The noble award showed the recognition of the Party and State for the great contribution of generations of the Department of Foreign Relations - Hero of People’s Armed Force Unit, during the 60-year journey of establishment and development.
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Director of the Department of Foreign Relations Major General Vu Thanh Van |
The People’s Army Newspaper had an interview with Director of the Department of Foreign Relations Major General Vu Thanh Van on the occasion of its 60th foundation anniversary and receiving the First-class Military Exploit Order.
Talking about the highlights in international integration and defense external affairs in recent years, Major General Vu Thanh Van said that the conference held on December 28, 2023 to review the ten-year implementation of Resolution No.806-NQ/TW of the Central Military Commission, issued on December 31, 2013, on international integration and defense external affairs, concluded that international integration and defense external affairs have developed both extensively and intensively, becoming a key pillar in the fields of Party external relations, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, making important contribution to building national defense; promoting national strength in combination with strength of the time to create synergy and implement the plan on protecting the Fatherland early and from afar; maintain peaceful and stable environment to boost the country’s development; and effectively take advantage of external resources to enhance the role, position, and prestige of Vietnam in general and the Vietnam People's Army in particular in the international arena.
Among these achievements, he mentioned the highlights of international cooperation and defense external affairs in recent years.
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Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian defense ministers witnessed the signing of the cooperation agreement within the framework of their annual meeting in December 2023. |
First, realizing that international cooperation and defense external affairs is one of the important pillars in Party external relations, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, the Ministry of National Defense has proactively and regularly given effective recommendations to leaders of the Party, State, and Government on policies, guidelines, diplomatic and external affairs strategies in relations with foreign countries, in dealing with sensitive international and regional issues, and in planning policies and strategies for international integration and defense external affairs.
Second, Vietnam has built and maintained defense relations of peace, friendship, cooperation and development with all countries and partners in the world, thereby contributing to preventing risks of wars and conflict and protecting the country early and from afar. Up to now, Vietnam has established defense relations with more than 100 countries, including all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (U.N.). Vietnam has set up its defense attaché offices in 34 countries and 32 countries have opened their defense attaché offices in Vietnam.
Third, the success of exchanging delegations of senior defense leaders, bilateral defense cooperation mechanisms, especially defense policy dialogue, are significant factors contributing to building reliable and substantial defense cooperative relations with other countries. Meanwhile, delegation exchange at all levels in all fields has been conducted in a frequent, practical and effective manner.
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Major General Vu Thanh Van speaking at the conference to review international integration and defense external affairs in 2023 |
Fourth, international integration and defense external affairs have been comprehensively implemented in all fields. Border defense external affairs, including Border Defense Friendship Exchange Programs, have made important contribution to building good relationships with three neighboring countries; building a borderline of stability, peace, friendship, cooperation and development. Currently, Vietnam has held the Border Defense Friendship Exchange Programs with China, Laos, and Cambodia.
Moreover, the first Vietnam International Defense Expo, organized successfully by the Ministry of National Defense in December 2022, drew the participation of many high-ranking military leaders and defense industry firms from more than 30 countries worldwide, and received high appreciation at home and abroad. The event left a mark in the field of defense industry and military trade cooperation in particular and defense relations in general. It is expected that the second expo will take place in December this year on the occasion of the 80th foundation anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army and the 35th anniversary of the Whole-People National Defense Festive Day.
Other fields of bilateral cooperation, such as navy, coast guard, war legacy settlement, defense economy and training, etc. have obtained encouraging results, contributing to the general success of the defense external affairs over the past time.
Fifth, international integration and defense external affairs have gained meaningful achievements, thereby spreading the message that Vietnam is an active and responsibility member of the international community, contributing to raising the country’s image, prestige and position.
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Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien presenting certificates of merit of the Minister of National Defense to collectives at the conference reviewing the ten-year implementation of Resolution No.806-NQ/TW of the Central Military Commission, issued on December 31, 2013, on international integration and defense external affairs until 2020 and the following years. |
Vietnam has participated in multilateral cooperation mechanisms, attentively the participation of senior leaders of the Ministry of National Defense at conferences within the ASEAN framework, including The ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM), ASEAN Defense Senior Officials' Meeting (ADSOM), Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Moscow Conference on International Security, Shangri-La Dialogue, and more.
Vietnam has taken part in U.N. peacekeeping operations since 2014. As of May this year, Vietnam has deployed more than 800 officers to U.N. missions and had its own units at U.N. missions in field of military medicine and engineering. Apart from the Ministry of National Defense, officers from the Ministry of Public Security have participated in U.N. peacekeeping operations.
Also, Vietnam has hosted multilateral defense events in recent years, such as International Army Games (Army Games) and “Vietnam Coast Guards and friends” exchange program, among others.
With the attention and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, the support and coordination of units inside and outside the military, and the great efforts of professional staff, Major General Nguyen Thanh Van expressed his strong belief that the international integration and defense external affairs would reap more fruits in the time to come.
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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh handing over a certificate of merit to the Department of Foreign Relations for its outstanding achievements in participating in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in Turkey |
Regarding the defense external affairs in the coming time, the director of the Department of Foreign Relations underlined that first of all, the department is well aware of the position, role, and significance of international integration and defense external affairs amid complicated developments in the world and regional situations. Nowadays, external affairs greatly contribute to protecting the Fatherland early and from afar; preventing risks of wars and conflict; and maintaining a peaceful environment and creating favorable conditions for national construction and development.
Second, the department has consistently implemented the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralization of external relations; being a reliable partner of countries, an active and responsible member of the international community; and being steadfast in "4 No's" defense policy. These are a hard and fast rule and a “guideline” in giving advice and implementing international integration and defense external affairs. The external relations and defense policy have demonstrated the Party's sound leadership over the past time.
Third, the department should give recommendations and implement international integration and defense external affairs in a synchronous manner. It means that thoroughly grasping and implementing the leadership and directions of the Party, State and Government, directly the Central Military Commission, Ministry of National Defense in the organization and implementation of the work.
Fourth, the department should closely follow, study, evaluate and forecast the world and regional situations to deal with any arising circumstances. This is a critical premise to make effective recommendations on handling issues related to multilateral and bilateral international integration and defense external affairs.
Fifth, pro-actively and closely coordinating with agencies and units inside and outside the military, defense attaché offices of Vietnam in foreign countries, foreign diplomatic representative agencies in Vietnam, and others in researching, evaluating, and forecasting the situational development and implementing international integration and defense external affairs.
Last, the department should attach much importance to building a healthy and strong Party organization, a comprehensively strong unit, and a contingent of officers with good ability and ethics to successfully accomplish all assigned missions in the new context.
Translated by Quynh Oanh