In 2022, Vietnam has successfully and comprehensively implemented the following objectives and tasks: Focusing on disease prevention and control, while promoting socio-economic recovery and development; becoming a bright spot “in the grey picture” of the global economy. The year 2023 is forecasted to be more difficult as the global economy declines.

“2023 Forecast” includes a series of interviews with leaders of ministries, branches, localities and experts in various fields, to identify challenges and opportunities, and suggest solutions for Vietnam to continue to overcome challenges and make more breakthroughs.

The world situation in 2022 has many changes and complicated developments. However, in that context, Vietnam's foreign activities have still deployed expeditiously and vibrantly. On the occasion of the 2023 Lunar New Year, Nhan Dan Online had an interview with Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to look back on Vietnam’s foreign affairs over the past year, thereby analysing the challenges and opportunities in the next 12 months.

Q: In your opinion, what key features can be mentioned to generalise the global picture in 2022?

A: In 2022, the world continued to experience great fluctuations, with fast and complicated changes beyond normal forecasts. It is possible to review some key features to see the overall picture of the past year. 

First, it is impossible not to mention the Russian-Ukrainian conflict that broke out in February 2022. Second, competition among major countries is increasing. Third, the global economic recession, inflation associated with supply chain disruptions, supply shortages, and escalating oil prices. In addition, non-traditional security challenges, especially epidemics, climate change and natural disasters, continued to emerge sharply.

It can be said that the world is not only facing new changes but also facing the cumulative effects of more than two years of the pandemic and a period of competition among major countries. This has affected all countries, including Vietnam. 

However, it should be seen that 2022 has brought many opportunities for foreign affairs. After the epidemic has been brought under control, the world gradually reopened. The international community is still inclined to support peace, international law and cooperation, to handle international issues.

A Ukrainian soldier carries a baby across a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 3, 2022. (Photo: CNN)

A Ukrainian soldier carries a baby across a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 3, 2022. (Photo: CNN)

A son and daughter embrace their father, a COVID-19 patient in the ICU ward, before his intubation procedure, at the Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, the US. In January 2022, an increase in the number of hospital admissions in the US is believed to be related to the Omicron variant. (Photo: Reuters)

A son and daughter embrace their father, a COVID-19 patient in the ICU ward, before his intubation procedure, at the Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, the US. In January 2022, an increase in the number of hospital admissions in the US is believed to be related to the Omicron variant. (Photo: Reuters)

On March 16, 2022, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) approved a 0.25 percentage point rate hike, the first increase since December 2018. This is also the first adjustment since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2020. In the photo: A woman shopping at a supermarket in New York. (Photo: Reuters)

On March 16, 2022, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) approved a 0.25 percentage point rate hike, the first increase since December 2018. This is also the first adjustment since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2020. In the photo: A woman shopping at a supermarket in New York. (Photo: Reuters)

Sri Lankan protesters throng President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence, on July 11, 2022. Sri Lanka has suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation after running out of foreign currency to import vital goods. (Photo: AP)

Sri Lankan protesters throng President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence, on July 11, 2022. Sri Lanka has suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation after running out of foreign currency to import vital goods. (Photo: AP)

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A Ukrainian soldier carries a baby across a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 3, 2022. (Photo: CNN)

A Ukrainian soldier carries a baby across a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 3, 2022. (Photo: CNN)

A son and daughter embrace their father, a COVID-19 patient in the ICU ward, before his intubation procedure, at the Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, the US. In January 2022, an increase in the number of hospital admissions in the US is believed to be related to the Omicron variant. (Photo: Reuters)

A son and daughter embrace their father, a COVID-19 patient in the ICU ward, before his intubation procedure, at the Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, the US. In January 2022, an increase in the number of hospital admissions in the US is believed to be related to the Omicron variant. (Photo: Reuters)

On March 16, 2022, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) approved a 0.25 percentage point rate hike, the first increase since December 2018. This is also the first adjustment since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2020. In the photo: A woman shopping at a supermarket in New York. (Photo: Reuters)

On March 16, 2022, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) approved a 0.25 percentage point rate hike, the first increase since December 2018. This is also the first adjustment since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2020. In the photo: A woman shopping at a supermarket in New York. (Photo: Reuters)

Sri Lankan protesters throng President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence, on July 11, 2022. Sri Lanka has suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation after running out of foreign currency to import vital goods. (Photo: AP)

Sri Lankan protesters throng President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence, on July 11, 2022. Sri Lanka has suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation after running out of foreign currency to import vital goods. (Photo: AP)

Reporter: In the context of such unpredictable changes in the world, what are some notable highlights of Vietnam's foreign policy over the past year?

Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh: Vietnam's effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic has created momentum for the development of foreign affairs in the past year. Thanks to that, we have simultaneously and expeditiously deployed external activities with all major countries and most of them are key partners.

Prominent among the activities included an official visit to China by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Many foreign high-ranking delegations from countries worldwide such as the Republic of Korea, India, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Nigeria also paid visits to Vietnam. In addition, there were exchanges on the sidelines of regional and world multilateral summits.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to China from October 30 to November 1, 2022. (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to China from October 30 to November 1, 2022. (Photo: VNA)

External relations activities have been comprehensively promoted with all major countries and most key partners, which can be seen through the nearly 70 high-level foreign activities by Party and State leaders, including their 14 visits to 17 countries, attendance at five international multilateral conferences, hundreds of bilateral meetings with leaders and heads of countries around the world, and receptions for 19 high-ranking delegations of foreign countries visiting Vietnam.

The second highlight I would like to emphasise is that all of Vietnam's foreign activities over the past year, especially those at high level, have focused on realising the country's key task of mobilising external resources to facilitate the national socio-economic development. All visits by top leaders of our Party and State not only aimed to maintain good political relations but also to take advantage of resources to recover the country’s economy, especially to recover and ensure the sustainability of supply chains.

Vietnam has been very effective in combining bilateral and multilateral external activities. In addition to bilateral visits, Vietnam has also carried out many other multilateral activities, which can be seen in United Nations Secretary-General’s official visit to Vietnam, and Vietnam’s active participation in activities hosted by the United Nations, APEC and ASEAN as well as in many other forums in the context when the world has faced many tough political and economic issues and non-traditional security challenges.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres waves to students at Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. (Photo: Duy Linh)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres waves to students at Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. (Photo: Duy Linh)

The third bright spot is that Vietnam has effectively, creatively and flexibly applied the mottos of “keeping calm is to cope with multi-unexpected changes” and “Vietnam does not choose sides but chooses justice and rightness”, thereby taking appropriate stance on complex international issues.

In short, if the focus of Vietnam's foreign policy in 2020 and 2021 was the adaptation to the pandemic, the country’s foreign affairs shifted to being proactive and pioneering in serving the prioritised goals in 2022.

Q: What do you think about the challenges and opportunities of Vietnam's foreign affairs? Will the main factors affecting the world situation last year continue to exist and strongly influence the overall picture of the world this year?

A: Challenges will still be prominent in the regional and world situation this year. The main factors affecting the world in 2022 tend to continue to exist.

Competition among major countries will continue to increase. The crisis in Ukraine is forecast to develop in many directions and with many different scenarios; however, in general, it will continue to be complicated and affect not only Europe but also the world. The global economy will continue to address the problems of controlling inflation, raising interest rates, and resuming and ensuring the sustainability of supply chains.

In such a volatile world, the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam, will also face complicated developments, but to a lesser extent.

The production line of electronic components at Samsung Electronics Vietnam Limited Company in Thai Nguyen Province. (Photo: Nguyen Duc)

The production line of electronic components at Samsung Electronics Vietnam Limited Company in Thai Nguyen Province. (Photo: Nguyen Duc)

I think that the Asia-Pacific region will have more advantages than other regions because it is growing dynamically and is the world’s growth engine. Vietnam is said to have an attractive environment for high-quality foreign direct investment flows and is the place where many large international enterprises are looking for investment opportunities to diversify their supply chains. As such, Vietnam is becoming one of the favourites for this investment shift. 

This context has presented Vietnam’s foreign service with a number of issues. Firstly, it is the maintenance of independence, self-reliance and diversification of relations to promote a peaceful environment for development. Secondly, appropriate conduct is needed to capitalise on the advantages in the international environment, while making responsible contributions to the international community’s common efforts. Thirdly, it is necessary to promote international exchange as many countries now have the pandemic under control and are reopening.

Q: What do you think Vietnam’s foreign service should do to fulfil the tasks as instructed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Foreign Relations Conference for the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress?

A: The 13th Party Congress and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s speech at the National Foreign Relations Conference in 2021 outlined the fundamental tasks of the foreign service in the new period, which include continuing to play a pioneering role in creating and maintaining an environment of peace and stability, mustering external resources for national development, and enhancing the country’s position and reputation. 

To implement the tasks as instructed by the General Secretary, I think that building on the significant achievements recorded in the past several decades, the foreign service should focus on a range of priorities in 2023.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong chairs and delivers a speech at the National Conference on Foreign Affairs, to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong chairs and delivers a speech at the National Conference on Foreign Affairs, to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. (Photo: VNA)

First of all, I would like to emphasise the “pioneering role” of foreign affairs. “Pioneering” is the process by which the diplomatic sector creates and maintains a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment for Vietnam’s security and development, while detecting challenges and opportunities early to mobilise external resources. Thereby, the diplomatic sector can forecast and give strategic advice on foreign affairs, especially issues that have direct and long-term impacts on the country’s security and development, as well as the urgent issues of post-pandemic economic recovery.

We need to take advantage of high-quality external resources, including technology resources to serve sustainable development and promote digital transformation and green development.

In the context of increasing competition among major partners of the Asia-Pacific region, the problem for Vietnam’s foreign policy is how to deal with the story of “not choosing partners but choosing justice”? To implement this motto, foreign activities must certainly uphold the principle of ensuring the highest interests of the nation, based on basic principles of the United Nations Charter and international law for equality, cooperation, and mutual benefit.

We believe that under the direction of the 13th National Party Congress and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Conference on Foreign Affairs, Vietnam’s diplomatic sector will continue to reap great achievements to serve the national construction, development and defence.

Reporter: Thank you very much! I wish you good health on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Published: January 18, 2023
Production manager: VIET ANH
Content and design: HOANG HA - PHAN ANH
Translation: NDO
Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper, VNA, Reuters, CNN, AP.