Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham BinhMinh highlighted the diplomatic sector’s important contributions to the causeof nation building and safeguarding over the past 75 years while emphasising thenecessity to modernise diplomacy, in an article marking the sector’s 75th anniversary on August 28.

During the 75years of formation and development and under the leadership of the CommunistParty of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh - Vietnam’s first Foreign Minister -the diplomatic sector has always served the nation and the people andcontributed to the country’s glorious victories.

In the resistancewars against French colonialists and US imperialists, revolutionary diplomacybecame an important front of strategic significance that stoodshoulder-to-shoulder with the military front to bring about victories.

The diplomaticsector pioneered the creation of an international front in support of Vietnam’sstruggle for national liberation and reunification, Minh wrote, adding that thesector’s victories in negotiations in Geneva in 1954 and in Paris in 1973 wereimportant milestones in the country’s odyssey to liberation and reunification.

During post-warreconstruction, he went on, diplomacy played a crucial role in ensuring thecountry escaped from political isolation and economic embargo, resolvedshortcomings between Vietnam and neighbouring countries and powers, and createdbreakthroughs in Vietnam’s external relations.

Vietnam hasdiplomatic ties with 189 of the 193 UN members, together with stable andlong-term relations with 30 comprehensive or strategic partners.

According to Minh,the diplomatic sector provided consultation to the Party and the Government on strategicsteps and measures in international economic integration through the signing ofimportant free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the EU-Vietnam FTA and theComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),and at the same time cooperated closely with relevant ministries and sectors toboost international integration in the fields of security-defence,socio-culture, and science-technology.

The diplomaticsector has helped Vietnam fulfil its international missions, in particular asthe chair of the Francophone Summit (1997), ASEAN (1998, 2010, and 2020), the Asia-EuropeMeeting (ASEM) (2005), and APEC (2006 and 2007). Of note, it contributed toorganising the second US-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Summit in Hanoilast year, helping to boost dialogue, mediation, and peace on the KoreanPeninsula.

Along with securityand defence, diplomacy has made effective contributions to safeguarding thenation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Together with relevantministries and sectors, the sector has exerted efforts to negotiate and buildland borders of peace, friendship, and development with Laos, Cambodia, andChina, and coordinated with defence and public security forces in safeguardingthe country’s sovereignty and sovereign right in the East Sea, Minh wrote.

He affirmed thatcultural diplomacy has promoted the image of a Vietnam rich in culturalcharacteristics. UNESCO recognition of 39 cultural heritages of Vietnam also sawcontributions from the diplomatic sector.

The diplomat notedthat world economic recessions, increasing strategic competition among worldpowers, challenges to maritime security, complex developments in the East Sea, andarising non-traditional security challenges such as disease, water resourcessecurity, and the environment have directly affected Vietnam’s securityenvironment and development.

He stressed theimportance of diplomacy in ensuring a peaceful and favourable environment fordevelopment and safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, aswell as the necessity to build a modern diplomatic sector to contribute more tothe cause of nation construction and defence./.