​Our People Foreign Affairs started since 1920s of the 20th century, the period that President Ho Chi Minh was stayingin France for foreign political activities. Then, international advocacy was people foreign activity.

President Ho Chi Minh was well aware of the role and position of this important work and put it into new premises in both theory and practice, so that mobilizing people in the world to support protection and solidarity with our people to against the French invasion, especially the latter is formed large People fronts in the world supporting and solidarity with our people to against America. People foreign affairs also facilitate expansion, diversification and multilateralisationof foreign relations, enlist the international cooperation, create a solid international standing, not external dependence, creating the favorable external environment for the cause of building and defending our nation nowadays.

People foreign affairs is essentially public relation work

According to Ho Chi Minh thought, the people foreign affairs is essentially public relation work, advocacy masses in the country and abroad to agree, support the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. People foreign affairs is an integral part of the common foreign affairs, coordination and servicing of foreign affairs and foreign policy of the Party and the State to perform the tasks, ways and foreign policiesof the Party and Government. The advantage of the people foreign affairs has been flexible voice between man to man, from which both can conduct foreign external measures on a number of issues and in the countries, the regions where the circumstances specific activities and diplomatic foreign State Party without any conditions made or if it is not favorable as desired. People foreign forces included the peoplepolitical - social organizations, people organizations, professional associations, and by extension the entire all the people. The political - social organizations core and specialized foreign organizations People are peace, solidarity and friendship has formed the Union of Vietnam Friendship Organizations.President Ho Chi Minh had been working in the people foreign affairs since his trip to save the country until the Communist Party of Vietnam established. He became the leader of Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam Democratic Republic, who also directed and carried out simultaneously direct diplomacy of the State and the Party’s foreign affairs and people foreign affairs. Ideology and practices of his foreign policy has become the basis of science and art for diplomatic activities in Vietnam since then.

Exchanging Paris Agreement and friend heart held at Hanoi Culture Palace of Youth Sportsof 40th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

President Ho Chi Minh specify must “make our country to have less enemies and more allies than before at all.” In each stage of the Revolution, President Ho Chi Minh and the Party always define friends, enemies, close friends, far friends, long friends, temporary friends, try to reduce enemies, avoid dealing with two enemies at the same time, identify the main enemy to fight spearhead focus on them.

Apply in the new situation

In the current renewal process, using the Ho Chi Minh thought about more friends and fewer enemies and international solidarity, the Party and our State advocates open, positive and proactive international in integration, strengthening ties with traditional friends, with open arms with friends, new partners, diversification and multilateralisation of international relations, strengthen peace environment, create favorable conditions for the renewal process, protect and develop the country, thus, contributing positively to the struggle of the world people for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress.

To create and develop the synergy of foreign affairs, President Ho Chi Minh and the Party always attach great importance to the uniform implementation of the Party’s leadership and the management of State for foreign affairs. People foreign affairs must enlist the support of foreign affairs of the Party and State’s diplomatic to strengthen ourselves and the strength of foreign affairs in general, contribute to the combination of political - foreign affairs with economy - foreign affairs, foreign affairs with security and defense.

As soon as the trip to save the country began, President Ho Chi Minh made foreign affairs activities in the form of public diplomacy. And later, when our Party and country established with independence, He continued to steer and direct participation of people foreign affairs. He says that the people’s relationship with the people always be the basis for the relationship between our country and other countries, the long-term sustainability relationship, it is possible in certain circumstances, ourgovernment’s attitude and another country’s changed or vice versa, the relationship between our people and the people of that country have not faded or lost.

Our People foreign affairs is expressed clearly and full diplomatic nature of peace, friendship, cooperation, justice against the unjust, taking humanity against tyranny, using reasonable voices, casual style and easy going gentle into his heart to convince, to enlist the support and sympathy of the people of countries for our people; referral and advocacy as a bridge to the people of Vietnam and the people of countries mutual understanding, building and developing the relations of friendship and cooperation.

The 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam - Japan (1973-2013): People Friendship Festival between Viet Nam - Japan held in Hanoi

People foreign affairs and international campaign by President Ho Chi Minh direction has special rich-content, strong conviction and always distinguish clearly justice and unjust,taking humanity against tyranny, calling for peace, friendship, cooperation, solidarity, mutual help ... Our form of People foreign affairs is also very diverse.

President Ho Chi Minh pointed out, People foreign affairs by forces participate together, not only the people’s organizations, political - social organizations, cultural, art, scientific – technicalorganizations, professional associations, which extends the entire people, in addition to the organizations of the Party, the State agencies, the armed forces (conducted with respect appropriate forms and objects). At the same time, there are political - social organizations were established to specialized in People foreign affairs activities in the areas of peace, solidarity, friendship, People’s Aid like the Union of Viet Nam friendship Organizations.

In the new situation, using the Ho Chi Minh thought on People foreign affairs should pay attention to attract, mobilize the masses to participate, ensure the masses in foreign operations, avoiding formalist, bureaucracy. For this, the people foreign activities should be strengthened at the local level, where numerous people gather - the object and the subject of this work.

   VU XUAN HONG