Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung Meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam will exert every effort to intensify result-oriented cooperation with the United Nations, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at a meeting with visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Hanoi on May 22.

The Vietnamese leader appreciated the UN’s support and cooperation with his country, especially in realising the Millennium Development Goals and the “Delivering as One” and the “One UN House” initiatives.

Vietnam hopes for further assistance and policy consultation from the UN in order to improve its capacity of building quality and feasible programmes and development goals, including the action programme and the strategy for coping with climate change, as Vietnam is forecast to be among countries most vulnerable.

The Southeast Asian country is willing to work with the UN and the international community in implementing commitments and action programmes towards sustainable development, including the post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, for regional and global peace and prosperity, the PM said.

He added Vietnam will send a high-ranking delegation to the UN’s Conference on Financing for Development slated for July.

At the meeting, the UN chief, who is visiting Vietnam for the second time, spoke highly of Vietnam’s commitments and contributions to the UN system as well as peacekeeping which have helped raised the country’s standing in the region and the world at large.

The UN is working hard to call on the whole world to join hands for the goals in the fields of economics, social affairs and environmental protection by 2030, he said, adding that vital cornerstones will be created if the post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda is approved by world leaders in September and an agreement of parties to the 21 st UN Climate Change Conference later this year is reached.

Ban Ki-moon said he hopes Vietnam will strongly engage in this process.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the UN leader said the UN is closely following developments in the waters which are crucial and serious.

As the UN Secretary General, he has continually recommended concerned parties refrain from actions that could elevate tensions, Ban Ki-moon said, calling for the sides to respect and adhere to international law and shortly issue a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

The UN and he himself is willing to attend multilateral discussions on this issue provided that concerned parties agree, the Secretary General added.

Ban Ki-moon shared the deep concern by Vietnam, ASEAN, and the G7 countries over the continued reclamation and large-scale building activities that change the status quo of many islands, outcrops, and submerged rocks, which has violated international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), undermining the trust among nations, and seriously threatening peace, stability, security, and maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea and the entire region.

He supported Vietnam’s stance on asking relevant sides to ensure the full and effective implementation of the DOC so as to build and enhance mutual trust; exercise self-restrain; not intimidate or use force; solve differences and disputes peacefully in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS; conduct substantive negotiations to early reach an effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea; and immediately stop unilateral actions or use of strength to alter the status quo in the East Sea.

At the meeting, PM Nguyen Tan Dung and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed Vietnam’s candidacy as a member of UN agencies in the coming time.

They also exchange opinions on the country’s efforts in building a state ruled by law and a judicial system that ensure effective national governance, citizen rights, human rights, equal rights of ethnic minority groups, and the right to religious and faith freedom.

Both sides also touched upon Vietnam’s corruption prevention and control and a roadmap to reduce crimes subject to the death penalty.

Source: vietnam+