| In 2010, Vietnam successfully
accomplished its role as Chair of ASEAN, comprehensively deployed foreign
affairs and deeper integrated into the international economy, creating a
momentum for the nation to enter the 2nd decade of the 21st century.
Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Foreign
Minister Pham Gia Khiem made the remark in an article highlighting the
achievements Vietnam
has recorded in foreign affairs throughout 2010. The deputy PM wrote the successful
assumption of the ASEAN presidency was considered the most outstanding
achievement of Vietnam’s
multilateral diplomacy as well as foreign affairs in 2010. The country left its
mark by valuable contributions and initiatives in a wide range of issues of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Worthy of note, Vietnam helped improve
the quality of the building of the ASEAN Community, put forth initiatives on
ASEAN connectivity, reached consensus on the necessity to maintain regional
peace and stability, and urged concerned parties to implement the ASEAN-China
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and build a Code of
the Conduct i n the East Sea (COC). The nation also contributed greatly to
strengthening ASEAN’s central role in shaping regional architectures and
stepping up cooperative relations in all spheres between the bloc and its
important partners. In dealing with complicated matters in
the region, Vietnam
demonstrated its role as a responsible and proactive Chair, which spared no
efforts to enhance the group’s position in the international arena, Khiem
stressed. Not only focusing on the ASEAN
chairmanship, Vietnam
also deployed multilateral foreign affairs in various fields and from
sub-regional, inter-regional to global levels. On intensifying partnerships – a main
point of bilateral diplomacy, Khiem said, Vietnam
continued to develop “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” with China, by
performing a series of diverse and practical activities during 2010, which
marked the Year of Vietnam-China Friendship and the 60 th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between the two neighbours. Vietnam-China economic cooperation saw
a new milestone as two-way trade exceeded the set target of 25 billion USD, the
deputy PM wrote. Regarding the border and territory
issues, Vietnam and China announced
three important legal documents, officially completing the demarcation and
planting of markers along the common land borderline. The two sides also held
working-level negotiations on principles guiding the settlement of pending
maritime issues and the delimitation in the area out of the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf. Khiem went on to write that Vietnam’s
special relations with Laos and its comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia
were consolidated and expanded, especially in economy and trade. Vietnam and Laos
agreed to choose 2010 to be the year for speeding up the planting of border
markers and reaped practical results in building more and upgrading border markers.
Also, Vietnam actively
worked with Cambodia
to accelerate the demarcation and planting of markers along the shared land
borderline. Vietnam’s multifaceted cooperation with other nations in Southeast Asia was stepped up, both bilaterally and within
the framework of ASEAN, the deputy PM said. He also noted that Vietnam is
gradually establishing and perfecting strategic cooperation frameworks with
powerful nations worldwide and deepening its relations with major countries as
well as economic and political centres. Vietnam’s “strategic partnership” with Russia entered a practical stage
when the two nations agreed to embark on prioritised cooperation projects,
particularly in nuclear power, oil and gas and military techniques. In relations with the US, the two
sides actively promoted the “friendly partnership, multifaceted cooperation,
mutual respect and reciprocal benefit” towards a more intensive, extensive and
sustainable partnership in the long term. Vietnam and the US organised a series
of activities to celebrate 15 years of the normalisation of relations,
conducted the third politics-security-national defence dialogue, held the
deputy ministerial-level national defence dialogue and coordinated closely in
the Mekong sub-regional cooperation mechanism. According to the deputy PM, Vietnam advocated holding dialogues with the US on the
issues in which the two sides have differences such as democracy, human rights
and religion, and actively dealing with the matters left from the war. However,
Vietnam
was determined to struggle against the acts that interfere in its internal
affairs. Vietnam’s relations with the European Union (EU) witnessed a
breakthrough with the initialing of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
(PCA) following nine rounds of negotiation. Vietnam and the EU also agreed to begin negotiations on a Free
Trade Agreement (FTA), opening up a new opportunity for the two sides to
develop comprehensive, deeper and wider ties in the years to come. During the process of national
development, the role of Vietnam’s
foreign affairs have been improved, not only in politics, but also in the
economy and culture. Comprehensive diplomacy was strongly performed, with the
harmony and close linkage between the foreign affairs of the Party, the National
Assembly, the State and the people, as well as the smooth and effective
coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sectors, agencies and
localities, especially between diplomacy, national defence and security. Upholding the advantages of more than
90 representative agencies located on all the five continents, economic
diplomacy made positive contributions, especially in advising the government on
important policies and decisions, including the decision to join in
negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement
(TPP) as an official member, as well as other free trade agreements. Having inherited the successes of the
“Year of cultural diplomacy 2009”, Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy
flourished in 2010, effectively supporting the organisation of ASEAN activities
and major political events. The country also paid due attention to
overseas Vietnamese (OV)-related affairs, creating an exciting and reliable
atmosphere in the OV community and enhancing linkages between Ovs and the home
land. The protection of OVs was implemented
regularly, timely and effectively. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs well
performed its function regarding state management of migration, and worked
closely together with the government’s concerned agencies, localities and
businesses to properly deal with matters related to Vietnamese guest workers
abroad and fishermen in distress or seized at sea. Along with the State’s diplomacy, the
Party’s foreign affaires were deployed proactively and effectively, thus
strengthening the solidarity and cooperation with communist, political and
ruling parties, particularly enhancing trust and friendship with neighbouring
nations. The National Assembly (NA)’s foreign
affairs also saw a number of outstanding activities. Worthy of note was the
NA’s successful accomplishment of its role as Chair of the ASEAN
Inter-parliament Assembly (AIPA), hosting of the 31 st AIPA General Assembly
and attendance at the G-20 parliamentary consultation meeting, marking the
development of Vietnam’s
parliamentary diplomacy. People-to-people diplomacy effectively
supported the official channels of external relations, with a wide range of
activities organised during the year such as the ASEAN People’s Forum, the
Vietnam-China Youth Festival, the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia people’s friendship and
cooperation meeting, and activities demanding justice for Agent Orange/dioxin
victims. In his article, Deputy PM Khiem also
emphasised the importance of the active and dynamic international integration for
the nation’s sustainable development in 2011 – the first year Vietnam
implements the XIth National Party Congress’ Resolution, the Platform
(supplemented, developed) on national construction during the transition
towards socialism, the 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy and the
2011-2015 development plan. Source: VNA | 
