At talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Hanoi on October 29^th, Party leader Nong Duc Manh spoke highly of the UN’s efforts and contributions and the role played by the UN General Secretary in ensuring peace, international security, human rights, and promoting cooperation and development.

Mr Manh said with its policy of being a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam will spare no effort to take part in the UN’s activities and cooperation mechanisms towards a common goal of peace, cooperation and development.

For his part, Mr Ban praised Vietnam’s significant achievements in poverty reduction, human resource development, education, and social welfare and affirmed that the UN would support Vietnam in reducing poverty, coping with climate change, preventing HIV/AIDS, developing energy and using natural resources sustainably.

The UN will work more closely with Vietnam in implementing the “One UN” Initiative and create the best possible conditions for the country to engage in the UN’s activities more effectively, Mr. Ban stressed.

At a reception for Mr. Ban the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minster Pham Gia Khiem briefed the UN Chief on Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements after 20 years of implementing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process and praised the UN’s initiatives and contributions to ensuring peace, international security, human rights, promoting cooperation and development, and settling conflicts.

Mr Khiem shared his view on the need to reform the UN on a transparent and public basis to make UN activities more effective and better meet interests and aspirations of UN member countries, particularly developing countries.

As ASEAN Chair in 2010, Vietnam strongly supports initiatives and efforts to increase the ASEAN-UN cooperation, accelerate the process of regional connectivity and the formation of an ASEAN community by 2015, Mr. Khiem said.

Mr Ban congratulated Vietnam on successfully assuming its ASEAN Chair and its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 term while appreciating its efforts and effective contributions to UN forums, fulfilling many targets in the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule and carrying out the “One UN” Initiative.

Regarding the East Sea, the UN Chief underlined the need for the parties concerned to resolve sovereignty issues through peaceful dialogues.

The two sides agreed upon measures to build a Vietnam-UN cooperation plan for 2012-2016 and expressed their hope that the third ASEAN-UN Summit in Hanoi would help further strengthen the multifaceted cooperation between ASEAN and the UN in maintaining peace, regional and international security, bridging the gap of development, and controlling natural disasters.