Vietnam reiterates commitments to SDGs in Thailand

Bangkok (VNA) – Assistant to the Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung has affirmed Vietnam’s commitments to actualising sustainable development goals (SDGs) at the 72nd session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ensuring a peaceful environment and security on the basis of respecting international law is a prerequisite condition to successfully meet SDGs, the official said at the May 17-19 event.

He used the occasion to brief the session on the serious impacts of El Nino and saltwater intrusion on Vietnam ’s south central, Central Highlands and Mekong Delta regions, and called for international emergency relief for affected residents.

A report presented at the session revealed that Vietnam’s economy has made big strides and is expected to grow by 6.9 percent in 2016, higher than last year’s 6.7 percent.

Vietnam’s engagement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement will afford more opportunities for the country to lure foreign investments and prop up its economy, the report said.

Vietnam’s attendance at the event is part of the country’s efforts to effectuate its proactive and active international integration policy and learn from foreign countries’ experience in sustainable and comprehensive socio-economic development.

Delegates at the event agreed to step up regional cooperation in order to fully implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda , the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris agreement on climate change.

They approved 12 resolutions in a bid to enhance regional collaboration in economy, trade, social affairs, transport and climate change, and promote scientific-technological applications.-VNA