President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc. — VNA photo

HÀ NỘI — Joining hands with the international community today is a new Việt Nam that is confident and willing to shoulder international responsibilities for peace and sustainable development, President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said in a message on the occasion of the country’s successful completion of its tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2020-2021.

In the message, the President recalled that at this time two years ago, entrusted by the international community with 192 approval votes out of 193 votes, the nameplate “Vietnam” was placed in the meeting room of the UNSC, an agency of top importance to the maintenance of global peace and security.

"It was a great pride but also a challenge to Việt Nam amid the complicated developments in the region and the world and serious impacts of COVID-19 pandemic," President Phúc said.

He said that bringing into play the country's new position and strength and with great efforts of its own and support of the UN member states, Việt Nam actively and proactively engaged in the work of the UNSC, proposed many initiatives and made substantive contributions to the UNSC’s work. The country followed the motto of “partnership for sustainable peace” in seeking solutions to prevent and settle conflicts, connecting the UNSC with ASEAN, responding to challenges to global peace and security based on compliance with the UN Charter and international law, he said.

The President affirmed that while participating in the UNSC, Việt Nam clearly demonstrated its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralisation and diversification of relations, and comprehensive and in-depth global integration. From a poor country receiving aid, Việt Nam had risen up to become an active partner proactively making contribution and joining hands with the UN to settle many global issues related to peace, security and development in the world. Việt Nam acted as a peace-loving, modest and humane country which respects justice throughout its glorious history of national construction and defence, thus establishing its own diplomatic characteristics of the Hồ Chí Minh era, Phúc said.

Việt Nam also showed itself as a dynamic and innovative country with a strong message about vision and aspiration for a powerful country by 2045 as envisioned  at the 13th National Party Congress.

According to the President, Việt Nam’s efforts at the UNSC and the overall success of external work have contributed to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment conducive to the country's development and integration, improving its position and deepening ties with countries and important partners.

He remarked that Việt Nam fulfilled its tenure at the UNSC with positive repercussions, in tune with the international community’s common aspiration for a world of sustainable peace without wars, conflicts, poverty and inequality. Such repercussions strengthened confidence and created a new driving force for the country to step up and improve multilateral external relations in service of national development, President Phúc concluded. — VNA/VNS

Full text of the message