Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held a meeting with Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Executive Secretary of its Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in Hanoi on April 17.
Deputy PM Son told his guest that Vietnam supports multilateralism and the UN’ central role in promoting cooperation and addressing global challenges. He praised ESCAP’s role in advancing the UN’s major directions in the Asia-Pacific and fostering cooperation with regional organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Vietnam remains an active participant and contributor to collective efforts to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he affirmed. Sustainable development, innovation, and a people-centric approach are core principles of the country’s national development strategy, he said, noting its recent achievements as well as future goals in contributing to the 2030 Agenda.
Son called on the UN and ESCAP to continue supporting Vietnam in accelerating SDG progress in alignment with national priorities, through information sharing, international experience exchange, policy advice, and regional collaboration in areas such as science and technology, innovation, technical assistance, and responses to emerging global challenges, especially climate change, energy transition, and green growth.
For her part, the Under-Secretary-General, who is in Hanoi to attend the 4th Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit, lauded the country’s significant progress in diplomacy and socio-economic development, as well as its leading role on various major international platforms.
Alisjahbana expressed hope that Vietnam would continue to support the UN and ESCAP in promoting multilateralism, consensus, and solidarity to tackle shared regional and global challenges, and in addressing the priorities of Asia-Pacific nations.
Both sides agreed to continue championing multilateralism, international law, and the UN Charter, while fostering regional cooperation. They also pledged to deepen joint work in Vietnam’s priority areas including science-technology, innovation, digital transformation, sustainable development, climate change response, green and energy transitions, and digital transformation./.
