Ambassador Vu Dung, head of Vietnam's delegation to the UN and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva highlighted Venezuela’s achievements in maintaining its economic development, ensuring social security and implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The ambassador also spoke highly of Venezuela’s success in reducing poverty, ensuring food security and nutrition for children, as well as the country’s achievements in education, health, access to safe water sources and resolving inequality in society.

Ambassador Dung asked Venezuela to take further measures to consolidate a law-governed state, implement social justice, reduce poverty and ensure food security for all its people through support programmes and food distribution. He also said that priority should be given to protecting vulnerable groups in society, especially women, children, the elderly and the poor.

Earlier, representatives from the Vietnamese delegation noted Syria’s efforts to compile a periodical report and protect its economy, society and culture. Vietnam also acknowledged Syria’s participation in many international conventions on human rights as well as the Syrian government’s commitments to implement political reforms. However, Vietnamese delegates worried about the escalating violence in Syria, which has had a serious impact on people’s basic rights. They called on related parties in the country to end the conflict and come up with solutions through constructive dialogue and national reconciliation.

The Vietnamese delegates asked Syria to make political, social and economic reforms soon to ensure people’s basic rights as well as freedom and economic development in the country.