Strong evidence for Vietnam's position and role in the international arena

President Luong Cuong delivers a speech at the High-Level General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly themed "Vietnam honors the value of peace, strong transformation to create a sustainable future". (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

On the morning of September 26, President Luong Cuong and his wife, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, returned to Hanoi , successfully concluding their trip to attend the high-level General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), combined with bilateral activities in the United States from September 21-24.

This is President Luong Cuong's first working trip to attend a multilateral foreign activity at the largest global forum, of primary importance in the context of the UN celebrating its 80th anniversary; at the same time, the working trip also marks the 2nd anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the United States and the 30th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the two countries.

Honoring the value of peace

During the working trip, the President had a very rich, substantive and effective working program on both multilateral and bilateral levels, with the highlight being an important speech at the High-Level General Debate of the 80th UN General Assembly, strongly expressing the message "Honoring the value of peace , strongly transforming to create a sustainable future".

In his speech, the President affirmed that over the past 80 years, the UN has always been the embodiment of humanity's common aspiration for peace, cooperation and development, based on universal values of human rights, national independence, equality, democracy and social progress.

However, the world today is facing unprecedentedly fierce challenges such as conflicts, local wars, arms races, use of force, threats to use force, strategic competition between major powers, unilateralism, and a sharp decline in political commitment and resources.

The President's speech also expressed respect and strong support for multilateralism, international law and the UN Charter; at the same time, he shared his views and, together with other countries, proposed important policy directions to address global challenges.

This is also a strong demonstration of Vietnam's position and role through the synchronous implementation of an independent, self-reliant, diversified, multilateral foreign policy, proactively and actively integrating comprehensively, deeply and effectively into the international arena.

On the other hand, the President also shared the story of a Vietnam resurrected from the ruins of war, from a poor, backward, low-level, besieged, embargoed country, making great efforts to become a developing country with average income and deep international integration.

Although there are still many limitations that need to be overcome, Vietnam is determined to achieve its strategic goals of becoming a developing country with modern industry and high middle income by 2030, and a high-income country by 2045; implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and becoming a strong, prosperous and happy country.

At the same time, Vietnam always strives to do its best and stands side by side with all countries to shoulder the common responsibility, overcome challenges, promote strong transformation to create a world of peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development, bringing happiness and prosperity to all people.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed that Vietnam is a pillar of today's multipolar world. (Source: VNA)

From words to actions

Assessing Vietnam's role and contributions to the UN, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed that Vietnam is an active member of the UN, a pillar of today's multipolar world, and hopes that Vietnam will have a more worthy voice, representation and role in the global governance system.

Meanwhile, UN Deputy Secretary-General Atul Khare said that Vietnam has made positive contributions to international peace and security, especially peacekeeping activities in Africa.

In addition, with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals closely linked together, Vietnam has certain contributions to make.

Along with that, within the framework of activities at the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, the President had a series of bilateral meetings with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, and Presidents and Prime Ministers of many countries around the world.

At the meetings, UN and country leaders agreed with the assessments of the situation, as well as Vietnam's commitment to multilateralism and the UN; and expressed admiration for Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements and its increasingly elevated position, an excellent partner, actively contributing to all priority areas of the UN, especially peacekeeping, sustainable development, climate change response and equitable energy transition.

What is very meaningful is that Vietnam's commitments are not only in words but also in very practical and specific actions such as continuing to be an active and responsible member in important UN mechanisms, chairing major multilateral activities of the UN such as the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in October 2025, chairing the Review Conference of the UN Convention on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2026, continuing to actively deploy peacekeeping activities...

President Luong Cuong received US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Source: VNA)

Building an era of peace

Regarding bilateral cooperation with the United States, a partner of strategic importance, President Luong Cuong and the Vietnamese delegation also brought the message of "putting aside the past, overcoming differences, looking towards the future" in the context of the two countries celebrating 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations and 2 years of upgrading relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

During the meetings between the President and US government and Congress officials, both sides expressed their wish to continue to develop the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in an increasingly substantive and in-depth manner on the basis of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions, for peace, stability and common prosperity.

The United States also affirmed that it considers Vietnam one of its key partners in Southeast Asia and supports the practical implementation of bilateral relations between the two countries, a model of healing and reconciliation.

Along with that, the President attended a business seminar and meetings with leaders of leading US corporations. US corporations expressed their admiration for Vietnam's remarkable economic and social progress, highly appreciated Vietnam's development strategy in the new era, and believed that with the outlined orientations, Vietnam will become an attractive destination for international investors and will achieve many successes in the future.

US businesses all agreed that Vietnam has strong potential to become a leading destination for development in many fields, and affirmed their commitment to investment cooperation activities in Vietnam.

An emotional meeting between veterans of the two countries, who were on opposite sides of the war in Vietnam. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Model of healing and reconciliation

Talking about “healing and reconciliation”, perhaps the most touching was the meeting between veterans of the two countries, who were on opposite sides of the war in Vietnam, as well as the meeting with long-time friends and progressive people of the United States, a strong demonstration of gratitude and determination to heal and reconcile after the war between the two former enemy countries.

Sharing with US veterans who fought in Vietnam, the President pointed out that the war had taken too much from the Vietnamese and American people, leaving behind unfinished dreams and haunting obsessions. However, the Vietnamese people, with compassion and tolerance, have chosen to put aside the painful past to look to the future; chosen to forgive, but not forget; believing that future generations of Vietnam and the United States will together build an era of peace, cooperation, development and mutual respect.

Meanwhile, from the United States, veterans emerging from the war in a land halfway around the world chose their conscience and joined hands with Vietnam to build the first bridges honoring the values of peace, healing, and reconciliation between the two countries.

Mr. John Terzano, one of the US veterans who participated in the war in Vietnam, shared his emotional journey back to Vietnam right after the war and the process of co-founding the organization "Vietnam Veterans of America" and "Vietnam Veterans of America Fund" in an effort to reconcile, lift the embargo and normalize relations between the two countries.

There was also the image of veterans from both sides returning mementos to the families of Vietnamese and American soldiers, a moment intertwined with the emotional tears of the relatives of American soldiers present at the meeting. Clearly, what Vietnam and the United States have experienced shows that no hatred is eternal and no wound cannot be healed, if we open our hearts and look to the future.

For long-time friends, progressive people of the United States, it was a meeting filled with the sentiments of those who have devoted themselves to the just cause of Vietnam, from participating in movements protesting the unjust war in Vietnam, to meaningful projects for the process of healing the wounds and consequences of war on the Vietnamese people, including projects to help victims of Agent Orange have a better life; projects to bring the people of the two countries closer together, contributing to helping Vietnam and the United States move towards normalizing relations; as well as projects to help disadvantaged children and disadvantaged children have an increasingly better life.

The President was moved to recall the images of peace-loving American citizens such as Ms. Merle Ratner, Mr. Morrison and many other American friends in the movement to support Vietnam's just struggle, promote the end of the war, restore peace in Vietnam or American veterans organizations and many individuals who overcame past guilt, returned to Vietnam to heal the wounds of war, join hands to search for missing soldiers, support victims of Agent Orange, clear bombs and mines...

In the spirit of "Putting aside the past, overcoming differences, looking towards the future", over the 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, the President said that the Vietnam-US relationship has made remarkable progress and the upgrading of the relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development in September 2023 is a milestone in the relationship between the two countries, making the Vietnam-US relationship a model of healing and reconciliation in international relations.

Regarding the Vietnamese community in the United States, in a meeting with prominent community representatives, the President emphasized the consistent policy of our Party and State to always care for and look after the Vietnamese community abroad; considering the Vietnamese community abroad an inseparable part, flesh and blood, a part of the great national unity bloc and also an important driving force of the country.

The President hopes that the Vietnamese community in the United States will continue to contribute to the homeland and the country, whether directly returning home or indirectly from afar; whether through capital, experience, intelligence or persistent, silent efforts to preserve the Vietnamese language and promote the national cultural identity in the host country; and continue to play an important role as a bridge to help promote the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

It can be seen that, with messages of peace, reconciliation, healing, responsibility and together creating a sustainable future, the President's working trip was a great success in both multilateral and bilateral aspects, leaving a strong impression on the role, position, and positive and substantial contributions of Vietnam in solving global issues, as well as promoting Vietnam's relations with the United States and Vietnam's relations with other countries to contribute to peace and development in the region and the world.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/minh-chung-manh-me-cho-vi-the-va-vai-tro-cua-viet-nam-tren-truong-quoc-te-328922.html