Attending the workshop were Deputy General Director of Vietnam Social Insurance Dao Viet Anh, leaders of units under the VSS, representatives of relevant ministries and branches together with leaders and external affairs staff of social insurance agencies in 30 northern provinces and cities.

Deputy General Director of VSS Dao Viet Anh addresses the workshop

Director General of the VSS’ Department of International Cooperation Nguyen Tien Thanh said that in recent years, the external work of the VSS had been promoted at all levels, taking advantage of the cooperation between VSS and international partners.

“External affairs work has been constantly innovated, contributing to improving VSS’ performance and enhancing its position and image in the region and the world,” he said.

“In 2022, VSS issued regulations on the unified management of external activities of the Vietnam Social Insurance Industry under Decision No. 1686/QD-BHXH dated December 15, 2021. The move marked a transformation in VSS’ external affairs. Accordingly, the regulation covers the entire handling process, working style for all external activities, and clearly defines the coordination from units under the Vietnam Social Security Administration to the local social insurance agencies," Thanh said.

Thanh said that this year, the VSS would continue to improve the legal framework for managing the external activities and the international integration and foreign affairs.

VSS would further focus on multilateral and bilateral cooperation, conferences with FDI enterprise and communication activities through dialogues and VSS’ English portal.

Director General of VSS’s International Cooperation Department Nguyen Tien Thanh speaks at the workshop

Tran Thi Thu Tra, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, said that the unifying regulations on external activities of the VSS focus on principles, content, authority, working process, responsibilities and the coordination mechanism among VSS units,  social security agencies of provinces and centrally-run cities, and individuals in their external affairs management and implementation.

The unified management of foreign affairs must ensure compliance with the Party's regulations, the Constitution and the State's laws in foreign affairs; principles of independence, self-reliance and assurance of national security, she said.

“The regulation aims to strengthen coordination and connection between the Vietnam Social Security and relevant ministries and agencies, thereby promoting synergy in the implementation of external affairs. VSS’ external communication provides official information about Vietnam that promotes Vietnam's image to the world and information about the world situation in Vietnam.”

External affairs also provided information to promote the image, role and position of VSS as a friend, a reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the regional and international social security community, Tra said.

Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy Nguyen Hung Son appreciated VSS’ external affairs as it had bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities with many countries and large organisations such as members of the World Social Security Organisation; member of Southeast Asia Social Security Organisation, ILO and the World Bank.

VSS signed MOUs on cooperation in health insurance with the US Development Agency. It also cooperated with the US-ASEAN Business Council.

“VSS helped raise the status of Vietnam Social Insurance locally and internationally.”

“The expansion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation is in line with the current trend in foreign affairs. Therefore, VSS is going in the right direction," said Son.

Le Thi Thu Hang, Director of the Information and Press Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that, currently, there were three great advantages for external affairs in Vietnam.

The trend of peace and cooperation was an opportunity for countries like Vietnam to promote their role in regional and international issues. Moreover, after 35 years of renovation, Vietnam achieved great positions and opportunities, Hang said.

Director of Information and Press Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang

Hang said that this year, Vietnam continued to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of Deputies, promoting Vietnam's achievements in international integration, initiatives and contributions of Vietnam on multimedia forums, its high-level foreign affairs activities, its role and contributions to ASEAN, the United Nations in particular, and regional and international issues in general.

It was necessary to promote the initiative, innovation, creativity and diversification of communication, especially new communication methods on the Internet, social networks and cyberspace.

She also emphasised the need to improve the quality of foreign affairs human resources, mobilising resources in terms of people and infrastructure for external activities.