(VOVWORLD) - In 2025 defense diplomacy continued to affirm its role as a pillar of Vietnam’s external relations. Vietnam’s defense diplomacy has been carried out on the principle of safeguarding a peaceful and stable environment for national development while proactively integrating, building strategic trust, contributing to global peace, and enhancing Vietnam’s international status.
 Vietnam’s Minister of National Defense, General Phan Van Giang and participants at the 19th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 31, 2025. (Illustrative photo: qdnd.vn) |
Strong imprint at bilateral and multilateral level
In 2025, multiple strategic dialogues and defense policy dialogues between Vietnam and its partners and friends were held. Many dialogues were ended with the signing of medium-term cooperation plans.
Border exchange activities were a major highlight, including the 9th Vietnam–China Border Defense Friendship Exchange in April and the 2nd Vietnam–Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange in November. These exchanges helped consolidate neighborly solidarity, strengthen strategic trust, and foster closer ties between the armed forces and people of Vietnam and neighboring countries.
Major General Nguyen Hong Quan, former Deputy Director of the Institute for Defense Strategy, said: “These events have contributed to strengthening friendly relations and raising defense awareness among citizens, officials, and soldiers in the border areas. At sea, we have organized joint naval patrols with China, Thailand, and Cambodia. These programs are significant in safeguarding border and maritime security, in line with the Vietnamese spirit of independence, self-defense, and responsible cooperation with the international community.”
Regional cooperation mechanisms like the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM+), the Xiangshan Forum, and the Shangri-La Dialogue are venues for Viet Nam to share its consistent policy of enhancing trust, resolving differences through peaceful means while strengthening cooperation in non-traditional security areas, like disaster response, search and rescue, cybersecurity, climate change response, and maritime security.
2025 marked a proud milestone for Vietnam’s participation in the UN peacekeeping missions. The practical and professional contributions of Vietnamese blue-beret forces created a good impression of a compassionate and responsible Vietnam People’s Army and a good image of a Vietnam dedicated to peace and human development.
Many international organizations and countries, especially the United States, continued to participate in humanitarian projects addressing war legacy issues in Vietnam. In September, after 6 years of dioxin remediation, the US handed over 6 hectares of remediated land at the Bien Hoa airbase in Ho Chi Minh City, along with non-refundable financial assistance packages for community development projects.
Laying a solid foundation for national development
Entering a new phase, Vietnam aims to continue to uphold its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, development, multilateralization, and diversification of external relations, firmly adhering to the “four no’s” defense policy. In such a context, defense diplomacy must serve as a pillar of state diplomacy, build strategic trust, prevent conflicts, and quickly address new risks.
Party General Secretary To Lam underscored these requirements at the Military Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term.
He said: “It’s necessary to promote international integration and defense diplomacy at both the bilateral and multilateral level and handle defense relations and cooperation with countries in a harmonious and flexible manner. Our aim is to maintain strategic balance in foreign relations in general and defense diplomacy in particular, thus creating a peaceful and stable environment, and safeguarding the nation."
"Vietnam will continue to participate actively in United Nations peacekeeping operations and international search and rescue and disaster relief activities to promote the image and values of Uncle Ho’s soldiers internationally,” said the Party leader.
During integration, active, firm, and responsible defense activities help safeguard the nation, build strategic trust, elevate Vietnam’s standing and prestige internationally, and maintain a peaceful, stable, friendly environment for national development.