Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh attends G77 ministerial meeting

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) at the ministerial meeting of the group of 77 developing nations (G77)

Speaking at the event, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the leading role played by the G77 in promoting sustainable development and multilateralism and enhancing the role of the United Nations.

Ministers adopted a joint statement affirming the importance of South-South cooperation and solidarity among developing countries, pledging to contribute to UN activities for the sake of social equality, international justice and sustainable development in the world.

At the event, Azerbaijan was admitted as the 135th member of the Group.

The same day, Minh had separate meetings with foreign ministers of Tunisia, Hungary, Chile, and Burundi; and the Secretary-General of the Arab Union, the minister of the state counsellor office of Myanmar, and the minister of state at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Leaders of the nations and partners highly evaluated Vietnam's great development achievements, considering Vietnam's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2020-2021, as well as Vietnam’s ASEAN chairmanship next year is a manifestation of the international community’s trust in the country.

They expected that Vietnam would well uphold its role in both positions to make greater contributions to maintaining peace and security in the world and regions, and promoting trade liberalisation and global governance.

Minh affirmed Vietnam's determination to perform its multilateral responsibility well at the UN Security Council and called on countries to actively cooperate with Vietnam at multilateral forums, especially the UN and ASEAN.

He also proposed measures to strengthen bilateral political relations, increase the exchange of delegations, and expand economic-trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in the coming time.

At meetings with representatives of US enterprises, Minh updated them on Vietnam’s socio-economic development, investment and business environment as well as its economic development and foreign investment attraction policies. The Deputy PM noted with pleasure Vietnam and the US have become each other's leading trade partners, in which Vietnam has become one of the fastest growing import markets for US goods and services in the region.

The two sides have continued to remove obstacles in cooperation, and discuss ways to build a new, stable, long-term framework for economic and trade relations to match with the level of bilateral cooperation, he said.

US businesses hailed efforts of the Vietnamese Government in restructuring and improving the investment environment; as well as joint endeavours of the two governments in creating a stable economic and trade framework, thus facilitating their businesses’ operations.

They have also announced their long-term plans to continue expanding investment and production activities in Vietnam with many new projects, including those in key strategic fields such as liquefied gas production, digital economy, telecommunications and network infrastructure.

At the meeting with representatives of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), Minh suggested the committee continue to promote its role as a bridge to contribute to Vietnam-US relations, especially in the context that the two countries will celebrate the 25th anniversary of normalising relationship and promote issues of concern such as overcoming war consequences.

AJC leaders affirmed that they will contribute to further deepening the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership.

As scheduled, Minh will make a keynote speech at the high-level discussion session of the UN General Assembly on September 28 and attend the Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and other related activities.