By Web Desk TWA _____ The National Assembly on Monday confirmed Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son as Deputy Prime Minister at the proposal of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Bui, aged 62, is a professional diplomat with expertise and more than 30 years of experience in international relations studies, foreign policy planning, international economics and international negotiations. National Assembly elects three Deputy Prime Ministers. He graduated from the University of Diplomacy (now the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam) in 1984 and obtained a Master degree in International Affairs at Columbia University in the U.S. in 1993. Bui began his diplomatic career in September 1987 as a researcher at the Institute for International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). From June 1993 to March 1996, he was designated as the Head of Europe – America Department, Chief of Office, Institute for International Relations. He held the position of Deputy Director of the Institute for International Relations from March 1996 to February 2000. From March 2000 to July 2003, he was the Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Viet Nam to the Republic of Singapore, before returning to MOFA to serve as Deputy Director, then Director General of the Department of Foreign Policy Planning until September 2008. Between September 2008 to November 2009, he acted as the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director General of the Department of Foreign Policy Planning. He also was Viet Nam's Chief Negotiator of the Partnership and Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Viet Nam and the EU from September 2008 to June 2012. In November 2009, he was appointed Vice Minister and from July 2016 served as First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bui is a member of the 12th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam since January 2016 and a deputy of the National Assembly since June 2016. On April 8, 2021, he is appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by the National Assembly.