Keynote speech by General Secretary and President To Lam at 33rd Diplomatic Conference

Below is the translation of General Secretary and President To Lam's keynote speech for reference:

Distinguished leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, and the Viet Nam Fatherland Front,

Distinguished leaders and former leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and leaders of the diplomatic sector through various periods,

Dear comrades and delegates,

Today, I am delighted to attend the 33rd Diplomatic Conference. On behalf of the Party and State leadership, and with my personal affection, I would like to extend my warm greetings, sincere regards, and heartiest congratulations to all delegates, cadres, civil servants, public employees, and personnel engaged in foreign affairs and diplomacy both at home and abroad. I wish our Conference great success.

This Diplomatic Conference is held at a momentous juncture as our nation enters a new stage of development after over 80 years since the founding of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam) and 40 years of Doi Moi (Renovation). Marking the first time a Party Congress Resolution defines foreign affairs and diplomacy as a "crucial and regular" task, foreign relations are no longer merely about managing external ties, but have become an integral component of our national composite strength. Foreign affairs is not the task of diplomatic agencies alone, but the cause of the entire Party, the entire population, the entire military, and the entire political system. Therefore, this Diplomatic Conference carries exceptional significance, extending far beyond the scope of a sectoral meeting, serving as an important opportunity for us to deliberate on foreign affairs across the entire political system.

The 14th National Party Congress has set forth the orientation for national development in the new era. Resolution No. 59 of the 13th Politburo on international integration and Resolution No. 06 of the Politburo on implementing the foreign policy of the 14th National Party Congress have clearly defined major guidelines. The Central Steering Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Integration has been established. The policy is clear, and the directing mechanism is being perfected. The urgent imperative now is to organize execution correctly, swiftly, and with tangible outcomes.

Therefore, the 33rd Diplomatic Conference must help the entire foreign affairs system clearly identify what has been accomplished and what remains delayed; unify priority tasks, coordination mechanisms, and concrete deliverables to be achieved following this Conference.

Dear comrades,

Since the 32nd Diplomatic Conference, the world has witnessed rapid and complex transformations, with many events exceeding conventional forecasts. In that context, foreign relations and international integration have been implemented proactively, synchronously, and achieved many significant results.

First and foremost, diplomatic sector has coordinated closely with national defense and security sectors, contributing to firmly maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; protecting independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and national interests; and ensuring our nation has not been caught passive or unprepared.

Our external posture continues to expand and elevate. Since the 32nd Conference, Viet Nam has established or upgraded relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with 9 partners, Strategic Partnerships with 11 countries, and Comprehensive Partnerships with 5 countries.

These new frameworks demonstrate Viet Nam's rising political trust and international standing, opening up further potential for cooperation in economy, science, technology, education, defense, security, and people-to-people exchanges. Relations with neighboring countries, major powers, ASEAN Member States, key partners, and traditional friends continue to be consolidated. External channels are coordinating more seamlessly.

Multilateral diplomacy has left many notable footprints. Viet Nam successfully hosted the ASEAN Future Forum, the P4G Summit, and the Signing Ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime; was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term with the highest vote count in the Asia-Pacific Group; assumed key positions at the UN and UNESCO; and actively contributed to the UN peacekeeping operations and addressing global challenges facing humanity.

Economic diplomacy has been aligned more closely with national development requirements. We have signed 17 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) covering over 60 countries and territories. Total import-export turnover in 2025 reached approximately US$930 billion, placing Viet Nam among the top 20 trading economies globally. Registered FDI reached over US$38 billion, with realized capital exceeding US$27 billion—the highest level in 5 years. Foreign affairs has contributed significantly to market expansion, supply chain diversification, and attracting capital, technology, and knowledge.

Sci-tech diplomacy has received greater emphasis. Overseas representative missions have actively connected research centers, tech corporations, experts, and overseas Vietnamese intellectuals with domestic needs. Cultural diplomacy and external information work have broadly promoted the image of a peaceful, stable, innovative, and responsible Viet Nam. Work regarding overseas Vietnamese continues to reinforce the great national unity block. Consular protection has been deployed promptly across complex areas.

These achievements affirm the correctness of our foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, resilience, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development; diversification and multilateralization; and proactive, comprehensive, deep, and effective international integration. We firmly adhere to our goals and principles while remaining flexible in approach and execution; safeguarding national interests while respecting international law; thereby gaining widespread consensus from our people and international friends.

Such results are attributable to the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, directly the Politburo and the Secretariat; the effective state administration; the close guidance of Party and State leaders; and the active engagement of the entire political system. Coordination among the pillars of foreign affairs, between central and local levels, and between foreign affairs, defense, security, and development has grown increasingly tight.

In particular, behind these achievements is the vital contribution of foreign service cadres and personnel. In every circumstance and post, you have consistently displayed political mettle, dedication, and loyalty to the Fatherland, the Party, the State, and the people, putting national interests above all else. On behalf of the Party and State leadership, I warmly commend and praise your immense and practical contributions.

Dear comrades,

While we welcome these accomplishments, we must not grow complacent. The notable shortcoming today lies not in the lack of guidelines, but primarily in concrete implementation.

Strategic research and forecasting have at times failed to keep pace with developments. Certain reports remain overly descriptive, failing to pinpoint impacts on Viet Nam or provide actionable solutions. The quality of advisory work is inconsistent; research capacity regarding emerging issues such as technology, digital economy, energy, supply chains, and international law remains limited. Digital transformation within the diplomatic sector remains slow, and data sharing is still constrained.

The operationalization of several resolutions, conclusions, agreements, and international commitments has been sluggish. Some matters lack follow-through; institutional responsibilities are not always clear; and bottlenecks are not resolved in a timely manner. Good political relations in certain regions have not been translated proportionally into commercial markets, tangible projects, technology transfer, or benefits for citizens and enterprises. Certain activities still place greater emphasis on the number of meetings and signed documents rather than end results.

Inter-agency coordination is occasionally lacking in synchronization. In several areas where multiple agencies participate, no single entity assumes ultimate accountability. Identified bottlenecks persist due to overlapping regulations, lengthy procedures, or hesitation in decision-making. Ties between the central government and local authorities, and between overseas missions, ministries, and businesses remain loose. Sometimes we are not adequately prepared to capitalize on external opportunities.

Dear comrades,

The global landscape is moving fast and growing immensely complex. Strategic competition among major powers has intensified. Economy, trade, technology, data, energy, and supply chains are increasingly intertwined with politics and national security. Conflicts endure; international law and multilateral institutions face mounting pressures. Climate change, energy, food, and water security, as well as transboundary crime, directly impact all nations.

Science and technology are fundamentally reshaping production methods, governance, and the global balance of power. Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, digital infrastructure, and new energy present both immense opportunities and novel risks. Nations that master technology, data, and high-quality human resources will gain strategic advantages, whereas those slow to transform risk falling further behind.

Nevertheless, peace, cooperation, and development remain the shared aspiration. The Asia-Pacific region continues to be a vibrant growth center, with ASEAN playing a central role. Many countries express desire to expand cooperation with Viet Nam. Achievements after four decades of Doi Moi, coupled with political stability, market scale, human resources, and growing international prestige, provide our country with favorable new conditions. The overseas Vietnamese community is growing stronger, with expanding potential to contribute to national construction and development.

The question now is to recognize opportunities early and translate them into concrete results. We cannot passively wait for favorable conditions, nor can we merely react when situations arise. The more complex the situation, the more calm, proactive, and resolute we must remain; confident yet cautious, bold yet not adventurous, flexible in tactics while firm on principles. Expanding cooperation must go hand in hand with consolidating strategic autonomy, internal strength, and resilience.

Now is the time for foreign affairs to exercise its pioneering role: seeing ahead, advising correctly, and acting promptly; contributing to protecting the Fatherland early and from afar; paving the way, connecting partners, and leveraging resources for national development. Being a pioneer also means following tasks through to the end, proactively clearing obstacles, and taking responsibility for outcomes.

To bring the foreign policy of the 14th National Party Congress and Party resolutions to life, I request the entire diplomatic sector and foreign affairs agencies to focus on six key tasks:

First, continuously innovate mindsets, elevating the quality of strategic research, forecasting, and advisory work.

In a rapidly changing world, slow thinking leads to delayed action. Research must stay one step ahead, assisting Party and State leaders in detecting trends, opportunities, and risks early, anticipating scenarios to avoid strategic surprises. We must perceive the world accurately, understand our national condition clearly, and correctly define our interests and capabilities. Research must center on issues directly impacting Viet Nam's long-term security and development: strategic adjustments of major powers; shifts in economic, technological, and power centers; volatility in trade, finance, energy, and water resources. AI, semiconductors, digital economy, green transition, cybersecurity, and data security must be researched early and thoroughly. Reasearch work needs to pay special attention to detecting opportunities and putting forth concrete actions.

Every report must clearly answer: What is happening? How does it impact Viet Nam? What is the solution? What should be done first? Who will execute it? Reports should be concise, contain fresh insights, clear assessments, and actionable recommendations. We must enhance exchanges between research bodies and operational units, between domestic agencies and overseas missions, while leveraging networks of experts, businesses, and overseas Vietnamese.

Mindset innovation demands courage in offering recommendations. Advisory cadres must dare to raise issues, defend sound proposals, and take responsibility. Our new position and strength demand a confident, proactive, and responsible posture, balanced with sincerity, humility, and respect for partners.

Second, deepen and enhance the effectiveness of external relations. 

Established and upgraded relationship frameworks must be concretized through action plans and projects with measurable outcomes. Upgrading ties marks the beginning of a new chapter, not the end of a job. Every high-level visit must be followed by an implementation plan; every agreement must specify the lead agency, responsibilities, timeline, oversight mechanism, and expected deliverables.

Foreign policy priorities are clearly defined. Across all relationships, we must place high value on trust, sincerity, and long-term mutual benefit, addressing differences appropriately without letting isolated issues affect overall bilateral ties.

The effectiveness of relationships is not measured by the frequency of contact or names of partnerships. The true yardsticks are a consolidated peaceful environment, protected national interests, expanded markets, realized projects, enhanced tech capabilities, and tangible benefits for the people.

Third, advance development-serving diplomacy into depth, taking substantive effectiveness as the ultimate measure. 

Our targets for 2030 and 2045 impose high demands. Foreign affairs must directly serve the transformation of the growth model, enhancing productivity, competitiveness, and economic self-reliance. Economic diplomacy must follow projects through until results are achieved.

Priority must be given to mobilizing resources for science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, private sector development, and high-quality FDI. We must selectively attract projects in high technology, semiconductors, AI, digital infrastructure, clean energy, biotechnology, and modern agriculture—linking investment with technology transfer, workforce training, and integration of Vietnamese enterprises into global value chains.

Every overseas mission must grasp domestic needs, understand strengths of the host countries, identify right partners, and track progress diligently. Domestic ministries, sectors, and localities must prepare projects, mechanisms, sites, and human resources to receive investments. External opportunities become real resources only when internal capacity is ready. This is the shared task of overseas diplomatic missions, domestic agencies, enterprises, and citizens.

Science and technology diplomacy must become a routine task. We must build technology partnership networks, bridge research institutes, universities, and businesses; track emerging trends, standards, and policies; and bring relevant knowledge and technology home. Diplomacy is not merely about securing capital, but capturing knowledge, talent, and best practices.

Parallel to this, we must improve the quality of overseas Vietnamese affairs, cultural diplomacy, external communications, consular work, and citizen protection. We must facilitate conditions for overseas compatriots to remain connected with and contribute to the homeland, mobilizing intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and network of experts. Consular services must be convenient and transparent; citizen protection must be swift, accurate, and responsible. All foreign relations activities must ultimately serve the Fatherland and the People.

Fourth, elevate multilateral diplomacy and execute comprehensive, synchronized, and effective international integration.

We must continue to play an active role at the UN, ASEAN, APEC, and Mekong sub-regional mechanisms; contributing to peacekeeping, food and water security, climate response, energy transition, and sustainable development. Hosting APEC 2027 must be prepared early in terms of contents, initiatives, infrastructure, human resource, and diplomatic advocacy.

Executing Resolution No. 59 must tie international integration with institutional improvement and internal capacity building. International commitments must be systematically reviewed, institutionalized into domestic law, and strictly implemented to drive domestic reforms and competitiveness. Deep integration must not lead to dependency; openness must preserve autonomy; absorbing global knowledge must enrich Vietnamese identity and national strength.

Fifth, strongly reform coordination, inspection, and execution mechanisms; focus on clearing bottlenecks currently stalling progress.

The Central Steering Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Integration must exercise strategic leadership and unified coordination; addressing major, novel, complex, cross-sectoral issues that exceed single-agency authority. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the standing body, must excel in advisory, synthesis, coordination, and monitoring roles; proactively flagging delays and proposing solutions.

Tasks under an agency's remit must be resolved proactively by that agency. Cross-sectoral tasks must have a single designated lead. Matters exceeding authority must be reported to competent bodies. We cannot allow multiple agencies to participate without anyone holding ultimate accountability. Agency heads must track progress and take personal responsibility for results.

We must build a unified database on international treaties, agreements, and commitments with tracked timelines, outputs, lead entities, and coordination mandates. Data across ministries, localities, and overseas missions must be securely connected and updated to serve real-time tracking and direction.

Sixth, attach special importance to building a contingent of foreign service officers of outstanding caliber, capacity, and credibility, meeting requirements in the new era.

President Ho Chi Minh taught: "Cadres are the root of all work." Sound resolutions and good mechanisms cannot compensate for cadres who lack firm grasp of duties, responsibility, or willingness to coordinate, leaving work stagnant. We must optimize recruitment, training, evaluation, and assignment, using capability, ethics, and performance as primary metrics. We must swiftly cultivate expert pools specializing in strategic territories and emerging fields; adopt mechanisms to attract talents.

Preceding generations left shining examples of patriotism, political resolve, self-learning spirit, and diplomatic art. Foreign service cadres today must cherish and inherit that legacy while mastering modern knowledge, technologies, foreign languages, international law, economics, and cultures of partners. A fine diplomat must above all possess steadfast political mettle, taking national interests as the compass for action. Every officer must always remember that behind them stand the Party, the State, and the people.

Dear comrades,

Regarding our conference discussions, I request that we clarify three main issues: (i) How major global shifts up to 2030 impact our national development and defense goals, and what scenarios require early preparation; (ii) Which tasks in Resolution No. 06 and Resolution No. 59 must be prioritized; what remains delayed and why. The Politburo will soon issue a new Resolution on Overseas Vietnamese work following the 20-year review of Resolution 36. We should incorporate this new direction into the conference program for study and implementation; (iii) How to effectively translate relationship frameworks and international commitments into actual markets, projects, technologies, human resources, and new capabilities for national development.

Presentations should be concise, insightful, and direct. Identifying difficulties must accompany proposed solutions. Recommending new tasks requires clear grounds, resources, and assigned lead agencies. Matters with differing views should be exchanged candidly and thoroughly for the common good.

Regarding outcomes, the Conference must produce concrete deliverables. First is an execution plan for the two resolutions on foreign affairs and international integration, defining clear priorities, timelines, and responsibilities. Next is a compiled list of delayed treaties, agreements, and key projects—categorized into self-handled tasks, cross-sectoral tasks, and those requiring higher-level policy guidance. The Conference must also identify key markets, projects, technologies, partners, and human resources to target; contribute to the one-year review of Resolution No. 59 and the preparation of a new comprehensive foreign affairs strategy.

Every ministry, sector, locality, and overseas mission must review its own workload. Immediately following the Conference, conclusions must be translated into actionable plans, assigned to the right individuals with set deadlines and regular monitoring. Immediate tasks must begin right away; obstacles must be reported; and matters beyond authority must be submitted alongside proposed solutions.

Diplomatic results are not measured merely by the number of visits, meetings, or signed documents. We must measure whether the peaceful environment is consolidated; national interests are protected; relations with partners are deepened; commitments are completed; bottlenecks are cleared; resources are secured; and citizens and businesses are better served. We should not absolutize numbers, but we must avoid vague assessments.

I request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its capacity as the standing body of the Central Steering Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Integration, to lead the synthesis of conference results, monitor implementation, and report regularly to competent authorities. Coordinating agencies must provide full information and take responsibility for progress. Only through such rigor can the Conference drive real transformation, bring resolutions to life, and turn diplomatic achievements into national strength and development resources.

Dear comrades,

The tasks ahead are heavy, yet truly glorious. I firmly believe that, carrying forward the revolutionary diplomatic tradition of Viet Nam, with intelligence, mettle, and dedication, the entire diplomatic sector and foreign affairs forces will unite, remain proactive and creative, and successfully fulfill all assigned duties—contributing to maintaining peace, safeguarding the Fatherland, expanding development space, and elevating Viet Nam's global standing./.