals are grateful to learn that the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress addressed the policy of "Continuing to promote the pioneering role of foreign relations in creating and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; determining and mobilizing external resources to develop and improve the position and reputation of the country; building a comprehensive and modern Vietnamese diplomacy with three pillars: Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.

The policy showed that lessons from past experiences helped the foreign affairs professionals to continue improving. It also affirmed the role of foreign affairs and the close connection between the pillars of foreign affairs. The policy helps professionals realize the requirement to better promote people-to-people diplomacy in the new situation.

The Founding congress of the Vietnam - Morocco Friendship and Cooperation Association on Dec.13, 2021, a milestone in the two countries' people-to-people relations, demonstrating the role of people-to-people diplomacy in the new situation. Photo: VNT

I recall our President Ho Chi Minh's remarks on the great importance of people-to-people diplomacy. Uncle Ho once said: "... Nothing is more precious to a country than its people. There is nothing stronger than the united force of the people” . It was he who laid the foundation, guided and directly implemented people-to-people diplomacy, and established the first people-to-people diplomacy organizations of Vietnam right after our country gained independence with no official diplomatic relations. The Second Party Congress (February 1951) clearly stated the task of "Expanding people's diplomacy". Our Party's viewpoint on people-to-people diplomacy has a strategic developing process, affirming that it is a constituent part of the general foreign affairs. The Party and the State will continue realizing the tasks of the whole system, including the political system and the entire nation, with the key parties being the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, unions and people's organizations.

With the Party's clear guidance on creatively applying Ho Chi Minh's strategy on "Combining national strength with the timely opportunities", "focusing on people's hearts, conquering with morality, transforming with care", persuading people to multiply the power of justice", people-to-people diplomacy has many great achievements, making important contributions in all stages of the Vietnamese revolution. People-to-people diplomacy helps friends around the world better understand Vietnam - a peace-loving, resilient, indomitable, humane, and loyal country. We form a vast and strong international people's front like never before, a front so united and supportive of Vietnam that contributes to the victory in achieving independence, freedom, peace and national reunification; people-to-people diplomacy together with the Party and State diplomacy actively "pace the frontal attack" in breaking barriers and embargoes, resulting in the normalization of relations with important partners, mobilizing the International support so that Vietnam can overcome the cons of the war and rebuild the nation.

During the Doi Moi period's increased international integration, people-to-people diplomacy has grown strongly, achieving many positive results in terms of peacekeeping, solidarity, friendship, people-to-people cooperation, foreign non-government work, multilateral people's forums, foreign affairs information, research, advice and counseling, mobilizing work with overseas Vietnamese; fight against unjustified accusation on Vietnam, especially on issues of democracy, human rights, sovereignty over seas and islands, contributing to strengthening friendship with other countries, maintaining a peaceful and stable state, taking advantage of international support and resources to serve the nation development and enhance international position.

Nevertheless, people-to-people diplomacy has to work on a number of shortcomings such as: the awareness of people's diplomacy is incomplete and inconsistent; organizations are still lack of initiative, slow to innovate in foreign relations; some guiding documents of the Party on people-to-people diplomacy have been slowly institutionalized and have not been consistently implemented; a number of regulations are not appropriate in new situation, causing inflexibility and ineffectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy; inter-sectoral coordination has not added to the synergy of external relations; inadequate resources for people-to-people diplomacy; shortage of quality, well-trained staff.

Dear professionals,

In the article "Theoretical and practical issues about socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam ", General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stressed that "In addition to identifying the right policy, the right direction, the leadership role of the Party, it is important to promote creative and active participation of the public... People's strength is the profound source of victory, of development ”.

Friendship Associations support international friends in the fight against Covid-19, an initiative by VUFO. Photo: VNT

People's diplomacy is both a uniquely creative feature and an valuable asset and experience of Vietnam's foreign policy. In the context of the complicated world situation where every opportunity is a challenge and vice versa, with objects and partners being intertwined, people-to-people diplomacy must promote the potential and position of the land more than ever before. The advantages of people-to-people diplomacy shall take the lead in building and consolidating trust, the foundation of a friendly society with other countries, earning international support and resources, and creating a peaceful and favorable environment for strengthening relations between Vietnam and other countries, effectively and efficiently supporting Party and State diplomacy.

VUFO would like to propose the following initiatives to improve the efficiency and promote the pillar role people-to-people diplomacy:

Firstly: To increase public awareness of the Resolution of the 13th National Congress and public awareness of the importance of people-to-people diplomacy, ensure the comprehensive and absolute leadership of the Party and the centralized management of the State, the close and effective coordination, distribution and support among the pillars of foreign policy, between central and local people's organizations, in order to leverage the specific strengths of each organization, each pillar, and the overall synergy of Vietnam's foreign policy.

Secondly: To improve contents and methods, quality of activities in all fields, adapting to new situation in a timely manner; ensure the motto "proactive, flexible, creative, effective"; apply information technology, consolidating, expanding and diversifying the network of partners, forces, scope of activities, creating interweaving interests and reliability; perform as a bridge between Vietnam and other countries, especially with the people of neighboring countries, ASEAN members, strategic partners, comprehensive, traditional friends; support sustaining and mobilizing international resources to realize the country's development goals; to ctively promote and protect the interests of the nation and its people, enlist the support of international friends and our compatriots abroad, and actively contribute to the efforts of the international community to establishing dialogue, abiding international law towards a peace, stability and sustainable development.

Thirdly: To build a powerful people-to-people diplomacy force by strengthening the organization, perfecting mechanisms and policies to ensure financial and human resources, focusing on training dedicated staff with revolutionary qualities and ethics, political courage, and the ability to meet the requirements of the assigned tasks.

Finally, VUFO would like to have 2 recommendations:

1. The Secretariat of the Party Central Committee to soon issue a new Directive on people-to-people diplomacy to replace Directive No. 04-CT/TW dated July 6, 2011 of the Secretariat (XI term) to suit its new mission as a pillar of Vietnam's foreign policy.

2. State management agencies to timely institutionalize and consistently implement the Party's guidelines and policies, create favorable conditions, and ensure appropriate resources for people's diplomacy.

Dear professionals,

We shall do their best to make people-to-people diplomacy a pillar of a comprehensive and modern Vietnamese diplomacy, contributing to build Vietnam with power, prosperity, happiness, and peace and international friendship.

VUFO Cooperates with Organizations to Boost Vietnam - Russia Friendship Exchanges Here are the VUFO highlights in friendship exchange activities within the framework of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc's official visit to Russia from Nov. 29 to ...

VUFO - Eurasian People's Assembly Boost Cooperation in Green Economy, Digital Transformation & Cultural Exchange VUFO President Nguyen Phuong Nga led a delegation to discuss strengthening cooperation between the Vietnamese and Eurasian peoples.

VUFO President Works with St. Petersburg Official to Boost People-to-people Exchange VUFO President met with V. Kalganov, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of St.Petersburg City to discuss people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and St. Petersburg ...