Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamhad a successful year in diplomacy in 2016, with its political stability anddevelopment potential continually spotlighted and its relations and diversecooperation with other countries and partners deepened, stated the ForeignMinistry’s Spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

At a regular pressconference of the ministry in Hanoi on January12, Binh noted that last year, Vietnamwelcomed nearly 30 heads of state.

Important events wereorganized, including the seventh Ayeyawady-Chao Phreaya-Mekong EconomicCooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit, the eighth Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-VietnamSummit, and the first World Economic Forum on Mekong Region, he said.

At the same time, Vietnampromoted its active role in building the ASEAN Community, while showing strongperformance as a member of UN agencies such as the Human Rights Council,Socio-Economic Council, and UNESCO Executive Board.

The first time, arepresentative of Vietnamwas elected to the UN International Law Commission, he highlighted.

Vietnam has set up strategic partnership with 15 countriesand comprehensive partnership with 10 countries, including all world powers andthe five members of the UN Security Council.

With the conclusion andcontinuous negotiations of 16 free trade agreements, Vietnam has enforced free tradedeals with 60 partners that hold 90 percent of the world’s GDP and 80 percentof global trade, said Binh.

He underlined that lastyear, the Foreign Ministry also took a number of measures to call for thesupport of international friends and the Vietnamese community abroad to thecountry’s reform, international integration and development.

The ministry also worked toboost the effective and active engagement of Vietnam in 70 organisations andcooperation mechanisms from sub-regional, regional to global levels.

The Spokesperson statedthat in the coming time, Vietnam will continue prioritising comprehensive andintensive international integration, aiming to introduce to the world a dynamiceconomy, a beautiful country with rich culture, tradition, tangible and intangiblecultural heritage of humankind, and an attractive destination for investment,business and tourism.

Vietnam’s largest diplomatic activity in 2017 is the hostingof the APEC Year. This is the second time in 10 years that Vietnam hasbeen chosen as the host of the event, showing the country has gained internationalcredibility for its international integration efforts, he said.

Other important eventsinclude the 40th anniversary of Vietnam’s joining of the UN, and ASEAN’s50th founding anniversary, he added.-VNA