Protecting the Fatherland early and from afar
Having endured prolonged wars with immense sacrifices, Vietnam always treasures the value of peace, independence, and freedom. Therefore, maintaining a peaceful environment to prevent war, protect national sovereignty, and create conditions for national development is the highest goal we aspire to achieve.
To prevent the devastating consequences of war, Vietnam must protect the nation early and from afar. Defense diplomacy is a way to approach the strategic target that relies not on military measures but on peaceful solutions, focusing on prevention and thorough preparation to maintain peace before any threats arise.
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General Phan Van Giang at the 10th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) in November 2023. |
Protecting the Fatherland early and from afar also means the ability to prevent and address potential risks of conflict and war, not only in terms of geographical distance but also in terms of time. In this field, diplomacy, including defense diplomacy, plays a pioneering role. History has shown that policies based on “peaceful means,” were effectively used by the forefathers to protect the nation early and from afar.
Preserving and upholding the traditions, the Party and State give priority to diplomacy, especially defense diplomacy, as a key pillar in the national construction and defense cause. The resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the National Defense Strategy in the current context outline that defense diplomacy is tasked with protecting national independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity; safeguarding the Party, the State, the people, and the socialism; ensuring national interests; preventing war and conflict; and preserving a peaceful environment for sustainable national development.
It also aims to strengthen Vietnam’s defense capabilities, elevate its international standing, and enhance the role of the nation and its defense sector on the global stage.
To fulfill these tasks, defense diplomacy has organized peaceful activities and solutions to establish and strengthen defense relations with other countries and international organizations based on equality and mutual respect.
This is not merely the Ministry of National Defense’s external affairs but comprehensive defense-related diplomatic activities under the Party’s leadership, the government’s management, and the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense.
Actively building trust
Over nearly 40 years of renewal, alongside Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, defense diplomacy has expanded in both scope and depth. It has contributed to the national construction and defense cause, enhanced the nation and military’s capabilities and position, while embodying the unique characteristics of defense diplomacy in the Ho Chi Minh era, imbued with the “Vietnam’s bamboo diplomacy.”
Amid the rapid and complex developments in global and regional security and politics, defense diplomacy has actively studied, assessed, and forecasted the situation, thereby making recommendations to the Central Military Commission, Ministry of National Defense to issue policies, strategies, and solutions to effectively address issues related to defense and security.
Through defense diplomacy, Vietnam has established defense relations with the militaries of more than 100 countries, including the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and three international organizations: the United Nations (U.N.), the European Union (E.U.), and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). Vietnam has established defense relations with all its key partners, including those with traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation; comprehensive strategic partners; and strategic and comprehensive partners.
Currently, 32 countries place Defense Attaché Offices in Vietnam, while 20 others operate on a concurrent basis. Vietnam, in turn, has established Defense Attaché Offices in 34 countries.
High-level visits, regular defense and security dialogues at all levels with ASEAN nations, China, Russia, the United States, Japan, France, India, and other countries, as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements, have demonstrated Vietnam’s goodwill in promoting and maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.
What Vietnam has gained is the trust of the international community and an external defense posture, where global citizens, countries, and partners are prepared to support Vietnam in the face of potential threats of invasion.
In Vietnam’s overall diplomatic success, which combines the “strength of the nation with the strength of the time,” defense diplomacy has played a practical and significant role.
In the era of international integration, a nation’s strength is not only measured by its economic strength but also by its position, reflected in its bilateral and multilateral ties and contribution to international organizations and activities for peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
With this goal, defense diplomacy has proactively engaged in regional and global arenas, becoming a crucial channel to strengthen and expand Vietnam’s relations with international organizations and regions worldwide. These activities have fostered strategic trust and built friendship with partners.
Vietnam actively participates in international forums, moving from passive participation to shaping agendas and creating rules. Recognized for its proactive and responsible defense cooperation, Vietnam’s initiatives, like the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), highlight its commitment to regional and global security.
Notably, through its participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations, Vietnam has affirmed its position and image as a highly responsible member of the international community. This effort is a key pillar of defense diplomacy and a remarkable achievement in the multilateral relations of the Vietnam People’s Army in recent years.
From the deployment of the first two officers to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan on May 27, 2014, these activities have significantly expanded, with hundreds of personnel participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations in Africa. In February 2023, Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense sent 76 personnel to perform search and rescue mission following the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
The presence and active participation of Vietnamese blue berets in U.N. peacekeeping forces not only affirm Vietnam’s commitment to global peace and security efforts but also highlight the nation’s position in the international arena.
Vietnamese peacekeepers have earned the support and admiration of the people in the host countries where they are present, spreading the nation’s goodwill and love to others worldwide, contributing to safeguarding the Fatherland early and from afar.
From its fundamental roles as a fighting force, a working force, and a production force, the Vietnam People’s Army, through defense diplomacy, has increasingly affirmed its position as a diplomatic force and an international force. It contributes to safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and interests, as well as promoting peace and stability in the region and the world.
Translated by Minh Anh