Diplomatic mark
Vietnam's first comprehensive strategic partner is China, established in May 2008. Four years later, Vietnam established a comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in July 2012. It will take another 4 years for India to become Vietnam's third comprehensive strategic partner.
The pace of diplomatic relations upgrading has been significantly accelerated when in September 2023, Vietnam and the US both upgraded their comprehensive strategic partnership, less than 1 year after signing with South Korea. In 2023, Japan will become a comprehensive strategic partner of Vietnam. By 2024, there will be 3 more countries, including Australia, France and Malaysia. The pace is accelerated in the first months of 2025 for the three new countries. After New Zealand, just 2 days after upgrading relations with Indonesia to a comprehensive strategic partner, Vietnam has similarly enhanced relations with Singapore.
It is worth noting that 3 consecutive countries in ASEAN become a comprehensive strategic partner with Vietnam. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that the official visit of General Secretary To Lam to Malaysia (November 2024) was important when the two countries upgraded relations to a comprehensive strategic partner, opening a new chapter in the two countries' cooperation relations for peace, stability, sustainable development and common prosperity, because the ASEAN community united, resilient and prosperous. The General Secretary emphasized that Vietnam's development path is inseparable from the world and the region, with pure international solidarity, valuable support and effective cooperation of the international community, including Malaysia and ASEAN partners.
During the state visit to the Republic of Indonesia, officially visited the ASEAN Secretariat and the official visit to the Republic of Singapore of General Secretary To Lam from 9-11.3.2025, the leaders of the two sides agreed to upgrade Vietnam - Indonesia and Vietnam - Singapore relations to a comprehensive strategic partner. In particular, Vietnam is the first comprehensive strategic partner of Indonesia as well as of Singapore in ASEAN, thereby strengthening political trust, opening a broader and deeper cooperation space, contributing to the process of building the ASEAN Community, strengthening solidarity and central role of the Association, contributing to peace, stability and development of the region and the world. The public and international public opinion highly appreciated the visit, affirming that this is a significant step in the relationship between Vietnam and the two countries in ASEAN, and shows the initiative and ready to enhance the country's position in the new period.
In April 2025, the State visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (from April 14 to 15, 2025) is an important foreign policy event of the two Parties and two countries, with strategic significance, long-term impact on the development of Vietnam - China relations in the context that both countries are entering a new era, a new era of development.
Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that the top leaders of the two Parties and countries have agreed to determine 2025 as the "Vietnam - China Humanitarian Exchange Year" on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The implementation of the Vietnam -China Humanities Exchange year is important for the relationship between the two parties and the two countries. This is an opportunity for the two sides to review the journeys and gratitude to the great merits of generations of senior leaders of the two parties, the two countries, directly President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong, who personally built and worked hard to cultivate, forming the "passionate love of Vietnam - Chinese, both comrades and brothers", setting a solid foundation for Vietnam -Vietnam -Vietnam Friendship, Comprehensive Cooperation.
Taking advantage of new development momentum
In a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in mid-March, in the coming time, the Politburo and President of Luong Cuong's President asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue to follow the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress of the Party, important documents of the Party on foreign affairs and international integration, including Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW of January 24
The President emphasized that external activities should be implemented with focus, key, effective, actually, sticking to external priorities; External activities must be aimed at the goals of expanding and deepening relations, firmly consolidating the peaceful, stable and favorable environment for the country's development, enhancing the position and prestige of Vietnam in the international arena, strengthening the great national unity bloc, contributing to the national defense early, from a distance, since the country is still not dangerous and at the same time successfully achieving other strategic goals of the country, with the country's growth targets in the country.
President Luong Cuong also previously noted that foreign affairs have the task of creating opportunities and attracting resources for national development. "It is necessary to promote economic diplomacy and foreign economic relations in the period of accelerating the implementation of the 5-year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025 with new directions and breakthrough new approaches. Timely identify and take advantage of new and leading development drivers, trends shaping the world such as digital transformation, green transformation, energy transformation; breakthrough fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green energy...; cooperate with innovation centers, making Vietnam an important link in the global innovation network and production chain" - the President said.
