President Ho Chi Minh’s thought on diplomacy – valuable heritage

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President Ho Chi Minh , the founder of Vietnam’s modern diplomacy, has left the diplomatic sector with a valuable heritage, which is his unique thought on diplomacy, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh wrote in an article marking the 130th birth anniversary of the late leader. 

According to the Deputy PM, President Ho Chi Minh gave prominence to basic national rights, stressing that independence and self-reliance must be closely associated with international solidarity and cooperation. The President attached great importance to friendship and cooperation with neighbouring countries sharing border with Vietnam, along with expanding relations with countries in the region and the world, and well handling relations with powerful countries for the sake of the revolution’s interests. 

In the President’s view, diplomacy is a front, and the national strength should be combined with the era’s strength to create an overall strength. He always put Vietnam in the world’s flows, and paid great attention to the world’s centres of power and major trends. 

Deputy PM Minh underlined that the Ho Chi Minh diplomatic thought also reflects the peace-loving tradition of the Vietnamese nation, and harmoniously combines national and international values. 

He asserted that the President’s diplomatic thought is an invaluable heritage, the foundation of strength and the key for Vietnam to successfully implement the Party’s policy on external relations through different periods of the revolution. 

According to Deputy PM Minh, it is thanks to the creative application of President Ho Chi Minh’s diplomatic thought that Vietnam’s diplomatic sector has made important achievements, contributing to maintaining a peaceful environment and attracting resources for national development, defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and enhancing the country’s position in the international arena. 

The Deputy PM and FM said Vietnam attaches great importance to relations with neighbouring countries sharing the same border, and with strategic and comprehensive partners. At the same time, Vietnam has strived to develop substantial relations with neighbouring countries in the region and traditional friendly countries. 

He highlighted that with its new position and power, Vietnam has participated in and actively contributed to most of important international organisations and forums, successfully performed many important missions and positively contributed to the settlement of many important international issues.

In an increasingly complicated international situation, the external affair sector has contributed effectively to firmly defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The sector has made great efforts in building a land border of peace, friendship and development with Laos, Cambodia and China. Amid the complex situation in the East Sea, the sector has timely and judiciously handled arising issues, resolutely and consistently defending the sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate rights and interests of Vietnam at sea, the Deputy PM said. 

He went on to say that as the world is witnessing great, profound and unpredictable changes, Vietnam should continue to apply the Ho Chi Minh thought on diplomacy in a creative manner in order to stay inside the “era’s flow”, thus creating great power to take the country’s revolution to new successes.

The top diplomat stressed that Vietnam’s diplomacy must uphold its role as a pioneering front to maintain a favourable international environment and attract all sources of resource to serve national development, elevate the country’s position and defend the country.

“We must persist with the constant goal which is the supreme interest of the country and nation, while building tactics and acting in a smart and flexible manner to respond to changes in the situation,” Minh wrote. 

Regarding the complex developments in the East Sea, the Deputy PM and FM said Vietnam will persevere with peaceful measures to settle disputes and at the same time is resolute to protect its most noble rights which are territorial integrity of the Fatherland and independence of the country.

Deputy PM Minh also made clear that Vietnam will continue to promote and enhance the efficiency of international integration, treasure relations with countries sharing the same border, deepen ties with countries in the region and the world, and elevate multilateral diplomacy./.

President Ho Chi Minh receives visiting UK parliamentarians in 1957 (Photo: VNA)