Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc had a phone conversation with United Nations (UN) General Assembly Antonio Guterres on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc congratulated Antonio Guterres on his reappointment by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly as UN Secretary-General in the 2022-26 tenure, and proposed a number of measures to further foster the Việt Nam-UN partnership during their phone talks on Saturday.

Both leaders affirmed they treasured and were delighted at the fruitful development of the relationship between Việt Nam and the UN over the past years.

President Phúc highly appreciated contributions that Guterres made in the last term, and showed his support for priorities and directions of the UN Secretary-General in the next five years.

As a responsible member of the UN, Việt Nam had made positive contributions to the common affairs of the UN by performing the role of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and engaging in UN peacekeeping operations, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and running for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council in the 2023-25 tenure, said the Vietnamese leader.

Highlighting Việt Nam’s efforts in implementing the “dual target” of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and boosting socio-economic development, President Phúc thanked the UN for supporting Việt Nam over the recent time and proposed that UN organisations continue to assist Việt Nam, especially in accessing vaccine supplies and post-pandemic recovery consultancy.

For his part, Guterres lauded Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements, especially its success in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Having recognised positive and responsible contributions that Việt Nam had made to the UN and in global issues, especially in the UN Security Council's operations, the implementation of the SDGs, climate change response and COVID-19 control, the UN leader said that Việt Nam was an important factor that had contributed to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

Guterres highly appreciated Việt Nam’s efforts in treating a UN staff member who had contracted COVID-19, which, he said, showed the international solidarity to overcome the pandemic.

Regarding regional and international issues, both leaders underlined the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, and security, safety and freedom of navigation in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), affirming the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in dealing with regional issues.

Earlier, President Phúc also sent a letter of congratulations to the re-appointed UN Secretary-General, in which he expressed his belief that with his commitments, experience and prestige, the UN leader would continue to make contributions to enhancing the UN's role in the common efforts to tackle global challenges. — VNS