At the reception, PM Dung said he was pleased at the level of effective and practical cooperation between Vietnam and the UN through the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in which UNDP President Coordinator John Hendra has played an important role.

He stressed that Vietnam is always aware of the seriousness of global climate change and considers it a real threat to the country’s sustainable development in the future.

The Prime Minister thanked the UNDP and international donors for their joint efforts with Vietnamese agencies to launch a national programme on the impact of climate change on Vietnam’s environment. He also hoped that the country will continue to receive support from the UNDP to cope with the threat.

For her part, the UN Deputy Secretary-General confirmed that the UN was committed to working closely with Vietnam in dealing with economic and food crises and on climate change.

She appreciated the Vietnamese government’s commitment to reforming the UN, especially the successful implementation of the “one-UN” initiative in Vietnam.

Looking at Vietnam’s initiatives to prevent climate change, Migiro expressed her hope that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will attend the UN Conference on Climate Change scheduled for this September.

Later the same day, the UN Deputy Secretary-General was received by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, who confirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to its relationship with the UN and hopes to receive more assistance from the global body in the future.

While emphasizing the UN’s role in addressing international security issues and global challenges, Deputy PM Khiem said that Vietnam is ready to join efforts with the international community to combat climate change. This determination is expected to be reflected at the ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting in Hanoi later this month, where climate change will be high on the agenda.

Vietnam will also make more practical and responsible contributions to the UN’s work, especially at the UN Security Council, he added.