Focusing on 3 major policy groups

During the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly on November 19, lawmakers heard the Government’s proposal and the verifying report under the chair of Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong. Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc said the draft resolution focuses on three major policy groups designed to deepen international cooperation, empower businesses, and improve human resources for foreign affairs.

The first policy group aims to strengthen and broaden Vietnam’s relations with key partners, particularly neighboring countries, major economies, strategic partners, and traditional friends, while elevating the country’s role in multilateral diplomacy. The draft proposes establishing legal grounds for Vietnamese agencies at all levels to participate in cooperation mechanisms and global urban networks; applying special mechanisms to resolve obstacles in strategic foreign cooperation projects; and offering tax, fee, and office-location incentives to international organizations and foreign NGOs operating in Vietnam. It also allows provincial governments to set up representative offices abroad in selected priority locations to support local-level integration.

The second policy group positions enterprises as the central force of international integration. In line with the Party’s orientation that “people and businesses are the center and driving force of integration,” the draft includes several measures to support businesses in the global economy. A key proposal is the establishment of the International Business Integration Development Fund, intended to help domestic firms strengthen their global competitiveness without using state budget resources. The fund would mobilize private-sector capital, consistent with Resolution No.68-NQ/TW on promoting private-sector development and forming medium- and long-term investment mechanisms.

The draft also proposes creating Export Promotion Funds operated by industry associations with high export shares. These funds would be financed through contributions from exporters and external donors, enabling businesses to take more proactive control of trade promotion instead of relying solely on state-funded programs. Additional provisions support the formation of representative bodies for Vietnamese businesses overseas, helping them protect their rights and manage international commercial disputes more effectively. The state budget would also allocate a portion of the additional import tax revenues collected from trade-remedy measures to assist associations participating in foreign trade-remedy cases.

The third policy group focuses on strengthening human resources for foreign affairs and international integration, including mobilizing retired civil servants and military officers, seconding personnel from ministries to localities, and appointing “Special Envoys” or “Ambassadors-at-Large” in strategically important areas.

Responding to practical requirements

Presenting the verification report, Senior Lieutenant General Le Tan Toi, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for National Defense, Security and External Affairs, emphasized that the draft resolution is essential to institutionalize the Party’s Resolution No.59-NQ/TW on international integration in the new context. The Committee supports enhanced assistance for businesses operating abroad, but recommends ensuring consistency in tax policy and the management of proposed funds. Regarding local-level integration, it suggests clearer legal bases for participation in international city networks and greater oversight to avoid overlap or duplication with existing diplomatic structures.

The Committee also advised reviewing legal provisions related to urgent property purchases by Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad and incorporating appropriate amendments when revising the Law on Vietnamese Representative Missions Overseas.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc stressed that the draft resolution aims to unlock institutional bottlenecks, mobilize external resources, and strengthen Vietnam’s independent and resilient economy. If approved, the policies are expected to contribute significantly to the country’s development goals for 2030 and 2045, including achieving GDP growth of 10% or higher from 2026 onward.