Hanoi (VNA) – The 31st National Diplomatic Conference, which took place in the first year of implementing the 13th National Party Congress’ Resolution and right after the first National Conference on Foreign Affairs, had a special meaning in terms of both content and context, marking a new period of inheritance and development of Vietnamese diplomacy, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung.

Speaking to the media on the outcomes of the event, which concluded on December 18 after five working days, Dung said that the conference was a success with fruitful outcomes.

Along with in-depth discussions on external relations orientations, policies and solutions set out at the 13th National Party Congress and directions by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Conference on Foreign Affairs, participants reached high consensus in awareness and high resolve for actions, he said.

They agreed on the need for the diplomatic sector to improve its quality and efficiency, expanding its coverage and strengthening coordination and increasing proactiveness amid the changing domestic and world situation.

The conference dwelled on lessons learned during the 76 years of national defence and construction as well as 35 years of implementing “Doi Moi” (Renewal) policy, and sketched out orientations for the diplomatic sector to implement the new viewpoints about external relations reached  at the 13th National Party Congress and the tasks assigned by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, focusing on comprehensively, creatively and effectively implementing external relations activities along with proactively promoting comprehensive and extensive international integration, and strengthening the pioneering role of diplomacy in building and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment and mobilising outside resources for national development, as well as building a comprehensive and modern diplomacy on the three pillars of Party, State and people diplomacy, said the Deputy FM.

He said greater efforts will be made to strengthen multilateral diplomacy, safeguarding the national independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity as well as peaceful and stable environment for development, and promoting the implementation of international law and the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures.

At the same time, the sector will strive to enhance the effectiveness of economic diplomacy, renew the content and method of cultural diplomacy and foreign affairs information to optimise the country’s soft power, he said, adding that citizen protection work will continue to be promoted.

The Deputy FM said that within the framework of the 31st National Diplomatic Conference, the 20th National Conference on Local Diplomacy was held, creating a chance for localities to exchange experience and ideas on how to effectively implement external affairs and international integration in the time to come.

Particularly, localities paid great attention to economic diplomacy, which is considered a leverage for their economic recovery and development, he said.

Notably, for the first time, foreign diplomatic corps and business associations contributed their opinions on local diplomacy, recommending the development of green businesses and green industrial parks to attract foreign investors.

Deputy FM Dung said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to accompany localities in international integration through strengthening economic diplomacy to attract high quality foreign resources for sustainable and rapid development./.