NEW YORK – Vietnamese State President Lương Cường strongly affirmed Việt Nam’s trust in and unwavering support for multilateralism and the United Nations' central role in global governance during a high-level meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday, September 22.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the High-level General Debate of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, a pivotal annual gathering of world leaders at the UN Headquarters in New York.
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| State President Lương Cường meets with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, the US, on September 22 (local time). VNA/VNS Photo Lam Khanh |
Congratulating the Secretary-General on the UN’s 80th anniversary, President Cường voiced Việt Nam’s firm backing for UN reform initiatives. He stressed that member states should lead this process, engaging in thorough and transparent discussions to ensure a comprehensive overhaul that reflects the realities of the 21st century. In a significant gesture of support, President Cường stated that Việt Nam is ready to welcome the UN to establish its headquarters or representative offices in the country.
The President highlighted Việt Nam’s impressive socio-economic achievements and its significant strides in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He noted positive progress in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and called for greater support from the UN and international partners to help Việt Nam achieve its ambitious climate targets.
Building on this, President Cường appealed for the UN to enhance its technical assistance, support workforce training, and mobilize resources to help developing countries, including Việt Nam, access concessional climate finance and next-generation clean technologies, and strengthen their adaptive capacity.
UN Chief Hails Việt Nam as an "Excellent Partner" and a "Pillar of a Multipolar World"
For his part, Secretary-General Guterres acknowledged the multidimensional challenges facing both the UN and the world, expressing his hope that countries would enhance collaboration to deliver on their existing commitments. He also underlined the need for UN reforms to improve operational efficiency.
Conveying his warm regards to Việt Nam’s Party and State leaders, the UN chief voiced his special appreciation and support for the country, and said he was greatly looking forward to an official visit to Việt Nam in late October.
Expressing his deep admiration for Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements and its rising global standing, the Secretary-General hailed the country as an "excellent partner" making active and meaningful contributions across all UN priority areas. He specifically praised Việt Nam's role in peacekeeping operations, sustainable development, climate action, and the just energy transition.
Guterres described Việt Nam as an active and influential UN member and a "pillar of today’s multipolar world." He asserted that emerging economies, including Việt Nam, deserve a stronger voice, greater representation, and a more significant role in the global governance system.
Both leaders agreed to further deepen Việt Nam–UN and ASEAN–UN ties in the time ahead. They reaffirmed their commitment to upholding ASEAN’s central role in the regional security and development architecture. This includes the peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as making joint contributions to pressing global issues.
The meeting concluded with both sides underscoring the historic significance of the upcoming signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime, which is scheduled to be held in Hà Nội in late October.
