Vietnamese President Lương Cường hosted the official welcome ceremony for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — President Lương Cường on Friday afternoon hosted an official welcome ceremony for United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Việt Nam to attend the Signing Ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime from Friday to Saturday.

Following the ceremony, the two sides held bilateral talks.

The visit by Secretary-General Guterres coincides with the 80th founding anniversary of the UN (October 24, 1945 – October 24, 2025) and Việt Nam’s 80th National Day (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2025).

Over the past eight decades, the UN has affirmed its irreplaceable role as the most important multilateral mechanism in global governance. The organisation has made tireless efforts to maintain peace, prevent conflicts and wars, and uphold the core principles of international relations enshrined in the UN Charter. Hundreds of multilateral treaties across diverse areas have been signed under the UN’s auspices, forming a common framework for preserving global peace and security and promoting socio-economic development.

Nearly 50 years since becoming an official UN member, the Việt Nam – UN relations have grown increasingly substantive and comprehensive. The UN has accompanied Việt Nam from its post-war reconstruction and recovery period to its gradual integration into the world. Việt Nam has made strong and practical contributions as an active and responsible member across all key pillars of the UN’s work – peacekeeping, security, and development cooperation.

President Lương Cường and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. — VNA/VNS Photo

Notably, Việt Nam has twice been elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, for the 2008–09 and 2020–21 terms, during which it put forward numerous initiatives and solutions to global issues. It is currently holding several important international positions and continues to seek membership in major multilateral mechanisms and organisations.

The country has also actively participated in UN peacekeeping operations, deploying nearly 1,100 officers and soldiers from 2014 to 2024 to missions in remote regions. Through their dedication and close engagement with local communities, Vietnamese peacekeepers have become true “messengers of peace”, helping enhance the country’s image and standing in the international arena.

The visit takes place amidst a rapidly changing and unpredictable global landscape, with intertwined challenges such as climate change, disasters, energy and food insecurity, and pandemics, all demanding stronger international coordination and collective action.

The Secretary-General’s visit underscores the UN’s appreciation of Việt Nam’s growing and substantive engagement in the organisation’s activities, while reaffirming the UN’s vital place in Việt Nam’s foreign policy and the country’s consistent support for multilateralism and international cooperation. — VNA/VNS

A welcome ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. — VNA/VNS Photo

UN chief Antonio Guterres introduced the UN delegation. — VNA/VNS Photo