Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem made the statement while speaking to the press about the participation of a high-level Vietnamese delegation led by State President Nguyen Minh Triet to the 64^th annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York from September 24-26.

Deputy PM Khiem said Vietnam, with a tradition of loving peace and working friends with others, always wants to actively, constructively and responsibly contribute to the promotion of peace, cooperation and development in the world.

He said the country’s wishes were manifested through its active cooperation with the international community, including the UN, as well as its achievements in various fields over the time.

The participation of the Vietnamese delegation in the UN General Assembly’s session was further proof of its policy, the Deputy PM said.

According to him, Vietnam, as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council, put forth an important proposal at the council’s summit that the council focus on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes altogether.

Especially, Vietnam’s initiative to convene an international conference on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes was acknowledged in the UNSC summit’s resolution.

“The initiative reflected the common concern of countries, particularly non-aligned and developing ones, about the use of nuclear energy and technologies for peaceful purposes in the context of the current energy crisis, so it received the applause from the UNSC’s member and non-member countries,” he said.

The Deputy PM also spoke of other contributions Vietnam has made to the 64^th UN General Assembly session, mentioning President Triet’s speech delivered at the UN General Assembly’s general debate in front of representatives from 192 UN member countries, including over 120 heads of State and Government.

In his speech, President Triet presented Vietnam’s opinion on present global challenges and ways to deal with these challenges by stepping up multilateral cooperation with its centre being a comprehensively reformed UN organisation that is able to cope with the new situation effectively.

The President also laid stress on Vietnam’s serious and effective implementation of international commitments and its sharing of development experiences.

Deputy PM Khiem said Vietnam is considered by the UN and other countries as a typical example.

Over 20 years of renovation, he said Vietnam has recorded important achievements in economic development, justice, equality, social welfare, and environmental protection which are appreciated by the international community.

“These achievements together with initial successes in tackling the economic crises will help [Vietnam] to obtain and surpass millennium development goals by 2015,” the Deputy PM said.

In addition, the implementation of the “One UN” model in Vietnam has contributed to the reform process of the UN system, Khiem added.

During the visit, the President and his delegation met with leaders of the UN, international organisations and member countries, thus deepening the bilateral and multilateral cooperation in dealing with the common issues.

The President’s visit was a success, helping to raise Vietnam’s image on the international arena, Deputy PM said in conclusion.