President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) meets the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) (Photo:VNA)

President Phuc made the statement while meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Abdulla Shahi on the sidelines of the ongoing 76th UNGA in New York on Tuesday.

Mr. Phuc said Vietnam values and supports the United Nations’ central role in the global governance system to respond to present-day common challenges.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) meets the UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Abdulla Shahi (R) (Photo: VNA)

He stated that Vietnam is currently making every effort in order to contain the complicated COVID-19 outbreak, with top priority given to the health of local people. He suggested that the UN provide additional assistance to help the country complete its ongoing extensive vaccination campaign.

Both sides emphasized the need to continue strengthening multilateralism, with the UN playing a central role, and to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

They agreed to increase co-operation between the UN and ASEAN, promote ASEAN’s central role in solving regional issues, and support the efforts of ASEAN and its partners in maintaining peace, stability in the region, and upholding respect for international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Both UN Secretary General Guterres and UN General Assembly President Shahi spoke highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements, along with its increasing role and position both regionally and internationally.

They highly appreciated the country’s active, responsible, and effective contributions to the common work of the UN, especially as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The country is also actively participating in UN peacekeeping force, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and meeting climate goals.

Sharing difficulties faced by the country in combating COVID-19, UN Secretary-General Guterres assured President Phuc that the UN would assist Vietnam in pandemic response and post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development.

The Secretary-General also expressed hope that Vietnam will continue to contribute to climate change response efforts, especially raising the level of its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions before the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) due to take place in Glasgow, the UK, this November.