Vietnam's 33rd Diplomatic Conference Sets New Foreign Policy Direction
The 33rd Diplomatic Conference was held in Vietnam from August 1 to August 7 2026. It was attended by top Party and State leaders, including General Secretary and President To Lam, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Standing Member of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu. In opening and plenary sessions, To Lam outlined six priority tasks for the diplomatic sector: improving research and strategic advice, enhancing the effectiveness of relationships, deepening diplomacy that serves development, elevating multilateral diplomacy and comprehensive international integration, innovating coordination and implementation mechanisms, and building a capable foreign‑affairs cadre.
The conference also reviewed the implementation of Party resolutions on overseas Vietnamese, emphasizing that the diaspora is a strategic resource and should be integrated into national development, science‑technology, innovation and defence cooperation. A follow‑up meeting chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vũ detailed the action plan for Resolution 23‑NQ/TW, aiming to create databases and networks for overseas experts and entrepreneurs. The event highlighted concrete outcomes from recent diplomatic activity: more than 1,200 trade‑promotion events, over 230 cooperation agreements, and a goal to raise bilateral trade with Thailand to US$25 billion while expanding cooperation with Singapore and other partners. The conference was portrayed as a pivotal moment for Vietnam’s foreign policy, linking diplomatic work to the broader goals of national development and international integration.
Entities
Le Minh Hung · Lê Hoài Trung · Nguyen Minh Vu · To Lam · Tran Cam Tu · Tran Thanh Man · Vietnam
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] President‑General Secretary Tô Lâm, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, and National Assembly Chair Trần Thanh Mẫn gave direct guidance at the conference.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The conference highlighted the role of overseas Vietnamese in science, technology, digital transformation, AI, semiconductors, biotechnology and startup ecosystems.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The conference outlined six key diplomatic tasks: improve research and forecasting; enhance relationship effectiveness; deepen diplomacy for development; elevate multilateral diplomacy; innovate the
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nghị quyết số 23‑NQ/TW was approved, recognising overseas Vietnamese as a strategic resource and bridge for national development.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The meeting adopted Party resolutions including Nghị quyết số 59‑NQ/TW, Nghị quyết số 06‑NQ/TW, Nghị quyết số 23‑NQ/TW and Nghị quyết số 250/2025/QH15.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The conference was chaired by Party member and Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The resolution calls for a database and network linking overseas Vietnamese experts, entrepreneurs, scientists and youth.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The 33rd Foreign Affairs Conference was held from 1 to 7 August with the theme “Promote pioneering role and implement essential, regular foreign affairs tasks in the new era”.