United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: VGP

At a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on October 22, Guterres expressed his impression and admiration for Vietnam's steadfastness in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its post-pandemic economic achievements, especially safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of the pandemic, maintenance of macroeconomic stability, socio-economic recovery and development.

The guest hailed Vietnam as one of the pioneering countries in the fight against social inequality and climate change response, as well as its achievements in ensuring human rights, VietnamPlus reported.

Guterres affirmed that the UN and he himself will continue to pay attention to and support Vietnam's development priorities and offers the nation policy advice on a green, sustainable and resilient post-pandemic recovery.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres hails Vietnam as one of the pioneering countries in the fight against social inequality and climate change response, as well as its achievements in ensuring human rights. Photo: VGP

The UN Secretary-General wished the two sides to closely cooperate to ensure food and energy security, fight climate change, promote human rights, and develop digital technology, among others.

For his part, PM Chinh thanked the UN for standing side by side with Vietnam in every development stage. During the difficult period of Covid-19 in particular, the UN’s support helped Vietnam drive back the pandemic.

As Vietnam still faces difficulties and challenges in fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), responding to climate change, and ensuring energy and food security, the PM expressed hope to receive the UN’s further assistance toward three strategic breakthroughs, namely perfecting institutions, developing human resources, especially high-quality ones, and building a synchronous and modern infrastructure, both economically and socially, to achieve the goal of becoming an industrialised and high-income country by 2045.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanks the UN for standing side by side with Vietnam in every development stage. Photo: VGP

He said he supports the central role of the UN as well as the Secretary-General’s initiatives and efforts, affirming that Vietnam is ready to do its best for the UN’s common works in all pillars.

On the occasion, the host and guest shared concerns about the pandemic’s negative impacts, climate change, food and energy security, and inflation. They emphasised the need for countries worldwide to join hands in addressing such challenges.

The leaders also agreed to step up collaboration between ASEAN and the UN, highly value ASEAN’s role, and make efforts to maintain peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea (Bien Dong Sea), and peacefully settle disputes on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The same day, the UN Secretary General met with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, VOV said.

UN Secretary General António Guterres and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. Photo: VOV

Hue highly appreciated the positive and effective contributions of UN organizations such as UNDP and UNICEF to the National Assembly of Vietnam, helping to improve the working capacity of people elected agencies and the skills of their deputies.

He suggested that the UN help strengthen connections between the National Assembly of Vietnam and UN agencies and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), as well as with other relevant multilateral mechanisms, creating conditions for it to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and learn from international experiences.

He also expected that the UN would continue to support National Assembly agencies in improving their capacity and skills, including in perfecting legislation and in overseeing the implementation of national socio-economic development programmes, as well as effectively integrating the country’s sustainable development goals and its international commitments.

UN Secretary General António Guterres and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong

For his part, UN Secretary General Guterres welcomed Hue’s proposals, and shared difficulties Vietnam has met in undertaking digital transformation and energy transformation. He said the UN stays ready to send experts to Vietnam to realize its transformation goals.

With regard to the South China Sea issue, Guterres welcomed Vietnam’s initiatives and affirmed that the UN always gives its best support in accordance with the framework of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea./.

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