2023 is a difficult year for the Vietnamese economy. However, the Vietnamese economy still maintains positive growth momentum. For the whole year, our country's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 5.05% compared to 2022. This is the result of the efforts of all levels and sectors, from the central to local levels, in which the diplomatic sector has made important contributions.
Economic diplomacy makes an important contribution to socio-economic development. Illustrative photo: VNA
Important contribution to socio-economic development
In an interview with the press on the eve of the new year 2024, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son affirmed: “Economic diplomacy activities have made an important contribution to promoting economic growth, with import and export in 2023 reaching nearly 700 billion USD, over 30 items with export turnover of over 1 billion USD, FDI attraction increasing by 14.8% (data updated in 11 months of 2023), accessing many new sources of quality capital in the context of many difficulties in the world economy”.
To achieve the above results, according to Minister Bui Thanh Son, in 2023, implementing the policy of "building economic diplomacy to serve development, focusing on people, localities and businesses", closely following the new thinking on economic diplomacy in the spirit of Directive No. 15 of the Secretariat and the Government's Action Program, economic diplomacy work has been deployed synchronously, making important contributions to the country's socio-economic development.
First of all, economic diplomacy is widely deployed in foreign affairs activities, especially high-level foreign affairs, closely linked with political diplomacy, cultural diplomacy and other fields of diplomacy; in which, economic cooperation is always the central content in the content of relations, especially relations with important partners.
On the other hand, Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized: “Our upgrading of relations with other countries in the past year has created a breakthrough in economic cooperation with these countries, opening up many opportunities for Vietnamese localities and enterprises. International economic integration and participation in international economic links have been more proactive, positive and effective.”
In addition to effectively implementing signed FTAs, in 2023, we signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Israel and are actively negotiating FTAs with other partners; signed over 70 cooperation documents of ministries and branches and nearly 100 cooperation agreements of localities and hundreds of agreements of enterprises...
6 main tasks in the year of "more danger than opportunity"
The year 2024 is of great significance in successfully implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. However, next year, the world economy will still face many difficulties and risks. Besides opportunities and advantages, there will also be challenges and unfavorable impacts.
To overcome these challenges, Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized that “economic diplomacy continues to take advantage of the country’s new position and strength, concretizing the newly upgraded relationship frameworks into practical and effective economic cooperation programs and projects, especially in expanding markets, accessing new capital sources for infrastructure development, high technology, digital transformation, green growth, attracting tourism, exporting skilled labor…”.
In addition, Minister Bui Thanh Son said that the foreign affairs sector will "work with other sectors and localities to proactively and actively remove obstacles in economic cooperation with partners, especially important partners; Improve the effectiveness of support for sectors, localities and enterprises in the spirit of "taking people, localities and enterprises as the center of service".
Earlier, speaking at the plenary session on economic diplomacy for national development within the framework of the 32nd Diplomatic Conference in Hanoi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that in the coming time, the world situation will continue to be difficult, with more dangers than opportunities. In that context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must make more efforts and enhance its proactiveness in implementing economic diplomacy.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the 32nd Diplomatic Conference. Photo: Duong Giang-VNA
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also set out six main tasks for the diplomatic sector and relevant agencies in implementing economic diplomacy, including:
Firstly, continue to institutionalize and concretize the Party and State's directives, effectively implement Directive No. 15 of the Secretariat and Resolution No. 21 of the Government on economic diplomacy on the basis of innovation in thinking, strategic vision, methodology and approach to promote the central role of the economy.
Second, deploy work with focus and key points, closely following the general trend of the world combined with focusing on removing difficulties and overcoming challenges.
Third, perfecting mechanisms, promoting cooperation, concretizing economic commitments and reviewing the implementation of signed commitments.
Fourth, diversify markets, products, and supply chains; focus on exploiting the potential of the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Halal markets.
Fifth, promote self-reliance, self-improvement, and creativity.
Sixth, strengthen coordination and linkage with sectors and localities in the spirit of "taking enterprises and localities as the center of service"./.
Mai Huong
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