Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham BinhMinh on December 24 appreciated international integration results in the fieldsof politics, security, and defence in 2020.

The Deputy PM, head of the inter-sectoral steering committee on internationalintegration in the fields of politics, security, and defence, chaired a meeting in Hanoi to review the committee’s performance this year and launch itstasks for next year.

He praised the efforts by relevant ministries, departments and agencies inovercoming difficulties and turning challenges into opportunities, especiallyin the context of the complicated development of COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapid,strong and unpredictable fluctuations in the world and regional situation.

They quickly adapted to the new situation; carry out foreign relations andinternational integration actively, flexibly and creatively; effectively implementonline diplomacy, medical diplomacy and international cooperation on epidemicprevention, contributing to deepening relations with other countries andpartners, he said.

Thanks to their endeavours, he continued, the country successfully fulfilled itsroles as ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United NationsSecurity Council for the term 2020-2021, promoted cooperation and deepinternational integration in the fields of defence and security, and maintainedsovereignty and territorial integrity, contributing to raising the prestige,role and position of Vietnam in the international arena.

As the international environment in 2021 will continue to see rapid,complicated and unpredictable changes, posing both challenges andopportunities, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh directed the committee to concretisethe policy on international integration outlined in the documents of the 13th Party National Congress, and promote the pioneering role of foreign relations inmaintaining a peaceful and stable environment, making the most of externalresources for national development.

Regarding the major tasks for next year, Minh asked theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministryof National Defence coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to furtherpromote forecasting and counselling work.

They should better adapt to the complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic inorder to continue deepening relations with other countries and enhancingmultilateral diplomacy, implement the results achieved during the ASEAN ChairmanshipYear 2020, and successfully fulfil the role of a UNSC non-permanent member, hesaid.

They also need to promote international cooperation in dealing withnon-traditional security challenges such as epidemics, climate change, water securityand cyber security.

In order to successfully fulfill the above tasks, ministries, departments andagencies should thoroughly grasp the documents of the 13th NationalParty Congress, increase efficiency of coordination mechanisms, and step up thetraining and capacity building for the contingent of officials engaged inintegration work in the coming years, Minh concluded./.