Phạm Bình Minh

In this Vietnamese name, the family name is Phạm, but is often simplified to Pham in English-language text. According to Vietnamese custom, this person should properly be referred to by the given name Minh.

Phạm Bình Minh
File:Phạm Bình Minh APEC 2013.jpg
Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2013
Prime Minister	Nguyễn Tấn Dũng Nguyễn Xuân Phúc
Preceded by	Phạm Gia Khiêm
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 August 2011
Preceded by	Phạm Gia Khiêm
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 29 August 2007 – 2 August 2011
Preceded by	Lê Công Phụng
Director General of the Department for International Organizations, Foreign Affairs
In office March 2003 – September 2006
Member of the Politburo
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 January 2016
Personal details
Born	(1959-03-26) 26 March 1959 Nam Định Province
Nationality	Vietnamese
Political party	Communist Party
Spouse(s)	Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga
Alma mater	Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Phạm Bình Minh (born 26 March 1959) is a Vietnamese politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam since 2011, as well as Deputy Prime Minister since 2013.

He was First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from January 2009 to August 2011. He was born in Nam Định Province.

Education

He graduated in 1981 from the University of Diplomacy (now the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam). He obtained a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at Fletcher School, Tufts University, the United States of America. He is fluent in English.

Career

He began his diplomatic career in 1981, when he worked as Desk Officer, the Department of Training, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam. From 1982 to 1985, he was sent to the Embassy of Viet Nam to the United Kingdom as Attaché. Before assuming the position of Deputy Director General of the Department for International Organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1999, he worked as Desk Officer, the Department for General Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1986 to 1990.

In the period of 1999-January 2003, he served as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations in New York, and Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Viet Nam in the United States of America. Back in Viet Nam in 2003, he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Acting Director General and Director General of the Department for International Organizations, Head of Delegation for Dialogue on Human Rights with other countries.

He was elected as an alternate member of the 10th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam in April 2006, and became a member of the 10th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam in January 2009. Currently, he is a member of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He was elected as a member of the 13th National Assembly in November 2008.

He was appointed Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs in September 2006 and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in November 2007, then Permanent Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam until August 2011. On 13 November 2013, he was designated as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam by the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. Prior to that time, he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam on 3 August 2011 and since then has become the 12th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam.

Awards and honours

He has been conferred with many awards of high distinction, namely the Third-Class Labour Order in 2009 for excellent performance from 2002 to 2008; the National Emulation Fighter in 2010 for excellent performance in the national emulation campaign and contribution to the cause of socialist building and national defence; the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit in 2011 for excellent performance and contribution during Viet Nam’s Non-Permanent Membership of the United Nations Security Council, contributing to the cause of socialist building and national defence; the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit in 2006 for excellent performance from 2001 to 2006; and the Medal for the Diplomatic Cause in 2003 for valuable contribution to the development of Viet Nam’s diplomacy.