 |
| The “Youth Forum of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and central mass organizations on people-to-people diplomacy and international integration in the new era.” (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
The forum was attended by Phan Anh Son, Party Secretary and President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations; Nguyen Nhat Linh, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and central mass organizations; along with representatives of grassroots youth unions and a large number of union members and young people within the Fatherland Front and central mass organizations.
In his opening remarks, Nguyen Nhat Linh emphasized that amid rapidly evolving and complex global and regional developments, the task of maintaining a peaceful and stable environment and enhancing the country’s international standing poses new requirements for external relations and international integration. In this context, people-to-people diplomacy continues to be one of the key pillars, contributing to building trust, enhancing mutual understanding, and garnering support from international friends, thereby directly serving national development.
According to Nguyen Nhat Linh, young people within the Fatherland Front system and central mass organizations possess many advantages, including knowledge, adaptability, open-minded thinking, and mastery of technology, which enable them to engage more deeply in international activities, especially in the digital space. However, alongside opportunities come new requirements and challenges, demanding continuous self-improvement and enhanced integration capacity.
 |
| Nguyen Nhat Linh, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and central mass organizations, delivers remarks. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Nguyen Nhat Linh outlined several key orientations for youth in the coming period. First, each union member should become a “globally integrated citizen,” equipped with foreign language proficiency, cultural understanding, and knowledge of international rules, while maintaining a strong national identity. At the same time, strengthening political steadfastness and developing “information immunity” in a multi-dimensional, multi-source information environment are essential to avoid the risks of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation.”
He also highlighted people-to-people diplomacy as a strength of youth, noting that each young person can serve as an “ambassador” promoting Viet Nam’s image through exchange and international cooperation activities. Creativity was underscored as a key driver, enabling youth not only to participate but also to proactively contribute, gradually shaping and leading cooperation trends in the new era.
Nguyen Nhat Linh affirmed the core role of the Youth Union of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations within the system of 14 affiliated youth organizations, particularly in guiding content, methods, and models for implementing people-to-people diplomacy activities. This force is considered a nucleus, helping to support, connect, and enhance the effectiveness of external relations across the entire bloc.
 |
| Pham My Le, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, speaks at the forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
In her keynote remarks, Pham My Le, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, emphasized that throughout the country’s development, the role of youth has been continuously strengthened and refined, from a vanguard force in revolutionary struggles to a strategic resource and an active actor in international integration. In the new era, youth should not only participate but also proactively contribute, gradually shaping and creating new areas of international cooperation.
According to her, external relations and international integration have shifted from “participation” to “proactive, active engagement and contribution to shaping the rules of the game,” requiring youth to enhance comprehensive capacities, from knowledge and foreign languages to digital skills and global thinking. To fulfill this role, youth should focus on key tasks such as strengthening political steadfastness and integration capacity; promoting their role as bridges connecting people and spreading the country’s image; proactively engaging in emerging areas of external relations such as digital transformation and science and technology; and actively contributing to addressing global issues.
At the forum, numerous presentations focused on topics such as: the resilience of Vietnamese young entrepreneurs in the global arena; promoting the role of cooperative youth as “people-to-people bridges” in the nation’s era of advancement; external information and communication work in the new era from a youth perspective; and building networks of youth engaged in external relations within the Fatherland Front and central mass organizations in the digital age. Delegates also engaged in lively discussions, exchanging ideas and proposing practical solutions to improve the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy and international integration in the time ahead.
Speaking at the forum, President Phan Anh Son praised the selection of a highly relevant theme aligned with the practical requirements of external relations and international integration at present, and acknowledged that the presentations had initially addressed key issues at hand.
He noted that Viet Nam’s foreign policy aims to build a comprehensive and modern diplomacy based on three pillars: Party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. Among these, people-to-people diplomacy plays a vital role, with its core mission being to mobilize and persuade international friends to support Viet Nam, from its policies and guidelines to its development and integration goals.
 |
| Phan Anh Son, Party Secretary and President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, delivers remarks. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
According to him, to participate effectively in this field, youth need to focus on two key elements: “understanding ourselves” and “understanding our partners,” including a deep understanding of Viet Nam’s history, culture, people, and values, as well as the characteristics and contexts of international partners.
In addition, he stressed that young people should start with practical and concrete actions, such as performing well in their professional duties; proactively studying, reading, and updating knowledge; and improving foreign language skills in connection with their work. At the same time, it is important to clearly define objectives in external relations activities in order to adopt appropriate approaches and enhance implementation effectiveness in the coming period.
Source: Vietnamtimes
.jpg)
