Review on external affairs from Nov. 13-19: President’s successful trip to attend APEC Leaders’ Week, activities in US; PCA Vietnam Conference
WVR - Review on a number of news headlines on external affairs from Nov. 13-19 by The World and Vietnam Report.
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| President Vo Van Thuong attend APEC Economic Leaders’ Week: President Vo Van Thuong and other economic leaders take a group photo. (Photto: WVR/Anh Son) |
Leaders’ activities
On November 19, President Vo Van Thuong, his Spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Hanoi, concluding their US trip for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week and bilateral activities at the invitation of US President Joe Biden.
Within the APEC Leaders’ Week and related events, President Thuong conducted a series of activities, including discussions, working sessions, and bilateral meetings. He attended and addressed the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, delivered a speech at the APEC CEO Summit, participated in a dialogue between APEC leaders and representatives of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The Vietnamese leader had working sessions with representatives from the US-APEC Business Coalition, and Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) partner nations. He joined other APEC leaders in a dialogue and a working lunch with guests, and attended a retreat of APEC economic leaders. The President also had a conversation with leaders of Vietnamese firms having exhibition booths during the APEC Leaders’ Week.
The President also had meetings with leaders of APEC economies and guests, such as Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei; Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. President Vo Van Thuong joined other leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies in a dialogue with guests, such as the dialogue with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Fijian President Sitiveni Rabuka, and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal.
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| President Vo Van Thuong attended the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meetin in San Franciso. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
Regarding bilateral activities in the United States, President Vo Van Thuong had separate meetings with his US counterpart Joe Biden, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles Erin Bromaghim; attended a policy discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); attended and delivered speech at the Round Table connecting businesses and localities about high technology; received representatives of leading US companies and corporations in aviation and technology, such as Boeing and Apple. On this occasion, the President visited an overseas Vietnamese family; met with leaders and officials of Vietnam's diplomatic representative agencies in the United States and visited Stanford University Medical Hospital.
On November 13, receiving Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Tea Seiha, President Vo Van Thuong said Vietnam always wants to enhance ties with Cambodia. Speaking highly of the outcomes of the earlier talks between the two Defence Ministers, President Thuong affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State always encourage, support and create favourable conditions for cooperation between the two armies and Defence Ministries. He hoped that the two sides should effectively manage the shared border to build a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development as well as step up negotiations on demarcation and planting of border markers on the remaining border section.
On the same day, during a reception for Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Tea Seiha, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed thẹ guest’s visit, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Cambodia's Independence Day and the founding anniversary of the Cambodian Royal Army. The Vietnamese Government always offers all possible support to Vietnamese and Cambodian armies to enhance exchanges and discuss strategic issues impacting the national defence and security of each nation, said Prime Minister Chinh.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Tea Seiha at their meeting in Hanoi, on November 13, 2023. (Photo: VNA) |
On November 15, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a message of congratulations to Mr. Nadir Larbaoui on his appointment as Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.
On November 15, receiving Hungarian Minister of Justice Bence Tuzson, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. The host and guest noted with pleasure positive development steps of the Vietnam-Hungary relations across fields, including the judicial sector, especially after the two countries elevated their relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2018. Prime Minister Chinh emphasised that the Party and State of Vietnam always create conditions for ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, to tighten bilateral relations with the Hungarian Ministry of Justice in law and justice.
On November 14, receiving French virologist Prof. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the Paris-based Pasteur Institute and the Professor encouraging scientists to continue conducting research, especially those on emerging infectious diseases in Vietnam. He suggested that France in general, the Pasteur Institute and Prof. Barre-Sinoussi further support Vietnam in expanding cooperative activities, exchanging experiences, training scientific staff, building facilities, transferring technology, and implementing research projects in preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C and other infectious diseases in Vietnam.
On November 14, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received World Bank (WB) Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific Manuela V. Ferro, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific Riccardo Puliti, and IFC Vice President and Treasurer John Gandolfo in Hanoi. The Prime Minister affirmed that the Vietnamese Government considers the WB and IFC crucial development partners, which have supported and contributed to the nation’s socio-economic development through policy advice and financial assistance for ODA projects, preferential loans and loans for the private sector. He proposed the sides refresh their cooperation activities with new approaches on a larger scale and enhancing public-private partnerships. Prime Minister Chinh recommended the WB focus its funds with the lowest interest rates on critical and large-scale projects in Vietnam, including those in the sectors of transport, urban development, digital transformation, energy and Mekong Delta climate change response.
On November 13, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received President and CEO of Japan's Marubeni Corporation Masumi Kakinoki, expressing his hope that the group and other Japanese enterprises would continue expanding cooperation and investment in Vietnam’s priority development areas.
On November 13, more than 250 Vietnamese and Chinese delegates gathered at the 10th Conference on Economic Corridor Cooperation among five provinces and cities of Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and Lao Cai of Vietnam and China’s Yunnan province to compare notes on how to expand forms of connectivity and cooperation between cities and provinces to boost economic development in the new situation. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang highlighted the positive development of the Vietnam-China relationship, and affirmed that Vietnam consistently regards the friendship and cooperation between the two countries' localities as an important component of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
Activities of Foreign Minister
On November 19, while talking to the press on President Vo Van Thuong’s trip to the US to attend APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2023, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2023 held special significance as it marked 25 years since Vietnam became a member of APEC. President Thuong and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam attended activities of the week and made important contributions to its success.
On this occasion, President Thuong had many meetings with leaders of other APEC economies and guests. At those meetings, APEC leaders and guests spoke highly of Vietnam’s stature and role and agreed to increase mutual visits, step up cooperation in politics - diplomacy, economy - trade, science - technology, education - training, locality-to-locality ties, and people-to-people exchanges, and support each other at regional and international forums.
Regarding bilateral activities with the US, at the activities, both sides agreed to make efforts to continue implementing the agreements reached between the two countries’ leaders during the recent State visit to Vietnam by US President Biden at the invitation of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and the joint statement on the elevation of bilateral relations to the comprehensive strategic partnership.
The Foreign Minister concluded that the trip by President Vo Van Thuong and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and bilateral activities in the US was successful and a practical move to implement the foreign policy as devised at the 13th National Party Congress.
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| Tthe trip by President Vo Van Thuong and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and bilateral activities in the US was successful and a practical move to implement the foreign policy as devised at the 13th National Party Congress: Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son: (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
On November 15, speaking at the 34th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Joint Foreign Ministers' Conference (AMM 34), Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son proposed three priorities for APEC collaboration. The Foreign Minister stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in climate change and green growth. APEC members need to accelerate collaboration programmes on trade in goods and environmental services, green-bio-circular economic models, smart agriculture, just energy transition and management of natural resources, he stated.
On November 15, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son extended condolences to Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavsky over the recent passing of former Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.
Bilateral activities
On November 17, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), in collaboration with the Embassy of Singapore in Vietnam and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, held a dialogue on achievements and prospects of 50-year Vietnam-Singapore relations. HCMA President Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang said the event holds significance as it takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. He said since the establishment of bilateral strategic partnership, Vietnam and Singapore have seen their ties deepen across all five pillars, including mutual political trust, economic cooperation, national defence-security collaboration, coordination in other areas and cooperation at international and multilateral forums.
On November 15, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan held a talk on the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh for the Vietnamese community in Japan. The event was held as part of the project to honour President Ho Chi Minh, a national liberation hero and a great man of culture, among the international community. Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu said the talk aims to provide officials from the Embassy, Vietnamese Representative Missions and Vietnamese community in Japan a deeper insight into the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh, thus encouraging them to continue to study and follow the leader’s moral example.
On November 15, a workshop discussing measures to exploit the potential of the Vietnam - China - Russia international intermodal rail transport route was held in Moscow, The event was hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia in both in-person and online forms, with the participation of 200 delegates from relevant agencies of the three countries. It provided an opportunity for businesses and state agencies to fully grasp the status of transport activities along the Vietnam - China - Russia international intermodal transport route; and discuss ways to exploit the significant potential of this crucial route, particularly in the rapidly changing geopolitical situation; and promote collaboration to expand trade relations among the countries.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (R) and Commissioner of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission Caroline Pham in Hanoi on November 13, 2023. (Photo: VNA) |
On November 13, receiving Commissioner of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Caroline Pham, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said Vietnam stays ready to develop its extensive, stable and practical ties with the US, within the framework of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership established in September with 10 pillars. Deputy Minister Hang said amid global economic uncertainties, Vietnam always strives to promote economic linkages and create a favourable environment for the development of financial market, contributing to enhancing the exchange of information regarding perfecting mechanisms and policies and strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the financial sector.
Multilateral activities
On November 17, receiving Ms. Pauline Tamesis, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the UN, hoped that the UN would continue to support finding resources, sharing knowledge and experience and accompany Vietnam in its efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, international commitments on climate action, digital transformation and energy transition. Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang highly appreciated the efforts of the Resident Coordinator and United Nations agencies in Vietnam in supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He affirmed that Vietnam continues to support the reform of the United Nations development system, including ensuring sustainable finances and effective operations for the Resident Coordinator system.
On November 16, making the statement at the UN General Assembly's annual debate on the issue of reform of the Security Council, Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, Deputy Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, noted that the Council, more than ever, needs to innovate by increasing its representation and effectiveness to adapt to and fit current realities. The diplomat recommended the council be expanded in both permanent and non-permanent membership to ensure enhanced representation with seats allocated to the most underrepresented regions, especially developing countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific. The Council should also conduct more public meetings and the use of veto should be restrained.
On November 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and the Vietnam Association of International Law (VSIL) co-organised the first PCA Vietnam Conference in Hanoi. The event was held on the occasion of the first anniversary of the opening of the PCA Office in Hanoi which is the fifth of its kind in the world along with the PCA headquarters in the Peace Palace in The Hague. Participants at the event discussed measures to build trust among countries, new issues and trends in international investment, energy transition, the current situation, and the outlook of international commercial arbitration in Vietnam. Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said that Vietnam supports the PCA's activities and actively promotes cooperation with the PCA through its representative office in Hanoi.
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| First Permanent Court of Arbitration Vietnam Conference held in Hanoi: Participants at the first PCA Vietnam Conference. |
In the Resolution commemorating the 125th anniversary of the PCA, Vietnam and other countries at the United Nations General Assembly recognised the PCA's role in promoting peaceful measures to solve international disputes, including conciliating measures in addition to arbitration procedures.
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