1. What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an agency of the Government, performing the function of unified state management of foreign affairs within the political system, including: State diplomatic work, national borders and territory, work related to the Vietnamese community abroad, consular work, citizen protection, international treaties, international agreements, management of representative agencies of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam abroad (hereinafter collectively referred to as Vietnamese representative agencies abroad) and the activities of foreign representative agencies in Vietnam; state management of public services in fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as prescribed by law.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs functions to advise on strategic directions, directly and regularly assist the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat in implementing unified management of foreign affairs within the political system; organize the implementation of the Party’s foreign policy, guidelines, policies, and activities, as well as the foreign affairs of the National Assembly and the State; assist the Politburo and the Secretariat in leading and directing people-to-people diplomacy and local foreign affairs as prescribed.
2. Organizational Structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is stipulated in Article 3 of Decree 306/2026/NĐ-CP as follows:
| No. | Name of Organization | Type / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Europe | Administrative Organization |
| 2 | Department of Americas | Administrative Organization |
| 3 | Department of Northeast Asia | Administrative Organization |
| 4 | Department of Southeast Asia – South Asia – South Pacific | Administrative Organization |
| 5 | Department of Middle East – Africa | Administrative Organization |
| 6 | Department of Foreign Policy | Administrative Organization |
| 7 | Department of Economic Diplomacy | Administrative Organization |
| 8 | Department of ASEAN | Administrative Organization |
| 9 | Department of Multilateral Diplomacy and International Issues | Administrative Organization |
| 10 | Department of International Law and Treaties | Administrative Organization |
| 11 | Department of Press Information | Administrative Organization |
| 12 | Department of Personnel and Organization | Administrative Organization |
| 13 | Ministry Office | Administrative Organization |
| 14 | Department of Cryptography – Information Technology | Administrative Organization |
| 15 | Consular Department | Administrative Organization |
| 16 | Department of State Protocol and Foreign Interpretation | Administrative Organization |
| 17 | Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy | Administrative Organization |
| 18 | Department of Administration and Finance | Administrative Organization |
| 19 | Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs | Administrative Organization |
| 20 | National Border Committee | Class 1 Department |
| 21 | State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese | Administrative Organization |
| 22 | Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam | Public Non-Business Unit |
| 23 | World and Vietnam Report | Public Non-Business Unit |
| 24 | Vietnamese Representative Agencies Abroad | Vietnamese Representative Agency Abroad |
3. Duties and Powers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The duties and powers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are stipulated in Article 2 of Decree 306/2026/NĐ-CP as follows:
Article 2. Duties and Powers
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs performs its duties and powers as stipulated in the Law on Organization of the Government, the Government’s regulations on the functions, duties, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies, and performs the following specific duties and powers:
1. Submit to the Government draft laws, draft resolutions of the National Assembly, draft ordinances, draft resolutions of the National Assembly Standing Committee, draft decrees, resolutions of the Government according to the Government’s annual law-making program and plan, and resolutions, projects, schemes as assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister; submit to competent authorities other draft documents within the scope of functions and duties as prescribed.
2. Submit to the Government, the Prime Minister strategies, master plans, long-term, medium-term, and annual development plans, and important projects, works, national target programs concerning sectors and fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. Submit to the Prime Minister draft decisions, directives, and other documents concerning sectors and fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or as assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister.
4. Issue circulars and other documents on state management for sectors and fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. Direct, guide, inspect, and organize the implementation of legal documents, strategies, master plans, plans, national target programs under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after approval; organize information, propaganda, dissemination, legal education, guidance, and monitor the implementation of laws in fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
6. Regarding the unified management of foreign affairs activities as prescribed:
a) Synthesize and develop annual and full-term foreign affairs activity plans for the leaders of the Party, State, Government, and National Assembly (hereinafter referred to as the Party and State); organize the implementation of foreign affairs activities of the Party and State leaders as prescribed;
b) Preside over and coordinate in developing policies on elections at international organizations and multilateral mechanisms; policies on organizing international events of significant political and foreign affairs importance and the establishment of representative offices of international organizations in Vietnam as prescribed by law, reporting to competent authorities for approval;
c) Synthesize plans, submit plans to competent authorities for approval, and urge the implementation of foreign affairs activities by ministries, ministerial-level agencies, relevant agencies, organizations, and localities; guide the organization of implementation and advise competent authorities on inspection, supervision, requesting ministries, ministerial-level agencies, relevant agencies, organizations, and localities to report periodically and unexpectedly on the implementation of the Party’s and State’s foreign affairs activities; monitor and urge the implementation of foreign affairs work, the signing and implementation of international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member, international commitments signed within the framework of high-level foreign affairs activities, and other Party agreements;
d) Develop plans, organize training, fostering, and professional guidance activities on foreign affairs and international integration as prescribed by law;
đ) Advise, standardize, and unify the management of the use of common foreign languages in high-level political and diplomatic activities of the Party and State;
e) Appraise or participate in appraising foreign affairs schemes submitted to competent authorities as prescribed;
g) Advise on policies and guidelines for people-to-people diplomacy; direct, guide, coordinate, and support agencies and organizations in implementing people-to-people diplomacy;
h) Implement state management of sectors and fields for associations and social funds under the management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as prescribed by law.
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26. Manage the organizational structure, staffing, job positions, implement salary regimes, training, fostering, emulation, commendation, discipline, and other regimes and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees, and laborers under the management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as prescribed.
27. Inspect, conduct specialized inspections of the implementation of legal provisions in fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; organize citizen reception, resolve complaints and denunciations; prevent and combat corruption, waste, negativity, and handle legal violations in fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as prescribed.
28. Manage and organize the implementation of financial, accounting, and administrative work; manage state assets and basic construction investment under the management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
29. Manage and organize the implementation of tasks related to administrative reform, digital transformation, application of technology for digital government development, diplomatic cryptography, information security and safety within the management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs according to resolutions, programs, plans approved by the Government, the Prime Minister, and as prescribed.
30. Manage and implement public non-business services in fields under the state management scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as prescribed.
31. Monitor and periodically report annually on academic diplomacy activities.
32. Perform other duties and powers assigned by the Government, the Prime Minister, and competent authorities as prescribed.
