In his opening speech, Minister Minh emphasized that under the sound and direct leadership of the Party and State, the foreign affairs service has conducted its tasks in a proactive, creative, and effective manner. The ministry contributed to maintaining peace and stability, attracting external resources to national development, firmly safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and promoting Vietnam’s position in the international arena.
This year, he underlined that the main task for the ministry is to cement established relations on the basis of mutual interests between Vietnam and its key partners, with a focus on its neighboring and regional countries, major powers, and strategic and comprehensive partners.
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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh speaks at the event. |
Amid the country’s intensive integration into the world, the ministry should play a more active role in seeking markets for Vietnamese goods, mobilizing external support sources for the country’s development, and contributing to the implementation of new-generation free trade agreements, particularly the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The ministry should effectively carry out Directive No. 25-CT/TW on promoting and enhancing the role of multilateral relations issued by the Party Central Committee's Secretariat; thus, pay due attention to multilateral relations in 2019, and make good preparation for the country’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020 and running for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.
In addition, the ministry was recommended to closely coordinate with defense and security agencies to ensure national sovereignty and territorial integrity, especially security and sovereignty over the country’s seas and islands, concluded Minh.
Translated by Song Anh