Welcome ceremony for Vietnamese Engineering Unit No.2 returning from UNISFA Mission. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — In the face of mounting challenges to multilateralism and the United Nations (UN), Việt Nam is expected to remain a proactive partner in advancing multilateral cooperation with the UN, playing a central role and serving as a model of effective collaboration.

In an interview granted to the press ahead of State President Lương Cường’s working trip to attend the High-level General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) and engage in bilateral activities in the US from September 21–24, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đặng Hoàng Giang underlined the special significance of the visit, which carries both bilateral and multilateral objectives.

On the multilateral front, the visit will continue the consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations, and proactive and active international integration, as set forth by the 13th National Party Congress and other major Party and State policies.

Through the visit, Việt Nam seeks to convey a message reaffirming its role as a responsible UN member, actively engaging and making substantive contributions to the organisation’s key priorities and activities, particularly at a time when the UN requires the support and companionship of proactive and constructive countries such as Việt Nam. 

During the visit, President Cường is scheduled to meet with leaders of various countries and partners to deepen relations in a more practical and effective manner, while mobilising cooperation and support from the UN and key partners for Việt Nam’s current priorities. These include assuming international responsibilities such as hosting the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hà Nội on October 25, preparing to chair the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 2026, and running for several important UN positions.

The State President will attend the High-level Meeting marking the UN’s 80th anniversary, deliver keynote addresses at the High-level General Debate of the 80th UN General Assembly, and take part in a global high-level event on climate action.

On the bilateral front, the visit takes place as Việt Nam and the US celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, an opportunity for both countries to look back on their three-decade journey from past adversaries to friends, partners, comprehensive partners, and now comprehensive strategic partners, while mapping out a roadmap for the sustainable, effective, and substantive implementation of this new partnership framework.

Both sides are expected to continue to uphold the fundamental principles of their relationship, including respect for the UN Charter, international law, and each other’s political institutions, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. They will work to further strengthen political trust and strategic confidence, promote mutually beneficial cooperation that brings tangible benefits to both peoples, and contribute to peace, stability, prosperity, and sustainable development in the region and the wider world, without undermining the legitimate interests of other stakeholders.

Accordingly, President Cường will hold meetings with US leaders, engage with businesses, financial institutions, long-standing partners, and leading scholars, and chair a ceremony celebrating Việt Nam’s 80th National Day in New York. These activities aim to reaffirm Việt Nam’s commitment to further advancing relations with the US, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, investment, and science-technology; to push for the implementation of agreements and commitments reached by senior leaders of both countries; to rally broad-based support for Việt Nam and Việt Nam–US ties; and to demonstrate the Party and State’s attention to the Vietnamese community in the US.

According to Deputy Minister Giang, nearly five decades of cooperation have made Việt Nam–UN ties a strong and enduring partnership. The UN has always accompanied and provided Việt Nam with valuable support, from the post-war reconstruction period, through the lifting of embargoes, to the country’s deeper international integration. In turn, Việt Nam has increasingly taken the initiative and made substantive, wide-ranging contributions, through ideas, concrete actions, personnel, and resources, to the UN’s major activities and priorities.

Việt Nam has spearheaded timely initiatives that resonated with international concerns and were welcomed by the UN and the global community, including the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, UN Security Council resolutions on protecting essential infrastructure, addressing the consequences of post-war landmines, and highlighting the role of regional organisations such as ASEAN.

The country has also achieved notable successes in fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals and is actively implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the same time, it has been a frontrunner in UN reform through the effective implementation of the “Delivering as One” initiative, and is currently among the countries participating in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a key UN priority for addressing climate change.

In recent years, Việt Nam has held several important positions in major UN bodies on peace, security, law, human rights, and culture, including Vice President of the 77th UN General Assembly (2022–2023), member of the UN Human Rights Council (2023–2025), member of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (2021–2023), and a current member of all six key bodies of UNESCO.

Over more than a decade of participating in UN peacekeeping operations, Việt Nam has deployed nearly 1,500 officers and soldiers to missions in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Abyei, with women accounting for sixteen per cent, surpassing the UN target.

As for Việt Nam–US relations, after 30 years of diplomatic ties and two years of implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two countries have made remarkable strides, making their relationship a model of reconciliation and forward-looking cooperation in international relations. Thanks to persistent efforts from both governments and peoples, the relationship has grown continuously and delivered impressive results across all fields.

Politically, bilateral ties have been bolstered through frequent high-level visits and exchanges. The US has increasingly valued Việt Nam’s role and reaffirmed its support for a “strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous” Việt Nam.

Economically, both sides are working to further expand trade and investment in a sustainable manner while addressing issues such as reciprocal taxation. The US is Việt Nam’s largest export market, with bilateral trade surpassing 100 billion USD. Investment and technological cooperation are also being enhanced, particularly in future-oriented areas such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Việt Nam highly values US support in policy development, high-quality human resource training, and essential digital infrastructure to enable deeper participation in global semiconductor supply chains.

Defence and security cooperation has progressed steadily, especially in war legacy remediation, with priority given to dioxin clean-up projects and support for people with disabilities.

On the international stage, the two countries closely coordinate at regional and global forums, particularly within ASEAN mechanisms and the UN Security Council, in addressing global challenges. Việt Nam welcomes US engagement and concrete initiatives in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, and appreciates Washington’s continued support for ASEAN centrality and Việt Nam’s role in regional and international forums and in tackling shared challenges. Both sides will also maintain candid and constructive exchanges on differences.

President Cường’s trip is expected to leave a positive mark, affirming Việt Nam’s role, position, and substantive contributions to addressing global issues, while further strengthening Việt Nam’s relations with the US and other countries, and contributing to peace and development in the region and the world, Deputy Minister Giang noted. — VNA/VNS