The format of strategic partnership in the modern foreign policy of Ukraine and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: a comparative aspect
Authors: Troyan S.S. , Panasiuk I.O. 
Published: February 2025

The scientific relevance and novelty of the study are determined by the significant influence of strategic interstate relations on modern world politics and the prospects for the transformation of the international system in the first quarter of the 21st century. The purpose of the study is to characterize and compare the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Vietnam and its impact on the complex of post-bipolar international relations, including bilateral ones. Results and conclusions of the study. A strategic partnership should be understood as the highest degree of longterm cooperation of international actors based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, reasonableness, and mutual benefit. The fact is that the issues of strategic partnership and relevant partners of Ukraine (going ahead, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as well) have never been clearly outlined. During 2020–2021, the situation changed due to the initial approval of the National Security Strategy and then the Strategy of Foreign Policy of Ukraine. Ukraine has concluded only two agreements so far, which are international legal acts and which clearly define the strategic level of Ukraine’s relations with a third country. These are the Ukraine-US Charter on Strategic Partnership (2008, 2021) and the Agreement on Political Cooperation, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership with the United Kingdom (2020). Instead, declarations of strategic partnership with others remain at the level of statements, the vast majority dating back to the early 2000s, and some of their texts are partly not publicly available. Only four countries have a high-level bilateral body with Ukraine: Turkey, Lithuania, Georgia, and the United States. The concept of strategic partnership is an integral part of Vietnam’s foreign policy. In modern international conditions, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is practically classified as an influential regional player with strong economic growth (since 1985 to 2020 its GDP increased from 14 billion dollars to over 270 billion dollars), independent foreign policy and growing influence in ASEAN (membership in the organization since 1995). Exploring the Vietnamese government’s awareness of the importance of developing strategic relations is a topical issue, as Vietnam plays an important role as a regional international actor, a bridge between the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The system of strategic partnership relations is formally similar to the Ukrainian network of relevant interstate cooperation. To date, Vietnam has diplomatic relations with 187 countries, including a comprehensive strategic partnership with three: China, Russia and India, and strategic partnership relations with twelve: Japan, South Korea, Spain, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. It is reasonable to believe that building an interstate strategic partnership is a source and instrument of Vietnam’s soft power. It should be noted that Ukraine and the SRV for three decades of cooperation in the post-Westphalian realities have not reached the level of bilateral strategic partnership. In the future, for the Ukrainian state, the active development of partnership relations with Vietnam concerns a large set of priority issues after the end of Russian aggression.