Hanoi (VNA) – People-to-people diplomacy serves as an importantpillar of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector, said Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and head of the committee’s Commission for External Relations while addressing a conference in Hanoi on January 3.

The conference, held by the commission, reviewed people-to-people diplomacy in 2023, and put forth tasks forthis year.  

Pointing to opportunities, challenges and requirementsfor people-to-people diplomacy in the time ahead, Trung called for greater efforts to better the work. He asked the VietnamFatherland Front (VFF), and people’s organisations to continue implementing relevantpolicies and guidelines set at the 13th National Party Congress, aswell as tasks assigned by the Secretariat.

He urged the organisations to outline plans to promotetheir partnerships, reform their operational methods, step up communications activities,and pay more heed to personnel development.

Ministries and agencies should work harder to ensure theParty leadership and State management over people-to-people diplomacy, and institutionaliserelevant Party documents, the official said.

According to reports presented at the conference,despite complex, unpredictable developments of the regional and world situationin 2023, Vietnam still recorded significant achievements in external affairs,which were attributable to contributions by the VFF and people’s organisations.

People-to-people diplomacy has played a role innational socio-economic development, protecting national interests, promoting thecountry’s image to international friends, popularising guidelines and policiesof the Party and the State, and bringing overseas Vietnamese closer to the homeland.

On this occasion, the commission honoured collectivesand individuals for their outstanding contributions to people-to-peoplediplomacy in 2023./.