The government recently issued Decree No. 28, which defines the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry serves as the governmental body overseeing foreign affairs, managing state diplomacy, national borders and territories, the Vietnamese diaspora, international treaties, and agreements. It also supervises Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad, foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam, and state-managed public services within its jurisdiction.

The decree specifies the ministry’s duties, including representing the Communist Party and the State in external affairs, economic diplomacy, international communications, consular activities, overseas Vietnamese affairs, and border and territorial management.

The ministry's structure now includes the following units:

The Department of European Affairs, the Department of American Affairs, the Department of Northeast Asian Affairs, the Department of Southeast Asian, South Asian, and South Pacific Affairs, the Department of Middle Eastern and African Affairs, the Department of Foreign Policy, the Department of Economic Diplomacy, the ASEAN Department, the Department of International Organizations, the Department of Legal and International Treaties, the Department of Press and Information, the Department of Personnel Organization, the Ministry Office, the Ministry Inspectorate, the Department of Cryptography and Information Technology, the Consular Department, the State Protocol and Interpretation Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy, the Department of Administration and Finance, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Border Committee, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, The World & Vietnam Report, and Vietnam’s overseas diplomatic missions.

Compared to the previous 2022 decree, three units have been reduced. The Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO has merged with the Department of Foreign Affairs to form the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy. The Department of Interpretation and Translation has been merged with the State Protocol Department to create the State Protocol and Interpretation Department.

Additionally, the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and the Department of General Economic Affairs have been eliminated, replaced by the newly established Department of Economic Diplomacy.

Recently, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee issued resolutions allowing certain ministries to increase the number of deputy ministers and vice heads of ministerial-level agencies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now permitted to have up to seven deputy ministers, an increase of one. Currently, the ministry is led by Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son as Minister, along with four deputy ministers.

Restructuring of the Vietnam News Agency

The government has also issued Decree No. 27, outlining the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

As the national news agency and a key multimedia communications organization, VNA is responsible for publishing official Party and State information, providing content for government leadership and public awareness, and disseminating information to domestic and international media outlets.

The agency's organizational structure includes editorial departments for domestic, international, economic, and photo news; an editorial board for foreign affairs reporting; and several publications, including Vietnam News and Law, Le Courrier du Vietnam, and Vietnam Pictorial. VNA also manages digital and multimedia content, regional information centers, and technical and international cooperation departments.

VNA operates a network of domestic and international correspondents and is headed by a General Director, supported by up to four Deputy General Directors. These officials are appointed, dismissed, or relieved of their duties by the Prime Minister in accordance with legal regulations.

Tran Thuong