Comprehensive diplomacy means in-depth participation in international issues, says Vu Dung, Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN).
Dung made the statement at an interview granted to a VOV reporter on the sidelines of the on-going 27th diplomatic conference in Hanoi.

What has the Vietnamese diplomatic mission to the UN, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organizations done to implement the Party’s policy of comprehensive integration?

After the 11th National Party Congress, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its agencies abroad have focused on implementing the policy. We think that comprehensive diplomacy means in-depth participation in international issues, both economic and political.

We should be prepared to assume the role that we did not play in the past, where we have national interest at heart. For instance, we are responsible for protecting the country’s legitimate rights in the WTO by keeping a close watch on different areas such as agriculture, industry, and services, from where disputes will arise. Vietnam’s shrimp lawsuit against the US anti-dumping tax is a case in point.

What have you done to protect human rights in Vietnam?

This is a sensitive issue, not only for Vietnam but for the whole world. We have done all we can to make international friends understand the Party and State’s human rights policy. We are ready to react against slanderous allegations about Vietnam’s human rights policy.

Vietnam has joined most of the human rights-related conventions in protecting women, children, people with disabilities and gender equality.

However, there are some hostile forces who want to confuse the human rights in an attempt to intervene in the country’s internal affairs.

The concepts, values and interests of human rights are interpreted in different ways in different cultures. They are also associated with the history of national development, traditional values and customs. The best policy is to listen to others’ viewpoints, not to impose any viewpoints on others.

Are there any differences in the viewpoints of Vietnam and other countries on issues related to ethnicity and religion?

Ambassador Dung: There are no differences. We are proud to say that we have made great progress in ensuring gender equality, caring for ethnic people, reducing poverty, and developing economy in mountainous regions.

VOV