Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York on May 30 (local time), during which the Vietnamese leader highlighted the ties with the global organisation.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres (Source: VNA)

Viet Nam considers the ties with UN as a top priority in its foreign policy, the PM stressed, affirming as a responsible member of the UN, the country has made contributions to the UN’s common work, including Viet Nam’s fulfillment of its term as a member of the Human Right Council, assumption of the role as a member of the Economic and Social Council and UNESCO executive board and candidacy for the non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council for 2020-21.

He proposed the UN to increase its support for Viet Nam in implementing the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, Paris agreement on climate change and Sendai framework on disaster risk reduction.

Viet Nam has decided to be among 10 leading countries carrying out the UN initiative on El Nino and La Nina response, he said.

Secretary General Guterres highly valued Viet Nam’s recent socio-economic achievements, especially millennium goals, hoping the Southeast Asian nation to succeed in implementing sustainable development goals.

He acknowledged Viet Nam’s contributions to UN mechanisms as well as participation in UN peacekeeping forces, while affirming the UN will promote cooperation with Viet Nam through the implementation of the one strategic plan for 2017-21.

Discussing regional and international issues, PM Phuc briefed Secretary General Guterres on recent development in the East Sea and asked the UN chief to support and speed up the settlement of disputes in the waters by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), full respect for diplomatic and legal process and early finalisation of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The UN chief took note Viet Nam’s proposals and emphasised the role of preventive diplomacy, settlement of disputes via peaceful measures based on respecting international law.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Viet Nam-UN ties, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc invited Secretary General Guterres to visit Viet Nam this year.  The UN chief thanked and hoped to visit the country in an appropriate time.

(Source: VNA)