Vietnam's new Stature in the Asia-Pacific and the World: Deputy Minister
WVR - The follows is the recent interview granted to the World and Vietnam Report at the threshold of President Luong Cuong’s trip to attend the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders' Week and his official visits to Chile and Peru by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang. "Vietnam will convey the message of the nation's aspirations for growth in the new era, outlining the country's major directions for development, foreign relations, and international integration at the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders' Week.", she highlighted.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang at the interview with the World and Vietnam Report at the threshold of President Luong Cuong’s trip to attend the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders' Week and his official visits to Chile and Peru, on November 8, 2024. (Photo: Anh Son) |
Could you please share the purpose, significance and importance of President Luong Cuong’s first official overseas trip?
At the invitations of the President of the Republic of Chile Gabriel Boric Font and the President of the Republic of Peru Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, President Luong Cuong will lead a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam to pay an official visit to Chile and Peru, and attend the 2024 APEC Economic Leaders' Week from November 9 to 16, 2024.
This is President Luong Cuong's first official overseas trip in his new position, which holds special bilateral and multilateral significance and importance.
With regards to bilateral significance, this visit provides an opportunity to deepen, strengthen and create breakthroughs in our relationships with Chile and Peru. We hope the visit will further consolidate traditional friendships, enhance political trust, effectively exploit cooperation potentials and promote relations between Vietnam and these two countries as well as the Latin American region. It also aims to strengthen coordination with these countries in responding to global challenges.
For Chile, this is the first visit by a Vietnamese President in 15 years, coinciding with the 55th anniversary of the historic meeting between President Ho Chi Minh and the late President Salvador Allende - an event that laid the foundation for Chile to become the first country in South America to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Based on this foundation, Vietnam-Chile relations have been positively developing, especially in trade.
Over the past decade, bilateral trade turnover has quadrupled, reaching 1.5 billion USD in 2023. Currently, Chile is one of Vietnam’s leading important partners in the region, being the first Latin American country to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Vietnam (in 2014). This visit is expected to bring “new vitality” to Vietnam-Chile relations, especially in areas with high cooperation potential.
For Peru, this is the first official visit by a Vietnamese President, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The visit is expected to be a historic milestone, which contribute to consolidating the foundation of good political relations and enhancing effective cooperation in potential areas, aiming to elevate relations to a new height.
Currently, Peru is the country with the largest direct investment of Vietnam in Latin American, the sixth-largest trading partner of Vietnam in the region, while Vietnam is Peru’s largest trading partner in ASEAN. Bilateral trade turnover reached nearly 500 million USD in 2023, and in the first seven months of this year, it reached nearly 300 million USD.
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| President Luong Cuong’s visit to forge deeper ties with Chile, Peru and APEC Forum. (Photo: WVR) |
In addition, attending the APEC Economic Leaders' Week provides an opportunity for the President to meet and interact with APEC leaders, including many of our key strategic and comprehensive partners, contributing to continuously deepening relations with APEC members.
With regards to multilateralism, the participation of the President in the 2024 APEC Leaders' Week, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the Forum's establishment, continues to affirm Vietnam's active and responsible contributions to addressing regional and global issues. This includes especially promoting the process of international economic integration and creating new momentum for regional growth; continuing to strengthen APEC's role as a leading economic forum, where 3/5 of the world's largest economies converge, accounting for approximately 77% of trade, 81% of foreign direct investment, and 85% of tourists to Vietnam. As the host of APEC 2027, this is also an opportunity for Vietnam to promote the implementation of the APEC Vision to 2040, which our country initiated and participated in developing with other members since 2017.
It can be affirmed that President Luong Cuong's participation in the 2024 APEC Leaders' Week and his official visits to the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Peru are important steps in implementing Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of diversification and multilateralization, being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community. These activities create new momentum to advance the Vietnam-Chile Comprehensive Partnership and the Vietnam - Peru multi-faceted cooperation into a new, more dynamic, substantive, and effective phase. This also affirms Vietnam's new stature, role, and increasingly higher status in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
Could you please share more about the significance of the theme "Empowerment. Inclusion.Growth" of APEC 2024 proposed by the host Peru?
In recent years, APEC has defined a vision for more balanced, sustainable, and inclusive economic development. At APEC 2024, the host Peru continues to emphasize inclusive growth, ensuring that all people have access to and benefit from APEC's cooperation programs.
In that spirit, the theme for APEC 2024 is "Empowerment. Inclusion. Growth."
“Empowerment” means enhancing capacity and creating opportunities for all segments of society to participate in socio-economic activities.
“Inclusion” means ensuring everyone can participate and benefit from the process of innovation, digital transformation, and economic growth.
And finally, all economic, trade, investment, and APEC cooperation activities aim towards “Growth” to keep APEC as the leading engine of growth in the region and the world.
Deputy Minister, could you discuss the role, participation, and contributions of Vietnam to the overall success of APEC in recent times and at the upcoming conference?
Over 25 years of participation in APEC (1998-2024), Vietnam has left a significant mark on APEC cooperation, consistently being recognized as a proactive, responsible, and effective member in realizing APEC's cooperation goals and vision, enhancing the forum's role. Notably:
Firstly, Vietnam has twice successfully assumed the role of APEC Host in 2006 and 2017. As host, Vietnam has affirmed its ability to manage and lead APEC cooperation, contributing to successful conferences, and promoting APEC and Asia-Pacific economic integration. Vietnam has also held many leadership positions within various APEC mechanisms, including the Secretariat, ASEAN Group, and various Committees/Working groups. Recently, Vietnam was once again trusted and supported by members to host APEC Year again in 2027.
Secondly, Vietnam has played a positive role in maintaining APEC cooperation amidst global economic integration challenges. By proposing and implementing nearly 190 initiatives and projects in crucial areas such as structural reform, human resource development, women's empowerment, rural and urban development, climate change response, food security, e-commerce, etc., Vietnam has contributed to enriching and diversifying APEC's cooperation content, adapting APEC to international developments and new development trends, affirming APEC's indispensable role in promoting growth and economic integration in the Asia-Pacific and globally.
Third, Vietnam has initiated and participated in shaping APEC's long-term vision, notably the APEC Vision to 2040. Vietnam actively participated in leading and coordinating the process of building the Report titled “People and Prosperity: APEC Vision to 2040.” This serves as the basis for APEC leaders to adopt the vision of an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all people and future generations.
Building on these proud efforts and as the host of APEC 2027, during the 2024 APEC Leaders' Week, Vietnam will continue to participate and contribute positively and responsibly to the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, related meetings, and the APEC CEO Summit, which will be attended by over 1,000 leading regional businesses.
The President will propose strategic and breakthrough initiatives to further enhance APEC's role and position in international economic cooperation and integration, addressing global challenges faced by the international community and the Asia-Pacific region. The President will also convey Vietnam's aspirations for growth in the new era, outlining major directions for development, foreign relations, and international integration, emphasizing that the Asia-Pacific region and APEC are top priorities, calling on APEC member economies and the regional business community to continue accompanying and supporting Vietnam in realizing its goal of becoming a high-income developed country by 2045.
Thank you, Deputy Minister!
Minh Anh
