Economic diplomacy to be promoted to fuel agricultural development
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan on August 17 signed an action plan for implementing economic diplomacy to help promote agricultural development in the 2023 - 2026 period.
Applauding the agriculture and rural development sector’s achievements, Son said agriculture has established itself as a true pillar of support in the national economy, an essential contributor to social security, and a leading strength of Vietnam’s international cooperation and diplomatic activities.
In 2022, agriculture, forestry and fisheries expanded 3.36% to substantially contribute the overall GDP growth of 8.02%. Agro-forestry-fishery exports topped US$53 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of over US$8.5 billion or nearly 76% of the economy’s total trade surplus, statistics show.
Agriculture has played a crucial role in ensuring domestic food security, political stability, and social security, especially amid the food crisis that has led to political and social instability in many countries, the Foreign Minister noted.
The sector has also helped promote Vietnam’s stature and prestige in the international arena, he went on, adding that from an agriculturally underdeveloped country, Vietnam has become one of the world’s top producers and exporters of agro-forestry-fishery products and a role model on safeguarding food security .
At bilateral meetings and on the sidelines of multilateral conferences, foreign leaders have recognised and valued Vietnam’s experience in agricultural development as well as its important role in global and regional food production and supply chains, Son said.
He highlighted the moves taken by the Foreign Ministry and Vietnam’s overseas representative agencies to help expand markets for agro-forestry-fishery products, attract resources for agricultural development, and assist the agricultural sector to integrate into the world.
As the global, regional and domestic situations are predicted to face complex and unpredictable developments in the time ahead, Minister Son stressed the critical necessity for stepping up economic diplomacy to support the sector, thus helping facilitate the export of agro-forestry-fishery products and maintain economic growth.
Appreciating the diplomatic sector’s assistance, Minister Hoan expressed his hope that the diplomatic sector, especially overseas representative agencies of Vietnam, will continue assisting the agricultural sector to weather challenges and seize opportunities to bring Vietnamese farm produce to more markets.
He also considered the overseas representative agencies a trustworthy and effective information channel for the agricultural sector to access advanced scientific and technological achievements of global agriculture so as to undertake reforms, improve production capacity, and improve on quality.
Following the meeting, the two ministers signed an action plan for implementing economic diplomacy to help with agricultural development for 2023 - 2026.
