Bumper Harvest in 2013 for Vietnamese Diplomacy

2013 was an important year in Vietnam's foreign relations. Hanoi continued to expand its network of bilateral diplomatic ties, including partnership agreements with almost all its key economic, political and security partners. The most important achievement was the elevation of US-Vietnamese relations to the level of comprehensive partnership. In multilateral diplomacy, Vietnam continued to play an active role in important global forums, managing to secure a number of successes, including election to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Recent developments continue to underscore Vietnam's foreign policy objectives: building a safety net by improving relations with all major powers, especially China and the United States; and expanding its bilateral and multilateral diplomatic networks.