People-to-people diplomacy serving socio-economic development: VUFO President

The Party and the State consider 2023 an important year to implement the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan and the resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, Nga noted in a recent interview granted to the press.

She emphasised people-to-people diplomacy’s mission and pioneer role in creating and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, mobilising external resources for national development, and raising the country’s position and reputation in the international arena.

Priorities will be given to promoting relations of people-to-people diplomacy and making it more intensive, extensive, substantive and effective, according to the ambassador.

2023 also sees various celebrations of diplomatic ties with foreign countries, which will be an opportunity for Vietnam to tighten its friendship with peoples worldwide and step up cooperation, thus mobilising resources for national socio-economic recovery and development post COVID-19, she said.

Reviewing achievements in people-to-people diplomacy in 2022, Nga said the sector has fulfilled most of its major tasks, focusing on relations with neighbouring countries, important partners and traditional friends.

VUFO directly joined and chaired many activities, both bilaterally and multilaterally, notably those within the framework of the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year, helping consolidate and enhance relations with the two neighbours, she continued.

Multilaterally, Vietnam successfully hosted the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council for the first time, reflecting the country’s active and responsible contributions to the council and global peace movements at large, the ambassador said.

Nga also spoke of celebrations of diplomatic ties with other countries like India, Austria and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

A highlight of people-to-people diplomacy in the year was the connectivity between centrally-run agencies and localities, Nga said, explaining that friendship, peace and solidarity activities were organised at both central and local levels.

With the issuance of the Government’s Decree 58/2022/ND-CP on the registration and management of activities of foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the year, VUFO worked hard to inform the organisations of Vietnam’s relevant guidelines, policies and legal framework in a timely manner, thus facilitating their operations in the country.

Thanks to such efforts, donations from foreign NGOs to Vietnam still exceeded 200 million USD in 2022 despite the external resource scarcity, she said.

Asked about lessons drawn in 2022, Nga said people-to-people diplomacy must be carried out harmoniously for the interest of the country and humankind as well, and for progress, equality and sustainable development.

She also stressed the need to closely combine people-to-people diplomacy with other pillars of external relations - Party diplomacy and State diplomacy, and pay more attention to personnel training.