The Central External Relations Commission (Vietnamese: Ban Đối ngoại Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam) was an administrative agency of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), directly and regularly assisting the Politburo and the Central Secretariat in the field of foreign affairs, organizing and implementing the Party's foreign relations, and managing the unified foreign affairs activities within the system of Party agencies, mass organizations, and people's organizations.

History On November 1, 1949, at a meeting of the Central Party Standing Committee, a resolution was passed to establish the Central Laos-Cambodia Office as the Party's specialized foreign affairs agency. Nguyen Chi Thanh was appointed to head the office. From 1953 to August 1955, Pham Van Dong was appointed in charge, Nguyen Chan was the head of department, and Nguyen Van Hong was the deputy head of department. In 1955, the department was renamed the Central Committee for Laos and Cambodia, and in 1957, it was renamed the Central Committee for Border Affairs, with the task of expanding its support to the Central Committee in handling relations with other parties around the world. In 1958, the Central Party Secretariat decided to establish the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs Liaison, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ung Van Khiem was appointed as its head. On March 7, 1960, the Central Secretariat issued a resolution establishing the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs. On January 28, 1983, the Central Party Secretariat issued Decision No. 17/QD-TW renaming it the Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Department. In early 2025, it was decided that the commission would be merged into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam. The Central Foreign Affairs Department officially ceased operations on February 3, 2025.  

Organizational structure

Department of China and Northeast Asia Department of Laos and Cambodia Department of Southeast Asia, South Asia, and South Pacific Department of European Affairs Department of the Americas Department of Middle East - Africa Department of Comprehensive Research People's Diplomacy Department Information and Documentation Department Protocol Department Department of Organization and Personnel Office of the Board

Leaders Full nameTermBeginEndGeneral Nguyen Chi ThanhNovember 1, 1949September 1954Pham Van DongSeptember 1954August 1955Le Duc ThoAugust 19551957Pham Hung1957May 1958Ung Van KhiemMay 1958March 1960Pham Van DongMarch 1960June 1961Hoang Van HoanJune 1961April 1966Xuan ThuyApril 1966December 1979Nguyen Thanh LeDecember 1979March 31, 1982Vu QuangMarch 31, 1982December 18, 1986Hoang Bich SonDecember 18, 1986June 27, 1991Hong HaJune 27, 1991July 1, 1996Nguyen Van SonJuly 1, 1996August 13, 2007Tran Van HangAugust 13, 2007June 18, 2009Hoang Binh QuanJune 25, 200918 March 2021 Lê Hoài Trung19 March 2021 3 February 2025

See also

Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission International Department of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

References