International community highly appreciates the economic prospect and increasing role and position of Vietnam in the international arena and advocates settling all disagreements and disputes in international relations through peaceful negotiation on the basis of international law.
After 75 years of building and defending the homeland, Vietnam, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, has transformed from being a poor country with low-level educational and technical facilities and poor socio-economic infrastructure, into a developing country with middle income status, constantly-developing social culture, improved material and spiritual life, stable politics and society, as well as increasingly enhancing the reputation and prestige of Vietnam in the international arena.
Over the past 75 years, Vietnam has broken the siege and embargo, expanded its foreign relations towards multilateralism and diversification. The country is proactively and actively integrating into the world, and acting as a trusted friend and partner, as well as a responsible member of the international community. Today, Vietnam has diplomatic relations with more than 185 countries around the world, has established a comprehensive strategic partnership with 3 countries, Strategic Partnership with 13 countries and Comprehensive Partnership with 13 countries. Vietnam participates in most international organizations and multilateral economic cooperation institutions; has an important role and voice in the region and the world. The country was twice elected as Non-Permanent Member of the Security Council of the United Nations, and during the 2020-2021 term achieved a record 192 out of 193 supportive votes. Vietnam has also hosted many significant international conferences such as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 2005), APEC Summit 2006 and 2017, 2019 North Korea–United States Summit…
For its impressive achievements in development and international integration over the past years, international organizations are highly appreciative of Vietnam’s economic prospects in the coming years. The World Bank (WB) assesses that Vietnam has a stable business environment and has achieved positive results in improving business environment in the past decades. Business Report 2020 of WB ranked Vietnam as 70/190 of world economy (increasing 20 grades than in 2010); Vietnamese Paying Taxes ranks 109/190 of countries and territories (up to 22 grades than in 2018); at the same time, the Vietnamese economy is assessed to make continual and positive progress in the coming years because: (i) Vietnam has improved the access of credit information via providing data to users from commercial banks and upgrading tax collection system; (ii) an improved business environment helps Vietnam attract more foreign investment (in 2019, foreign direct investment committing to invest in Vietnam has exceeded US$38 billion, the highest level in Vietnam for the 2009-2019 period, increased by 7.2%/year). The World Economic Forum has appreciated that Vietnam’s competitiveness is ranked 67/141 countries and territories (up to 10 grades than in 2018); Global Innovation Index (GII) of Vietnam ranked 42/129 of the countries and territories, ranking first among 26 middle income countries and 3rd position in ASEAN; internet information security ranking index in Vietnam ranked 50/175 of the countries and territories (increased 50 grades than in 2018). The Asian Development Bank (ADB), The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) confirmed in October 2019 that Vietnam has the highest economic growth rate in Southeast Asia with more than 6.8 percent. According to ADB, Vietnam’s strong economic development is due to the continual increase in domestic demand and sustained FDI inflows. Domestic consumption outlook continues to be bright, supported by low inflation.
As a responsible member of international community, Vietnam has made many positive contributions, contributing to the consolidation and maintenance of regional and international peace, security and stability (after 5 years of participating in United Nations peacekeeping 2014 – 2019, Vietnam has sent 40 officers to two missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, deployed two level-2 field hospitals), Vietnam always takes the lead in resolving disagreements and disputes in international relations through peaceful negotiation on the basis of international law.
Being a country located next to the South China Sea, Vietnam has 3,260 km of coastline from north to south and a vast sea area including thousands of large and small islands, including two archipelagos of Hoang Sa (Paracels) and Truong Sa (Spatlys). Vietnam is restructuring its marine economy with top priorities in developing marine and island tourism, renewable energy, biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry, maritime, exploitation of oil and gas and other minerals, fish farming and shipbuilding… to adapt to climate change and promote economic growth.
In dispute of sovereignty over the South China Sea with related parties, Vietnam respects and strictly enforces provisions of The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS); simultaneously, expressing its effort and consistent policies in cooperating and settling disputes and disagreements over the sea in a peaceful way in accordance with international law on the basis of mutual understanding and respect. Along with perseverance and determination to protect sovereignty of sea and islands, Vietnam affirms that the Convention is the only legal basis, comprehensively and thoroughly prescribing the scope of entitled right to the waters between Vietnam and other related countries. While waiting for a basic and long-term solution to the South China Sea issue, Vietnam believes that all concerned parties are required to seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). The concerned parties need to develop as soon as possible a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), consider it as an important factor to ensure security and stability in the region; make efforts to maintain peace and stability on the basis of maintaining the status quo, not complicating the situation, without taking action of force or threatening the use of force.
The South China Sea is located on the important traffic route connecting the Pacific – Indian Ocean, Europe – Middle East – Africa – Asia., and is the second most used sea lane in the world, with over 50 percent of world merchant fleet tonnage passing through it. The South China Sea is the vital lifeblood for the transport of oil and natural resources and trade from the Middle East to China, Korea, and Japan.
Ensuring peace, stability, security and freedom of maritime in the South China Sea is for the benefits of countries inside and outside the region. In recent years, many countries in the world, especially the US, the Philippines, Muslim countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and etc. have issued the Diplomatic Notes to the United Nations against unreasonable sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam welcomes and highly appreciates all efforts and contributions made by countries inside and outside the region in protecting the maritime security and safety as well as maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea.