Moscow (VNA) – Vietnam’s bamboo diplomacy drew attention of Russian researchers on Vietnamese studies at a conference held by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) on May 22.

Participants in the event, themed “Vietnam in a Multipolar World: Approaches, Challenges and Prospects”, discussed the concept of “bamboo diplomacy" in Vietnam, new directions of the Vietnamese foreign policy, the country’s relations with strategic partners, its political and socio-economic development, as well as current aspects of Russian-Vietnamese cooperation.

Speaking at the conference, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son briefed participants on the foreign policy that Vietnam is pursuing, which is independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations; to be a friend, a trustworthy partner and an active and responsible member of the international community; to stay steadfast in principles and goals while being flexible and smart in strategies; and to harmoniously combine the Party, state and people's external affairs.

Responding to scholars' questions about how Vietnam chooses to join international organisations, Son affirmed that following the above-mentioned principle, Vietnam will never join any organisation that hinders the development of other countries, but it has always helped others, including close neighbours, integrate into international organisations.

Talking to Vietnam News Agency, Deputy Director of the MGIMO’s ASEAN Centre Valeria Vershinina said that in just the last few years, Vietnam has upgraded its relations with several powers, especially the US, to the highest level of comprehensive strategic partnership. Meanwhile, Vietnam and Russia are still maintaining their highest-level relationship successfully.

This shows that Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy is multi-dimensional and aims to maintain the country's influence and pro-activeness despite ongoing conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region as well as others in the world, she added.

For his part, Vladimir Mazyrin, Director of the Vietnam - ASEAN Research Centre at the Russian Academy of Science, held that Vietnam's philosophy of bamboo diplomacy is new and more reasonable than other countries' in the same region.

Bamboo diplomacy is not only a work methodology for Vietnam's diplomatic sector but also a right political choice in the current context, and this policy reflects Vietnamese leaders' research efforts and creativity, he added.

The concept of "bamboo diplomany", first mentioned by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 29th Diplomatic Conference on August 22, 2016, has become known in Russia inthe past few years and attracted growing attention.

Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia Doan Khac Hoang expressed his belief that better understanding of ღVietnam’s foreign policy will help futu🎐re diplomats take the first steps properly and in a right direction to build up and develop relations between the two countries./.