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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and gave instructions at the Conference to promote economic diplomacy to serve the country's socio-economic development in the last 6 months of 2023. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Also attending the conference were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang; Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son; Minister, Head of the Government Office Tran Van Son; Chairman of the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises Nguyen Hoang Anh; leaders of ministries, branches, central agencies; business associations and 94 Vietnamese representative agencies abroad.
Active, proactive, timely and effective economic diplomacy
Speaking at the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad for closely coordinating with ministries, branches, localities and enterprises in the past time to actively, proactively, promptly and effectively implement foreign affairs tasks, including economic diplomacy, and implement Directive No. 15-CT/TW dated August 10, 2022 of the Secretariat on economic diplomacy to serve the country's development until 2030 in a positive, methodical and disciplined manner.
The Prime Minister highly appreciated the foreign affairs sector's good performance in vaccine diplomacy, which has contributed to helping our country control the epidemic, reopen soon, and recover and develop the socio-economy.
Thanks to that, we have maintained macroeconomic stability, controlled inflation, promoted growth, and ensured major balances of the economy. By the end of 2022, public debt will be about 38% of GDP, government debt will be about 34.7% of GDP, lower than the prescribed ceiling (60% of GDP and 50% of GDP, respectively).
However, the global economy is facing "6 strong headwinds", greatly affecting all aspects of socio-economic life at home and abroad: global economic downturn, rising inflation...; people's lives face many difficulties; the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are still prolonged; geostrategic competition, protectionism, separation, fragmentation, lack of close connection; conflicts threaten global food and energy security; developing countries have limited adaptability and resilience to external shocks; climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics are complicated and unpredictable.
Domestically, there are more difficulties and challenges than opportunities and advantages; the economy is highly open but its scale is still modest, its competitiveness and resilience to external shocks are limited, and it is heavily affected by the global and regional economic context, especially the narrowing of Vietnam's large and traditional markets...
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| The conference was attended online by Vietnamese representative agencies abroad. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
The Prime Minister stated that in the second quarter of 2023, GDP growth reached 4.14%, and in the first 6 months of the year it reached 3.72%; therefore, to achieve the set growth target for the whole year (from 6-6.5%), we must make great efforts. In the context of controlled inflation and gradual reduction over the months, we prioritize growth by promoting 3 growth drivers (consumption, investment - including public investment, private investment and FDI, and export).
The Prime Minister asked delegates to focus on discussing specific solutions to promote growth drivers through attracting high-quality investment; continue to diversify markets, products, and supply chains, promote traditional markets and expand niche and potential markets, accelerate the signing of FTAs, and promote Vietnamese goods to the Halal market.
Reiterating the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the recent mid-term Central Conference to “effectively implement signed trade agreements, making the most of the benefits that these agreements can bring”, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to connect provinces and cities, connect representative agencies abroad, connect businesses to make the most of all opportunities, promote the highest sense of responsibility for the interests of the nation, for the development of the country, for the happiness and prosperity of the people.
Economic diplomacy is the basic and central task of foreign affairs activities.
At the conference, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son stated that the entire diplomatic sector always thoroughly grasps and deeply and fully understands the position, strategic importance, basic content and orientation of economic diplomacy to serve the country's development in the current period.
In close adherence to the spirit of Directive 15 of the Secretariat, the Government's Action Program on implementing Directive 15, and the directions of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Affairs sector has identified and thoroughly grasped economic diplomacy as the fundamental and central task of foreign affairs activities; closely coordinated with ministries, branches, localities and enterprises to synchronously and resolutely implement economic diplomacy tasks and activities with the motto of being resolute, substantive, effective, with specific results, taking people, enterprises and localities as the center of service, practically contributing to promoting the country's socio-economic development.
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| Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son delivered his opening remarks at the Conference. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
In implementing economic diplomacy, the Foreign Affairs sector has always received attention, close and correct direction from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, as well as support and coordination from ministries, branches, localities and enterprises.
At this Conference, the Foreign Affairs sector, together with ministries, sectors and enterprises, reviewed and comprehensively and substantially assessed the economic diplomacy work implemented since the beginning of 2023, especially the tasks set out in the Government's Action Program on implementing Directive 15 of the Secretariat.
From there, clarify what has been done well, what has not been done well, clearly identify the causes, draw lessons, and on that basis propose specific directions and measures, especially new and more effective directions and methods so that economic diplomacy can contribute more positively to the implementation of the socio-economic development goals set by the Government for 2023.
Reporting at the Conference, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu also highlighted a number of results that economic diplomacy has achieved in recent times.
Notably, economic diplomacy has continued to promote and deepen economic, trade and investment relations with partners; making economics the central content in bilateral and multilateral high-level foreign affairs activities.
In nearly 30 foreign affairs activities of the leaders of the Party, State, Government, and National Assembly, more than 50 meetings and working sessions of the leaders of the Government, ministries, and branches with economic groups in the first 6 months of the year, economic contents were promoted and many important and substantive results were achieved, with over 70 documents signed, establishing new frameworks and fields of a breakthrough nature; resolving difficulties and obstacles in cooperation, attracting resources to serve the country's development.
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| Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu reports at the Conference. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Economic diplomacy also continues to promote international economic integration, actively participate in multilateral cooperation mechanisms, thereby expanding development space, enhancing the country's position, and attracting external resources to serve national development.
Economic diplomacy has also supported sectors, fields, localities and enterprises in the spirit of taking people, localities and enterprises as the center of service. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized 5 activities connecting domestic localities with major partners; supported localities in building more than 50 cooperation agreements, 50 dossiers on building and implementing sectoral and regional planning and socio-economic development plans. Proactively updated and informed associations and enterprises about new trends and regulations.
Ambassadors and Heads of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad for the 2023-2026 term worked with 9 ministries, branches, over 100 associations and large enterprises to grasp the need for support to promote cooperation and remove difficulties. Continue to support the examination, verification and removal of obstacles for localities, Vietnamese enterprises cooperating with foreign countries and foreign enterprises investing in Vietnam.
Economic diplomacy also contributes to improving the effectiveness of economic research and advisory work based on closely following the country's economic recovery and development needs, thereby actively contributing to the direction and administration of the Government and the Prime Minister.
In recent times, economic diplomacy has also been innovated, improving the effectiveness of coordination and implementation mechanisms, perfecting the organizational apparatus and improving the quality of resources. Periodic economic diplomacy meetings between localities, domestic enterprises and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad have been effectively implemented. Quarterly meetings are held with representative agencies by region, in which economic diplomacy is a key content.
Also at the Conference, representatives of business associations proposed many ideas and a number of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad also discussed measures to further promote the effectiveness of cooperation and support for businesses and localities in implementing economic diplomacy.
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| Representative of Vietnam Timber Association speaking online. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Strong driving force for rapid and sustainable national development
In his concluding remarks at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that implementing Directive No. 15-CT/TW of the Secretariat and the Government's Action Program, economic diplomacy has changed dramatically, making many important contributions.
Awareness of the role, significance and importance of economic diplomacy as a fundamental and central task has been increasingly enhanced. Economic diplomacy work has been implemented in an increasingly synchronous and comprehensive manner. Economic cooperation has been strongly promoted.
On behalf of the Government leaders, once again, the Prime Minister acknowledged and commended the efforts and results of the diplomatic sector, ministries, branches, and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad in implementing foreign affairs and economic diplomacy tasks in recent times.
The Prime Minister shared with relevant ministries, sectors and agencies the hardships and difficulties in implementing foreign affairs and economic diplomacy in recent times. Overcoming difficulties, comrades have closely followed the localities, promptly advised the Government, contributed to effectively controlling the epidemic in the country, maintaining macroeconomic stability and supporting and promoting socio-economic recovery and development.
The Prime Minister pointed out three lessons learned, which are to be proactive and timely; businesses must be flexible and keep abreast of the situation. They must put the interests of the nation and people first, "respond to all changes with the unchanging", flexibly adapt to the situation; must grasp the international situation, context, economic situation, and development needs, strengths in the country; advise, propose, resolve, and overcome challenges; must work with a high sense of responsibility, avoid pushing, relying, and waiting; must coordinate closely with each other - agencies must coordinate closely with each other, businesses must coordinate closely with businesses; promote and exploit the advantages of Vietnam's relationship with each country, promote this relationship to a higher level, exploit this relationship to the most benefit in economic diplomacy.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered his concluding remarks at the Conference. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Regarding the upcoming situation, the Prime Minister stated that there are more difficulties and challenges than opportunities and advantages, so we must strive to unite and overcome them; we must carry out economic diplomacy well; and Vietnamese agencies, associations, enterprises and representative agencies abroad must carry out this work well.
Agencies must thoroughly grasp and closely follow the Party's guidelines and the State's policies, especially the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Foreign Affairs Conference in December 2021, the direction in Directive 15 of the Secretariat; the Government's Action Program on Economic Diplomacy. Continue to take advantage of and maximize the country's position and strength; proactively and actively create a favorable situation for a peaceful, secure and developed environment for the country.
We need to effectively seize cooperation opportunities but at the same time ensure the consolidation of strategic balance, harmoniously develop relations with major and important partners in the spirit of sincerity, trust, sharing, responsibility, listening and understanding; balance security diplomacy and national defense.
The Prime Minister stated that we must take national interests and real effectiveness as the top criteria; promote international solidarity and multilateralism (global approach); people are both the subject and the center, the driving force (all-people approach)... ensuring close attention to the situation in Vietnam.
Prioritize promoting new growth drivers (digital transformation, green development, circular economy, etc.), promoting innovation, diversifying markets, products, and supply chains. The policy is consistent with the policy, promoting the country's strengths, taking advantage of opportunities, boosting production and business, etc.
The Prime Minister noted that protectionist policies are on the rise in international trade. Therefore, we must be smart and effective, promote our experience in vaccine diplomacy, “do whatever we can”; connect with domestic localities and industry associations; actively fight against dumping, and contribute to handling lawsuits related to trade defense.
Continue to resolutely concretize the policy of building economic diplomacy to serve development, taking people, localities and businesses as the center of service, making economic diplomacy truly a strong driving force for rapid and sustainable development of the country.
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| Overview of the Conference. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Regarding specific tasks, the Prime Minister noted a number of contents.
Firstly , well organize foreign affairs programs of high-level leaders and foreign affairs activities at all levels, continue to make economic content a focus of foreign affairs activities; have specific and feasible programs, products, projects and plans; each time a high-level delegation returns, ministries and branches must immediately specify the tasks.
Second , research and promote the formation of cooperation frameworks and mechanisms in areas of strategic interest to us in the current period (such as investment in developing strategic infrastructure; semiconductors, hydrogen, renewable energy, biotechnology, agriculture, training high-quality human resources; cooperation in responding to climate change...); promote ODA programs with countries, such as new-generation ODA with Japan; promote strategic connectivity on development and infrastructure with China; Strategic partnership on green finance with Luxembourg; prepare to sign an FTA with Israel, promote the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the UAE...
Third , promote FDI attraction, develop export markets; tourism markets, labor markets; concretize the Law on Entry and Exit, expand the list of visa-exempt countries, upgrade e-visa activities of relevant ministries; amend the Decree related to labor visas; increase labor export, both solve employment, improve the quality of human resources, strengthen relations between Vietnam and a number of countries; research and advise on strategies, develop systematic and methodical industries, when the situation changes, strategies and tactics must change on the basis of ensuring effectiveness.
Fourth , remove obstacles for the textile, footwear, seafood, wood industries, etc.; promote industries with strengths such as vegetables and fruits, ensuring immediate benefits while considering long-term benefits.
With a spirit of urgency, solidarity, unity, and close coordination among agencies, the Prime Minister called for further breakthroughs in economic diplomacy, both to solve immediate problems and strategic issues, stabilize markets and export products, and improve the quality of export goods; requiring that once drastic actions have been taken, they must be even more drastic, and if effective, they must be even more effective.
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