Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, told students and teachers in Hanoi that Vietnam will become one of the most important and strongest countries in the world during his two-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
Tony Blair had a talk with students and teachers of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, a diplomat-training university belonging to the ministry of foreign affairs.
Mr. Blair admitted the current difficulties of Eurozone but said in the future EU will continue to become the biggest political alliance and the biggest commercial market in the world.
For him, the rise of China is unavoidable, and the best way is to maintain a harmonious relation with China for the sake of peace, prosperity and stability.
The US’ interest in Asia is understandable because this area has high growth, he continued. He advised a harmonious and appropriate relation with the US so as not to let US presence and China growth be at odds.
The world is connecting like never before, enabling people to work across the borders. The way you look at the world s very important to your future. For me, the world today depends on people with open minds…connection and openness will open opportunities to those with open minds but they could cause those with narrow minds to feel afraid, he told the meeting.
People first, politics second
Asked for the secret to be a good diplomat, he replied that people is the key.
If you want to work in diplomacy or politics, you have to be interested in and pay attention to people. The difference between a good and a bad politician is that the good ones like to communicate and get to understand people. You should try to find out what people around you are interested in, are concerned about.
Pay attention to people first, and politics second, he advised.
When asked about what it takes to be a leader, Blair confides that the person must have a desire to lead. Leaders, at all levels, must be prepared to take responsibility and make decisions.
There are two types of people, the ones who do and the ones who say. Leaders must be the doers. They must be prepared to accept criticism and must do to their best ability things that they consider are right, he continued.
Leaders are those who, when others step back, step forward, Blair lectured.
Tony Blair served as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007. He was also the leader of Britain’s Labour Party and the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield, England.
Since leaving Downing Street, Tony Blair has served as the Quartet Representative to the Middle East. He represents the United States of America, United Nations, Russia and the European Union, working with the Palestinians as part of the international community’s effort to secure peace.