President Vo Van Thuong attends a policy discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in San Francisco. (Photo: VNA) San Francisco, (VNA) – President Vo Van Thuong attended a policy discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in SanFrancisco, the US, on November 15 morning (US time), as part of his trip toattend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and bilateral activities in the US.
President Thuong briefed attendants at thediscussion on Vietnam’s situation, highlighting the country’s greatachievements after nearly 40 years carrying out the Doi Moi (renewal) cause.Vietnam has become the 11th biggest economy in Asia and one of the40 biggest economies in the world. The country is also among the top threedestinations of foreign investment in ASEAN for the past decade. Having joined 16free trade agreements, Vietnam is one of the 30 countries and territories with biggestforeign trade.
At the same time, the household poverty ratebased on UN standards has dropped from over 50% in 1986 to 4.3% at present. Thepolitical situation in the country has stayed stable, national defence-securityhas been strengthened. The country has promoted institutional reform and developedinfrastructure and human resources. Judicial reform, law enforcement and corruptionprevention and control have been intensified, bringing about important results.People have been placed at the centre of the Doi Moi process, being both thesubject and the target of development.
To realise the aspiration tobecome a developed high-income country by the middle of this century, Vietnamis focusing efforts on rapid and sustainable development on the foundation ofscience-technology and innovation along with developing culture and protectingthe environment, building and completing a rule-of-law State of the people, bythe people and for the people and actively pushing international integration. PresidentThuong stressed that throughout the process, people with their human rights andcitizen rights are the centre of all policies and future plans.
President Vo Van Thuong speaks at the CFR. (Photo: VNA) He went on to affirm thatVietnam has defined and consistently pursue a foreign policy of independence,self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and diversificationand multilateralisation of relations. The country actively andproactively promotes comprehensive and extensive international integration, andstrives to be a friend, a reliable partner and an active and responsible memberin the international community.
Vietnam follows a “four no-s” defence policy, that is no partaking in military alliance, no siding with one country toact against another, no foreign military bases in the Vietnamese territory orusing Vietnam as leverage to counteract other countries, and no using force orthreatening to use force in international relations, the President stressed.
He said Vietnam backs thestrengthening and enhancement the effectiveness of bilateral and multilateralcooperative mechanisms and international coordination to ease tension andprevent and end conflicts, to address issues related to economic, cultural,social, scientific-technological development, and to respond tonon-conventional security challenges.
Vietnam is ready tocontribute to the international community’s joint efforts in climate changeresponse and environmental protection, and to participate in UN peacekeeping andinternational relief activities.
Regarding the Vietnam-USrelationship, Thuong said the relations are now at its best ever, with the twocountries from former enemies becoming comprehensive strategic partners. Thisis truly a model in international relations.
“Vietnam’s motto is to shelfthe past, overcome differences, optimise similarities and look toward the future,”the President said, adding that mutual understanding, mutual trust, respect foreach other’s legitimate interests and no interference into each other’sinternal affairs always bear great importance. Vietnam considers the US apartner with strategic importance in its external relations, he affirmed.
In reply to a question aboutthe US-Vietnam agreement to promote cooperation in semiconductor production,President Thuong said Vietnam wants the Vietnam-US Joint Leaders’ Statement onelevating the Vietnam-US ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership to befully implemented, including cooperation in semiconductor, chip andhigh-technology. However, for the cooperation to be effectively realized, theUS should recognise Vietnam’s market economy status and remove Vietnam from thelist of countries subject to limited cooperation in chips and semiconductor, hesaid, adding that Vietnam also hopes for the US’s help in training manpower inthis field.
Asked about the role ofVietnamese Americans in promoting bilateral cooperation, President Thuongunderlined that Vietnam’s policy always considers overseas Vietnamese,including those in the US, an integral part of the Vietnamese nation. He said theoverseas Vietnamese have contributed to the great achievements of the countryin the past 40 years. Vietnam always welcomes OVs in the US to return toVietnam regularly to witness the great changes in the home country and have abetter understanding of the national development cause, he said.
Asked about the developmentof the Vinfast automobile brand, Thuong said Vietnam is a latecomer, and therate of domestically-made cars sold in the country remains low. But the countryadvocates green and clean technology in automobile production, so Vinfast’selectric vehicles represent an effort of Vietnamese enterprises in thisdirection, towards the goal of zero emission by 2050.
Regarding difficulties thatVietnam is facing in responding to climate change, the President said as one ofthe countries most vulnerable to climate change, Vietnam has rolled out manymeasures to address the issue. However, the country needs support in bothpolitical resolve and specific actions from the international community. He expressed the wish that the US government willcontinue to support Vietnam in this important field.
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membershiporganisation, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members,government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students,civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to helpthem better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing theUnited States and other countries./.
