VietNamNet Bridge – State President Truong Tan Sang and the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon discussed measures to promote multi-dimensional co-operation between Viet Nam and the UN in Ha Noi on Friday, May 22.

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang receives the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at Presidential Place on Friday, May 22.

During talks, the two sides expressed pleasure at strong development of the bilateral relationship.

The Vietnamese State leader said he highly valued the UN's support for Viet Nam in economic and social development, especially the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

As the UN prepared to celebrate its 70th anniversary (1945-2015), the two sides agreed on the significance of adopting the Post-2015 Development Agenda along with Sustainable Development Goals and striving to reach a new global agreement on coping with climate change.

President Sang confirmed that as a responsible member of the UN, Viet Nam would make active contributions to global efforts in these fields as well as in dealing with other global issues for the sake of peace, stability, co-operation and development.

He said the UN should continue to fulfil its responsibility to ensure international peace and security, while promoting its central role in co-ordinating global efforts to address challenges arising amidst complicated and unpredictable developments in the world. These included political unrest, armed conflict, terrorism and extremism, and territorial disputes.

The President said that to maintain peace and security in the region and the world, all nations must strictly follow the UN Charter and international law, respect other nations' territorial integrity and sovereign independence, and address all disputes via peaceful means and in line with international law without using force or threatening to use force.

He told the UN leader about recent developments in the East Sea and asked him and the UN to continue keeping a close watch on the issue.

He also urged involved parties to solve disputes via peaceful means in accordance with principles stipulated in the UN Charter and international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Sang confirmed that Viet Nam would actively get involved in the UN's important activities, including peacekeeping mission.

In reply, the UN Secretary General extolled the significant socio-economic achievements that Viet Nam had gained in its "doi moi" (renewal) process.

He said that the UN highly valued the role of Viet Nam in UN activities, such as the participation in the UN Human Rights Council in the 2014-2016 tenure and the peace-keeping missions.

He said that this year, the UN would prioritise the adoption of post-2015 development agenda, Sustainable Development Goals and a framework agreement on climate change.

He encouraged Viet Nam to continue contributing to UN work, including bidding for a seat in the UN Economic and Social Council in the 2016-18 tenure and the UN Security Council in the 2020-21 tenure.

He suggested the country maintain close co-operation with the UN in implementing the "One UN" initiative in Viet Nam.

Ban expressed his concerns about the increasing tensions in the East Sea, saying he hoped the parties involved would hold dialogues and address disputes peacefully in line with the UN Charter and international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

He wished that ASEAN countries and China would reach the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as soon as possible, adding that the UN was willing to support this process if the involved parties propose.

During his two-day visit to Viet Nam from May 22-23, the UN chief also met with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

Party General Secretary Trong hailed the UN Secretary-General's visit as important in strengthening co-operation between Viet Nam and the UN.

The UN leader said he admired Viet Nam 's socio-economic development in recent years, particularly in poverty eradication, social welfare, disease prevention, disaster aftermath mitigation, and climate change adaptation.

He said he highly valued the country's role, status, and important contributions to maintaining regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

Trong spoke highly of efforts by the UN network and the Secretary-General that were centred on promoting the three pillars of peace and security, development, and human rights.

He acknowledged the UN's initiatives and activities in dealing with regional conflicts, reforming peacekeeping activities, accelerating disarmament, and mobilising the international community's strength in coping with pressing global issues.

He thanked the UN for its co-operation and assistance to Viet Nam in overcoming war and rebuilding along with its financial and technical aid for poverty elimination and socio-economic development.

The leader said Viet Nam, as an active and responsible member of the international community, would continue taking part in the UN's common activities for peace, security, and development in the region and the world.

Viet Nam would exert every effort to intensify result-oriented co-operation with the United Nations, PM Nguyen Tan Dung said at his meeting with the UN leader yesterday.

Viet Nam also hoped for further assistance and policy consultation from the UN to improve its capacity of building quality and feasible programmes and development goals, including an action programme and strategy for coping with climate change, as Viet Nam is forecast to be among countries most vulnerable.

The PM said the Southeast Asian country was willing to work with the UN and the international community in implementing commitments and action programmes towards sustainable development, including the post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.

He added Viet Nam would send a high-ranking delegation to the UN's Conference on Financing for Development slated for July.

The UN chief, who is visiting Viet Nam for the second time, spoke highly of Viet Nam's commitments and contributions to the UN system as well as peacekeeping. He said this had helped raise the country's standing in the region and the world.

The UN was working hard for the world to join hands for in the fields of economics, social affairs and environmental protection by 2030, he said.

He added that vital cornerstones would be created if the post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda was approved by world leaders in September and an agreement was reached between parties to the 21st UN Climate Change Conference later this year.

Ban said he hopes Viet Nam would strongly engage in this process.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the UN leader said the UN was closely following developments in the waters. He described them as crucial and serious.

Ban said he shared the deep concern by Viet Nam, ASEAN, and the G7 countries over the continued reclamation and large-scale building activities that changed the status quo of many islands, outcrops, and submerged rocks.

This had violated international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), undermining the trust among nations, and seriously threatening peace, stability, security, and maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea and the entire region.

He supported Viet Nam's stance on asking relevant sides to ensure the full and effective implementation of the DOC so as to build and enhance mutual trust, exercise self-restraint, not intimidate or use force, solve differences and disputes peacefully in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, conduct substantive negotiations to reach an effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea, and immediately stop unilateral actions or use of strength to alter the status quo in the East Sea.

At the meeting, the two leaders exchanged opinions on the country's efforts in building a state ruled by law and a judicial system that ensured effective national governance, citizen rights, human rights, equal rights of ethnic minority groups, and the right to religious and faith freedom.

Both sides also touched upon Viet Nam's actions to prevent corruption and a roadmap to reduce crimes subject to the death penalty.

During his visit Ban is also expected to attend a one-year review conference of the UN peace-keeping mission and a ceremony to inaugurate the UN Green House.

Source: VNS