Foreign diplomats impressed by Vietnam’s remarkable transformation
Both Belarusian Ambassador Uladzimir Baravikou and Israeli Ambassador Yaron Mayer have praised Vietnam as a powerful symbol of resilience and transformation, rising impressively from a history of hardship to become a modern, dynamic nation with an increasingly prominent role on the global stage.
Vietnam – A model of remarkable rise from adversity
Ambassador Mayer, in an interview recently granted to VOV.VN, highlighted Vietnam’s remarkable journey from war and conflict to peace, development, and modernisation. He emphasized that today Vietnam is an active member of the international community, playing a leading role in ASEAN, the United Nations, and various multilateral forums. In particular, the Doi moi (Renovation) process has turned Vietnam into one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, attracting substantial foreign investment, including from numerous Israeli companies.
Ambassador Baravikou, in another interview, echoed this sentiment, noting the world has witnessed a historic transformation in Vietnam, from a war-torn country to an independent, sovereign, modern state with far-reaching influence. He praised Vietnam’s achievements in attracting FDI, generating employment, maintaining a low unemployment rate (just over 2%), and continuously improving its citizens’ quality of life. Significant progress has been seen across key sectors such as industry, agriculture, and tourism.
Education also stood out in the eyes of both diplomats. Baravikou commended Vietnam’s notable progress, particularly in STEM education and the broad accessibility of schooling for its population. He was especially impressed by Vietnam’s literacy rate, which exceeds 97%, the highest in Southeast Asia.
Mayer shared this positive view, saying that Vietnamese students often score highly in international competitions, reflecting the country's strong education system and a promising human resource base.
Both ambassadors also applauded the growing role and status of Vietnamese women. They recognized women’s active participation across politics, science, the economy, and culture, with women making up more than 30% of National Assembly deputies.
Communist Party – A core force behind success
In their assessments, both Ambassadors affirmed that the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has been the central force behind all of Vietnam’s achievements, from securing independence and sovereignty to driving national development and global integration.
Baravikou emphasized that no political force in Vietnam has held as significant and far-reaching a role as the Communist Party. According to him, it is the CPV that has led the nation through war, regained independence, and built a modern Vietnam with growing stature on the international stage.
He also cited a message from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Party General Secretary To Lam, in which the Party was praised for its unwavering commitment to building socialism and enhancing the country's international standing.
The Belarusian diplomat particularly lauded Vietnam’s distinctive and flexible foreign policy approach, known as the “bamboo diplomacy”, which skillfully balances national interests with deep international integration. He stressed that Vietnam’s strategic focus on human capital, especially on developing a highly skilled workforce, is a crucial factor ensuring national security, independence, and sustainable development, VOV reported.
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| Uladzimir Baravikou, Ambassador of Belarus to Vietnam. (Photo: Belarusian Embassy) |
Baravikou also noted that the CPV has effectively capitalized on Vietnam’s strategic advantages, including geographic location, long coastline, renewable energy potential, as well as strengths in agriculture and tourism, to foster robust growth across multiple sectors.
For his part, Mayer highlighted the Renovation process, initiated by the CPV as a historic turning point in Vietnam’s modern history. This transition from a centrally planned economy to a socialist-oriented market economy enabled Vietnam to overcome the hardships of the 1980s and 1990s and emerge as one of the most dynamic economies in the region.
He also recognized the Politburo’s Resolution 68 on private sector development as a logical continuation of the reform process, reflecting the Party’s forward-thinking and modern approach to national development. He stated that recent reforms have not only enhanced domestic potential but also expanded opportunities for win-win international cooperation.
Vietnam’s open-minded diplomacy and its aspiration to befriend all nations, according to Mayer, are defining hallmarks of the CPV in the era of globalisation. This strategic mindset has opened up new avenues for cooperation and significantly elevated Vietnam’s international profile.
Confidence in Vietnam’s prosperous future
Building on Vietnam’s impressive achievements both in the past and at present, the two Ambassadors expressed strong confidence in the country’s continued rise and breakthrough development in the years ahead.
Ambassador Baravikou remarked that Vietnam is entering a new era of development with confidence and determination, pursuing ambitious socio-economic goals set by the Government, including 8.5% growth for 2025 and two-digit growth in the following years. According to him, these goals are entirely achievable thanks to Vietnam’s solid foundations, including a large and well-educated population, a stable economy, a comprehensive legal framework, broad adoption of technology, and an expanding network of international partnerships.
He also mentioned the nuclear power project as a forward-looking solution to meet Vietnam’s future energy demands and contribute to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The Ambassador affirmed that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and General Secretary To Lam, the country is steadily advancing toward its vision of becoming a developed, high-income economy by 2045.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Mayer echoed this optimism, noting Vietnam’s bold administrative reforms, including the streamlining of government agencies, the consolidation of administrative units, and the restructuring of the two-tier local government model. He viewed these efforts as concrete steps toward achieving Vietnam’s key milestones for 2030 and 2045.
He also emphasized Israel’s willingness to share its technological expertise to support Vietnam’s implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on science and technology development.
Israel is eager to collaborate in building innovative economic ecosystems that closely connect government, private enterprise, and research institutions, he said.
Concluding their remarks, both Ambassadors expressed their belief that the coming 14th National Party Congress would adopt strategic decisions to further propel the country toward strength and prosperity in the decades to come.
Series of cultural, historical tourism activities to mark National Day in Hanoi
A series of cultural and historical tourism activities will take place in Hanoi from August 30 to September 2 in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.
Organised by the Hanoi Department of Tourism in collaboration with the People's Committee of Ba Dinh ward, the programme aims to honour the capital’s cultural and historical values, foster patriotism, and introduce new tourism products, helping reinforce Hanoi’s image as a safe, friendly, and attractive destination.
The events will be held at Truc Bach pedestrian street and nearby heritage sites. Highlights include heritage tours with incense offering at Quan Thanh Temple, Thuy Trung Tien Temple, and An Tri Communal House; culinary spaces showcasing traditional Hanoi dishes and Ngu Xa specialties; an exhibition on 80 years of the August Revolution and National Day; and art performances ranging from ca tru singing to street shows, cited VNA.
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| Hanoi launches cultural, historical tourism events for the National Day (Photo: VNA) |
Special interactive “experience stations” will allow visitors to exchange national flags, leave reflections on independence and freedom, and explore green tourism, alongside photo zones and tram cars themed “pho", "subsidy", "rice", and "tea - coffee".
The opening ceremony is slated for 7 pm on August 30, featuring traditional performances and a film promoting Hanoi tourism.
Through these activities, the capital seeks to build a vibrant cultural-tourism space and promote Hanoi as a creative and heritage-rich destination for domestic and international visitors.
Vietnam among world’s fastest-growing travel destinations
Vietnam ranked fourth globally in 2024 among the fastest-growing travel destinations, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The Southeast Asian country welcomed 17.4 million international visitors last year, up 38.64 percent from 2023. This impressive growth placed Vietnam well ahead of several Southeast Asian peers, including Thailand (up 26.27 percent, 12th place), Laos (up 25.29 percent, 13th place), Malaysia (up 24.20 percent, 15th place), Cambodia (up 22.87 percent, 16th place), and Singapore (up 21.22 percent, 20th place).The South Korea led the global ranking with a 48.82 percent surge in arrivals, followed by Japan (up 47.09 percent) and Chile (up 40.42 percent).
UNWTO statistics also revealed that France remained the world's most visited country in 2024 with 102 million visitors, trailed by Spain (93.7 million), the U.S. (72.3 million), China (65.7 million), Turkey (60.5 million), Italy (57.7 million), Mexico (45 million), Germany (37.5 million), the UK (37.2 million), and Japan (36.7 million), reported VGP.
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| Photo: VGP |
Within Southeast Asia, Thailand received 35.5 million visitors to secure 12th position worldwide, while Malaysia ranked 17th with 25 million arrivals and Vietnam ranked 24th with 17.4 million arrivals.
Tuvalu reported the world's lowest visitor numbers, with just 200 arrivals in 2022 — roughly equivalent to a single commercial flight. The UNWTO noted that Tuvalu's 2023–2024 data has yet to be released.
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