Vietnam – My observations

TIN LIÊN QUAN
	Vietnam, Cambodia exchange border topographic maps
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Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) received Ambassador Chay Navuth on May 26, 2020. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

This is about my observation after arriving here for more than two months since late October 2019.

I was not able to sleep the night Vietnamese U22 won the final competition in the Philippines. This was not because of the noises coming from the troupe of motorbikes and the trumpets made by those young Vietnamese football fans who rode around the city to celebrate the historic moment of their national team victory. It was a grand victory after striving and attempting for the last 60 years. The victory of Vietnamese football team caused me to be wide awake thinking about this civilization and nation.

What was the reason behinds this victory?

There was at least a common like-wise understood among the football observers that the wining of Vietnamese team came from three factors: effective strategic preparation, commitment and spirit of the players and coach. Before every tournament, there was always an in-depth research and analysis on the strength and weakness of the competitors as well as the opportunity to gain the score. Every individual player, especially the top players of the opponent’s team were the subject of analysis. Based on the results, the coach arranged the playing schemes and attacking techniques. As a result, audience as well as the fan can see that in many occasions of the competition the opponent’s side was barely hard to find the opportunity to strike back. Moreover, to select players, the coach had very strict and detailed criteria to get the most efficient and dogged players. Only those who inherit high discipline will be selected. The Coach equipped those players with very high spirits, and every player has to consider himself as “an Uncle Ho’s soldier” who is willing to do his best for the sake of the nation. Notably, during the last contest, emerging from the Vietnamese fan, there was a picture of Uncle Ho showing in the football terrain.

What does the victory on the football field mean for Vietnam?

The success signals to the world that Vietnam is coming to a turning point of their history. Moreover, Vietnam’s success on the football field made me to recall my observation during my two months long staying in this country.

First observation

It is about the rotating turn of Vietnam to be the chair of ASEAN in 2020. Just a few weeks before crowning to the chairmanship of ASEAN, Vietnam has laid down five priorities for ASEAN in 2020. Those are (1) Maintenance of Peace, Security and Stability; (2) Economic integration and connectivity; (3) Promote ASEAN awareness and identity through creating ASEAN common values; (4) Reinforce partnership for Peace and Sustainable Development; (5) Increase ASEAN institutional capacity and efficiency through Institutional Reform. Among the five, one can notice that the term “peace and security” were used twice as we can see in priority 1 and priority 4. This indicates that as a responsible Chair, Vietnam has carefully identified the interests of all members and adhered them into the setting priority.

The journey was well prepared before departing as Chair has taken into account of all dimensions of common interests of each member and crafted into five priorities.

Second observation

Vietnam becomes a non-permanent member of the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) for 2020-2021. This is the second time the country has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, after the first in 2008-2009. For this term, Vietnam is very well grooming to be the member of this international organization. Although, having to face with newly sophisticated emerged consequences and unforeseen issues with enormous dissensus among members of UNSC, Vietnam has used this occasion to contribute to preserve and protect world peace. As a non-permanent member, Vietnam has deployed her military personnel of the Level 2 Field Hospital to the mission of UN's international peacekeeping operation in South Sudan.

Moreover, the country becomes and attaches itself into various economic forums and has signed many bilateral and multilateral partnerships with countries and institutions both in and outside of the regions and where else. As of 11 months of 2019, Vietnam received FDI 31.79 billion USD which increased by 3,1% comparing to the same period of 2018. Vietnam's GDP of 2019 rose up to 7.02%, while planned only 6.6% to 6.8%.

Referring to the above two observations, together with the victory of football team on the grass field, it gives a clear signal to the world that this civilization starts sailing to a new chapter of journey toward a prosperous economic country, a socialist country model of the world where peace and security are the core interest. Vietnam is fast-forwarding due to three factors: (1) the preparation of strategy; (2) the commitment and (3) the spirit of people.

This year, Vietnam celebrates the 25th year of becoming a member of ASEAN. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the victory of the Vietnamese leaders, the communist party, the government and especially Vietnamese people in combatting and preventing COVID-19 in which Vietnam receives many attentions and plaudits from the world. Although, currently the pandemic has not come to an end yet, Vietnam has now emerges as a country which attract the attention of partnership between the countries and multi-national companies as well as regional and global organizations.

I believe that as Chair of ASEAN and a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Vietnam will fulfill these two roles and will succeed in achieving all five priorities contributing in maintaining and enhancing peace, security as well as the prosperity of the region and world.

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