Statement of Viet Nam at the UN General Assembly emergency session on the situation in Ukraine
From February 28 to March 2, the United Nations (UN) held its 11th emergency session of General Assembly to discuss the situation in Ukraine. Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the United Nations delivered a speech at the meeting.
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| Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the UN, spoke at the meeting. (Source: VNA) |
Below is the full text of the speech.
Mr. President,
1. More than seventy years ago, the founders of the United Nations instilled into the Charter their hope and aspiration to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. They enshrined in the Charter the fundamental principles which have become the foundation for contemporary international law and friendly relations and cooperation among nations.
2. However, actions not in line with these principles continue to pose serious threats to international peace and security and development of nations and the people. They challenge the very relevance and legitimacy of the United Nations.
For a number of times, our nation’s own history of enduring wars has shown that too often wars and conflicts until today stem from obsolete doctrines of power politics, the ambition of domination and the imposition and the use of force in settling international disputes. A number of them are associated with historical legacies, misperception and misunderstanding.
Viet Nam understands firsthand that once broken out, wars and conflicts only cause enormous suffering to human beings and grave consequences for many aspects of the life of nations directly involved as well as of others.
3. Against this backdrop, Viet Nam has time and again underscored the importance of respect for international law and the UN Charter. All international disputes should be resolved by peaceful means, based on the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter.
These include the principles of sovereign equality, respect for the political independence and territorial integrity of states, non-interference in internal affairs of states, and refrain from the threat or use of force. All states, large and small, must adhere to these fundamental principles.
4. Viet Nam therefore has been extremely concerned over the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, a sovereign member state of the UN. Viet Nam and other ASEAN member states issued a statement on this matter on 26 February 2022. It is imperative now to exercise utmost restraint and immediately cease the use of force to avoid further casualties and losses, especial those of civilians.
We call on concerned parties to de-escalate tension, resume dialogue and negotiation through all channels, with a view to achieving long-term solutions that take into consideration the interests and concerns of all parties, in accordance with international law, in particular the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. Such a solution will put an end to the ongoing suffering and make a major contribution to peace, security and development in Europe and the world at large.
In this regard, we take note of the meeting between the delegations of Ukraine and the Russian Federation yesterday and look forward to continued engagement by relevant parties and early results from the negotiations. At the same time, it is of critical importance to safeguard the safety, security of the people and indispensable civilian infrastructure, in line with international humanitarian law.
5. To create a favorable environment for such objectives, we call on the international community, countries in and beyond the region to continue their support for and facilitation of dialogue among parties. We encourage greater efforts to scale up humanitarian assistance for civilians and commend operations by the UN and other partners in the last few days to assist people on the ground, including refugees.
It is also essential to ensure safety and security for all foreign nationals living in Ukraine, including the Vietnamese nationals, as well as the facilitation of their evacuation.
I thank you.
(Source: Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the UN)
