(Source: unctad.org) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has actively supported developing countries in the fields of its strength through the South-South Cooperation Mechanism and tripartite collaboration, stated Assistant to the Foreign Minister Vu Quang Minh.
Addressing the first session of the 14th UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Nairobi, Kenya on July 18, Minh said Vietnam hopes developed nations and the international community will continue facilitating and encouraging the country to implement the international duty.
In his speech, he briefed participants on efforts made by the Vietnamese Government in fostering reform and international integration, removing trade barriers, improving the national administrative capacity and investment climate to attract investment while promoting international trade links.
These efforts along with assistance from the international community contributed to Vietnam’s economic growth, poverty reduction, making it a middle - income nation , with a focus on protecting the environment and ensuring social equality, Minh said.
However, he mentioned difficulties and challenges facing Vietnam, including reverse impacts caused by climate change such as drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong River Delta and the central region, tackles in protecting the environment and avoiding middle income trap amidst falling international resources.
Vietnam calls on the international community to maintain assistance for low middle-income countries and transition economies, Minh voiced.
On the sidelines of the session, the Vietnamese official met with Kenya’s Foreign Minister Amina C. Mohamed.
The same day, Minh had a working session with Christopher Chika, Director of the Asia and Australasia Directorate under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Trade of Kenya, during which they discussed measures to promote bilateral relations between Vietnam and Kenya, stressing the need to accelerate the signing of cooperation agreements between the two nations’ foreign ministries.
Working with the Vietnamese official in the same day, Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC) Arancha Gonzalez praised the Vietnamese Governments’ efforts in speeding up international integration and supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), saying that the agency will consider programmes to assist Vietnam’s SMEs in accessing international markets and foreign businesses, including foreign SMEs.
ITC will also support Vietnam in promoting South-South Cooperation through the tripartite form Vietnam-ITC-Africa on the basis of models that ITC successfully implemented with China and India, she stated.
She invited Vietnam to send young experts to work at ITC for between one and three years, as well as attend the World Export Development Forum from October 12-13 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In the framework of event, the Vietnamese delegation also participated in the G77 Foreign Ministers ' Meeting with China and a series of forums, including the Global Commodities Forum, the World Investment Forum, and the World Service Forum.
Established in 1964, the intergovernmental forum UNCTAD groups 194 members. It works to support and promote economic development in general and trade in particular in all its member nations, towards ensuring harmonious development in trade, transport, aid, and technical finance./.
