Multilateral diplomacy is a crucial part of Vietnam’s policy on external relations and international integration, greatly contributing to the protection of the fatherland, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at a conference in Hanoi on Tuesday.

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Addressing the conference held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review the country’s multilateral diplomatic performance over the past 30 years and discuss new tasks, PM Dung stressed that multilateral diplomacy is an effective way to implement Vietnam’s foreign policy based on independence, self-reliance, multilateralism, diversification, and international integration.

Vietnam is now an active participant in important international organizations, such as the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization, Asia Pacific Economic Community (APEC), and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), PM Dung told the event, which drew about 200 attendees from Vietnam and other countries.

Vietnam should appreciate the role and voice of multilateral institutions and forums, especially the UN, ASEAN, and the Non-Aligned Movement in the cause of protecting its national sovereignty given the present complex situation in the East Vietnam Sea, the Vietnamese government leader said.

“The strong support by the international community for Vietnam’s righteous diplomatic policies at multilateral forums has clearly highlighted the need of settling all disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law,” the premier said.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, a Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defense, told the conference that the world is facing more and more challenges so one country or a region cannot solve them alone.

These challenges include ensuring international peace and security, preventing and resolving conflicts related to economy, finance, and commerce, and dealing with non-traditional security issues, Vinh said.

Speaking at the conference, George Yeo, former Singaporean Foreign Minister, said that Vietnam has an increasingly big role in ASEAN thanks to its advantages including a young population and an industrious workforce.

Speaking to conclude the event, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said that Vietnam’s overall and diplomatic policy in the next 10 years will be paying more attention to relations with ASEAN and continuing to engage effectively in other multilateral organizations such as the Asia–Europe Meeting and APEC.

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