I. Objectives and directions
1. Objectives
- To continue implementing effectively the Government's action program on external information for a period of 2013-2020 and the Government's action program for implementation of Resolution No. 06-NQ/TW November 5, 2016 on "Effective implementation of international economic integration, maintaining political and social stability in context of our country's participation in new free trade agreements".
- To raise quality of external information activities, promote image of the country, people, history, culture and achievements of Vietnam, enhance position and prestige of Vietnam on international agenda.
- Orientations for the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies attached to the Government and People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities to perform key tasks of external information work in period of 2018 - 2020.
- To set a basis for the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities to direct, inspect and urge performance of foreign-funded information activities to ensure unified, efficient, and synchronous from central level to local level, domestic and foreign countries.

- To create domestic consensus, take advantage of international support and overseas Vietnamese community.
- To strengthen capacity and awareness of people, communities and enterprises on the Government's external information activities in 2018-2020 period.
- To mobilize all social resources at home and abroad to participate in external information activities; To adopt policies and regimes to encourage and promptly reward organizations and individuals that have made effective contributions to external information work.
- To specify main tasks, identify specific tasks, roadmap and implementation time for ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies attached to the Government and the People's Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces to concentrate on deploying them in 2018-2020 period.

2. Direction
- To thoroughly and effectively implement external directions and policies of the Party and the State of Vietnam as well as contents and tasks stated in the Government's program of action for external information in 2013-2020 period.
- To closely observe important national political, economic, cultural and social, national defense and security events in 2018-2020 period.
- To stick to activities and celebrations of big national celebrations in bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations.
- To promote promotion of Vietnam's outstanding international integration events; information on role, position and contribution of Vietnam in ASEAN, especially in the year Vietnam chairs ASEAN in 2020.

- To strengthen external information work in key areas; to continue implementing and evaluating effectiveness of the Government's and the Prime Minister's projects, plans, programs on external information: Planning representative network of news and press agencies of Vietnam in foreign countries to 2020; planning on radio and television broadcasting to 2020; Planning external press system to 2020 with orientation to 2030; Scheme on enhancing efficiency of external information work of Vietnamese representative missions in foreign countries up to 2020; Scheme on development of a number of printed newspapers and national external electronic newspapers of Vietnam News Agency.
- To formulate and organize implementation of scheme on support for religious and belief activities of overseas Vietnamese community; developing and implementing a project on promoting information and dissemination on cooperation activities within framework of ASEAN as ASEAN chair in 2020, advocating for Vietnam to stand for membership of non-permanent members of United Nations Security Council in a term of 2020 - 2021; To formulate and implement projects on celebrating important years of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and other countries; disseminating results of implementation of master plan on Vietnam's participation in UN peacekeeping activities for a period of 2014-2020; To formulate a pilot scheme to support development of 01 printed newspaper (newspaper) and 01 electronic newspaper of Vietnamese people in key areas in foreign countries.

- To promote cultural, artistic and sport exchange activities, promote investment, participate in international forums, closely coordinate with overseas Vietnamese representative missions in external information work and actively promote image of Vietnam to the world, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign indirect investment (FII).

II. Key task
- To focus on external information work with Laos and Cambodia, implementing Government's projects to strengthen external information work with Laos and Cambodia.
- To focus on national image promotion; To carry out nationwide and international programs on information dissemination of national images in direction of diversifying contents, forms and modes of external information and raising quality of external information products.
- To continue to focus on propaganda on sovereignty over islands, national borders and propaganda on achievement of human rights in Vietnam; regularly grasp situation, improve quality of forecasting in the struggle against false information surrounding the East Sea issue, border issues, and territorial issues, ethnic and religious issues. democracy, human rights and problems, arising and sensitive problems, attracting public attention; promote promotion of the location, role, potential of resources, marine environment, island of Vietnam and achievements in human rights in Vietnam.

III. Capital source for implementation
- Funds for implementation of the plan shall be allocated from the central State budget estimates, local budgets and budgets mobilized from other social sources according to law provisions.
- Annually, basing on tasks and the allocated State budget, capital mobilization capacity, ministries, branches and localities shall take initiative in allocating funds for implementation of the plan.
IV. Organizing implementation
1. Ministry of Information and Communications
- To function as the key implementer, in collaboration with the concerned ministries and agencies in directing and guiding elaboration and implementation of the plan.
- To function as the key implementer to periodically and extraordinarily inspect implementation of the plan and periodically review, report to the Prime Minister on implementation results; to submit to the Prime Minister for supplementation and adjustment of the plan in conformity with practical requirements.

2. Ministry of Finance
To function as the key implementer, in collaboration with Ministry of Information and Communications and the concerned ministries, branches and localities in allocating funds to the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, the agencies attached to the Government and the People's Committees of centrally run provinces and cities to implement external information plan according to the provisions of the State budget law.

3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached agencies and People's Committees of centrally run provinces and cities
Basing on contents of this plan and appendixes of key external-oriented programs and activities of 2018-2020 period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and the People's Committees of centrally run cities and provinces shall elaborate implementation plans and elaborate funding plans and send them to competent financial bodies; Before date of December 10^th every year, Ministry of Information and Communication shall send reports on implementation results to the Prime Minister for summing up and reporting to the Prime Minister.

Long Giang
Source: thuvienphapluat.vn