Promoting international integration key as Vietnam enters new era of national development

According to the Le Dinh, counselor and deputy head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam in Geneva, all developed and developing countries prior to Vietnam have made full use of multilateral forums and structures to raise their status and position.

From a Vietnamese perspective, the more proactively the nation integrates then the more advantages it will have at multilateral forums and structures. Experience in innovation, development, and integration over the past decades is seen as a valuable asset for the country to proactively engage in international integration in the new era.

“On the multilateral front, Vietnam still has ample room to exploit and take advantage of. This is especially true in the economic and trade fields, as the deeper we integrate, the more commitments with high quality we have.

And when our economy must comply with commitments with high standards, we also have the right to demand that our partners have commitments with similar standards. This is a manifestation of the principle of reciprocity in international trade. Therefore, in order for the country to be able to rise, we must change our mindset, from being passive to being proactive, from receiving aid, technical and financial support and following the rules of the game, to sharing, contributing experience, providing technical support, and creating the rules of the game," he said.

Meanwhile, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Switzerland and former Vice Chancellor of Germany Philipp Rosler said that the nation needs to focus on spurring forward economic development towards the set goals of striving for GDP growth. "The best way I see for Vietnam to enter the new era is to enhance investment and trade, as well as strengthen international cooperation. I think this is exactly what the Vietnamese leadership is doing, and is highly appreciated by the international community. All attention is concentrated on Vietnam, especially in 2025, when the country will celebrate the 50th anniversary of national reunification.”

Many countries will have made assessments of what Vietnam has done in the past and its achievements in the process of national development up today.

Rosler emphasized that multilateral co-operation is a way for Vietnam to capture the attention of the international community and to attract foreign financiers, considering this as one of the effective ways for the nation to strengthen its position in the international arena.

Sharing this view, former Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Ivo Sieber also believes that international co-operation and promoting multilateralism are what the country needs to focus on for the "era of the nation’s rise.

According to him, economic and trade co-operation agreements are needed moving forward. He said, "I see that bilateral free trade agreements are being paid attention to. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is negotiating with many countries around the world, and most recently reached an agreement with Thailand. Vietnam is a large economy in Southeast Asia that does not have a trade agreement with EFTA. So I think we have good momentum to be able to move towards an agreement. Hopefully this will be beneficial to all parties, as well as businesses."