(VOVworld) – Foreign affairs, particularly people-to-people diplomacy, should give top priority to national interest, said Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Secretariat. He spoke at a conference in Hanoi on Wednesday to review people’s diplomacy in 2013 and set out tasks for this year. Anh said that in 2014, it’s necessary to rethink the work to improve its efficiency. It’s also needed to keep the public informed of domestic and international issues and the foreign policy of the Party and State to Vietnamese here and abroad to build social consensus.

Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Secretariat, chairs the conference on people-to-people diplomacy. (Photo: VOV)

In 2013, Vietnam sent 580 people’s diplomatic delegations to other countries and welcomed 315 foreign delegations. People-to-people diplomacy has elevated friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese and other nations, contributing to Vietnam’s diplomatic achievements. It has helped to consolidate Vietnam’s status in the world and protect national interest. This has contributed to people’s movements regionally and globally, and encouraged foreign aid and investment for Vietnam's socio-economic development.