Socialist Republic of Vietnam

(Vietnam Review - No 528 December 2002)

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien talks with Vietnam Review


Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien :On the occasion of the New Year 2003, via Vietnam Review, I would like to wish its readers, the friends of Vietnam and all individuals interested in Vietnam, Vietnam Review’s Editorial Board and all its staff a new year of good health, happiness and success.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien

Q: The year 2002 was very good for foreign relations for Vietnam. Minister, could you please give us highlights of the foreign relations during the past year.

Foreign Minister (FM) Nguyen Dy Nien: In 2002, the situation in the region and throughout the world has kept developing in a complicated manner and that prompts all the nations and the regions to pay greater attention to security and cope with the menace of international terrorism. In this context, Vietnam's foreign service has been working hard with initiatives and recorded major achievements. It is safe to say we have reaped a rich crop in foreign relations.

All our foreign relations are for the implementation of the Resolutions of the 9th Party Congress, on the basis of upholding the guideline for foreign relations of independence and sovereignty, diversification and multi-lateralization, under the guiding principle "Ready to be a reliable friend and partner of all the nations in the international community". Our relations with other nations, regions and the international organizations have improved to a considerable extent. We keep winning more external resources to efficiently support our national industrialization and modernization programme, along with the promotion of our international and regional integration. We have tactfully, rationally and timely tackled fresh problems cropping up in our foreign relations. We keep making contributions to preserving and fortifying the international environment of peace and stability, favourable for our national construction and defence and the constant promotion of our international status.

The expansion of foreign relations has been synchronized with the development of intensive relations of friendship and cooperation, focussing on the enhancement of practical efficiency. We keep establishing and improving our long-term relations with various partners, considerably ameliorating the legal framework, both multi-laterally and bilaterally, with a view to opening up fresh prospects for the taping of cooperation potentials, with the intention of setting up reliable partnerships.

The direct participation and direction by the leadership of the Party and the State, the Government and the National Assembly has played a very important and decisive role in the accomplishment of the above-mentioned achievements, which are manifest in the official high-profile friendship visits aboard. At the international and regional forums and conferences, we have come forward with practical initiatives, expressing Vietnam's sense of responsibility for the issues related to the common interests of the whole region and the world and at the same time demonstrating our active participation and ever-higher international role and status.

Along with the official State foreign service, the activities in foreign relations by the Party, the people and the other departments and sectors have helped to actively promote friendship and cooperation in many respects, making a contribution to fortifying the mutual understanding between the people, the mass and social organizations of Vietnam and their counterparts in other countries. International cooperation in culture, education and training has also been accelerated.

A focal point of prime priority in our foreign relations lies in the service of the socio-economic development, execution of the tasks in foreign economic relations, expansion of export markets, increased absorption of foreign investment, transfer of technology, development of tourism and international labour cooperation. The support from the community of overseas Vietnamese nationals has made encouraging gains. More and more overseas Vietnamese have turned to the Fatherland, making their contributions to national construction. Our cultural and information activity overseas has also contributed to helping the world understand Vietnam better, more truthfully and more comprehensively, hence its contribution to the further enhancement of Vietnam's status in the international arena.

We have recorded major achievements in foreign relations during the past year, but certainly we should make greater endeavours by redoubling our efforts to accomplish the unachieved goals and fulfil our tasks in foreign relations in the time ahead.

Q: Could you give an outline of the orientation for Vietnamese foreign relations in the year 2003?

FM Nguyen Dy Nien: In 2003 and even the next few years, it is likely that the situation of the world and the region may keep developing in the direction manifest in 2002, that is the environment for our foreign relations will embrace both advantages and difficulties, opportunities and challenges. We should know how to harmoniously synchronize our activities, steadfastly upholding the principles of being clever, flexible and sensible in our strategy, and particularly grappling with fresh problems cropping up in our foreign relations. We will persistently implement foreign relations along the lines of independence and sovereignty approved at the 9th National Party Congress. In this spirit, we have to continue boosting the diversification and multi-lateralisation of relations and actively embark on international economic integration with a view to bringing into full play the gains recorded, making full use of all conditions and taking full advantage of all opportunities to render the best service for national construction and defence.

Efforts should be made to keep consolidating and ameliorating the necessary legal frameworks as regards all of our partners, expand the scope and sectors of cooperation, especially in the economy and trade, and raise the practical effects of the cooperation programmes and projects. Diversification of foreign relations should ensure their consistency and inter-action as well as mutual support and supplement. Developing bilateral relations should go hand in hand with actively participating in multilateral foreign activities to win favourable conditions for national development and enhancement of national status in the international arena. In this spirit, and in accordance with our real capability, we will continue to take part in the settlement of the pressing issues of the world and the region and fulfill all our obligations as a responsible member of the international and regional community. In the period ahead, the tasks of our foreign service are quite heavy, but it is in a position to present and enhance its important role.