Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has requested the continued effort to better tap into the strengths of people-to-people diplomacy during a conference in Hanoi on January 16 to review the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations’ 2018 activities and launch its 2019 tasks.

He suggested renewing approaches to increase cooperation and attract external resources, especially in non-governmental aid to service socio-economic development in the fields of poverty reduction, post-war recovery, healthcare, education, environmental protection, climate change, and workforce training.
 
The Deputy PM also proposed pooling resources in capital, technology, and workforce via expanding the involvement of people from all walks of life, including overseas Vietnamese and local firms .

The Deputy PM called attention to improving the efficiency of popularising news for foreign service by actively fighting wrongful allegations by hostile forces, and seriously and fully abiding by current regulations on managing external activities.

The Commission for External Relations, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, mass organisations, and ministries and agencies were asked to offer consultancy to the Party and State leaders about building vision and a long-term strategy for people-to-people diplomacy, especially at a time when the country is preparing to build diplomatic guidelines for the 13th National Party Congress, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

They were also assigned the task of reviewing relevant legal documents in line with the law.

The leader called for close and effective collaboration among the Party, State, and people-to-people diplomacy to create a collective power.

Concluding the meeting, head of the commission Hoang Binh Quan promised to acquire the Deputy PM’s suggestions and launch an emulation campaign on people-to-people diplomacy.

On the occasion, 10 individuals were honoured with the insignia “For the cause of people-to-people diplomacy”, while four collectives received the emulation flag. Twenty collectives and 13 individuals were also conferred on Certificates of Merit in the field for 2018. –VNA 
VNA