Trung, who is also Secretary of the Party Central Committee, wrote that Vietnam's external affairs, firmly anchored in the foreign policy set at the 13th National Party Congress, produced important and substantive results across bilateral and multilateral aspects and in various areas in 2025. These successes helped maintain a peaceful and stable environment, attract external resources for development, and steadily raise Vietnam's global standing.

Bilateral diplomacy was marked by dynamic and wide-ranging activities, especially high-level visits and engagements by top Party and State leaders.

Last year, Vietnam upgraded relations with 17 partners, raising the number of countries with which it has a comprehensive or higher-level partnership to 42, including all the five permanent member of the UN Security Council and 18 of the 21 members of the Group of 20 (G20). Another highlight was the greater substantiveness and effectiveness of high-level visits, as seen in the signing of nearly 350 cooperation agreements – 2.5 times more than those in 2024.

Relations with neighbouring countries proved a particular highlight, contributing to stronger mutual understanding and political trust, reinforcing the pillar role of defence and security ties, and generating breakthroughs in economic, trade and investment cooperation, infrastructure connectivity, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Ties with major powers, important partners, and regional nations grew deeper and more effective, underpinned by enhanced strategic trust. Key advances emerged in trade, economy, sci-tech, innovation, digital transformation, energy, education, healthcare, and joint responses to non-traditional security challenges. At the same time, partnerships with traditional friends and nations across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East - Africa, and the Global South broadened on multiple fronts, strengthening bonds and practical collaboration, he noted.

Multilaterally, Vietnam secured notable results consistent with the Politburo’s Resolution 59 on international integration in the new context and the Secretariat’s Directive 25 on advancing multilateral diplomacy.

Trung also pointed to a series of strides in economic, sci-tech, cultural and people-to-people diplomacy, along with prompt citizen protection in crisis areas and a record inflow of remittances surpassing US$16 billion.

According to him, the diplomatic sector’s immediate task is to thoroughly grasp and effectively follow the foreign policy set out at the upcoming 14th National Party Congress, while urgently formulating an action plan to carry out its resolution.

He highlighted a core guiding principle: swiftly and vigorously translating the Party’s new viewpoints, guidelines, and the State's policies into action. This approach calls for rapidly converting high-level strategic orientations into tangible, substantive, and quantifiable results, driven by bold innovation in both conceptual thinking and delivery methods.

The paramount task ahead, he said, is to secure the effective and immediate rollout of the Party’s directives right from the outset of the new leadership term. By doing so, Vietnam aims to generate strong early momentum for its next era of development.

Vietnam 2025: Proactive diplomacy for a stronger global role

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s foreign affairs in 2025 were marked by an intense pace of senior-level diplomacy, with frequent bilateral visits and active participation by Party and State leaders in major multilateral forums.