Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with UN Under-Secretary-General and UNESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana in Ha Nam province on May 12

He made the statement while receiving Under-Secretary-General of the UN Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, who is also Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), in Ha Nam province on May 12.

At the meeting on the sidelines of the UN Day of Vesak 2019 celebration, the PM welcomed the UN official’s participation in the event, valuing her sentiments towards and attention to Vietnam.

He stressed that Vietnam attaches importance to the UN’s central role in building the international legal system, maintaining peace, preventing conflict, and responding to global challenges.

Highlighting bilateral ties for more than 40 years, PM Phuc welcomed the assistance of UN agencies, including UNESCAP, for promoting socio-economic development cooperation in regions and in each country.

The host called for bolstering cooperation programmes between the two sides, asking UNESCAP to continue giving advice to Vietnam during the making and implementation of socio-economic development policies, and help the country build capacity, develop human resources, realise the Sustainable Development Goals, and cope with climate change.

The UN Under-Secretary-General and UNESCAP Executive Secretary said she is impressed with the strong development of Vietnam over the past years, emphasising the wish to enhance relations between Vietnam and UNESCAP.

She expressed her hope that the country will bring into play its role as the ASEAN Chair in 2020 to foster ASEAN-UNESCAP relations.

The UN Day of Vesak 2019 celebration is being held at the Tam Chuc Buddhist Cultural Complex in the northern province of Ha Nam. It is themed “Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies”.

It is the third time the UN’s commemoration of Vesak has been held in Vietnam, after 2008 and 2014.-VNA