PM Phuc meets leaders of South Pacific nations on GEF-6 sidelines

Meeting with President of Nauru Baron Waqa, the Vietnamese government leader congratulated Nauru on assuming the GEF Presidency from Micronesia as well as the position as President of the group of Pacific island countries as of September 2018.

He suggested Nauru intensify delegation exchanges in potential fields such as aquaculture, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, and mining, saying that Vietnam welcomes delegations from Nauru visiting Vietnam to share experience in rice cultivation, developing industrial trees, aquatic farming, and telecommunications.

The PM thanked Nauru for supporting Vietnam’s bid to run for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2020-2021 tenure.

Emphasizing the East Sea issue as the common interest of all regional countries, PM Phuc stated that the international community, including ASEAN and Vietnam, showed stance on settling disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) as well as the maintenance of peace, stability and maritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea.

He asked Nauru to raise its voice to back ASEAN and Vietnam’s effort and stance in the field.

President Baron Waqa, in turn, highlighted Vietnam as an emerging economy with huge potential for further development and expressed his hope that Vietnam will play an active role in the Asia-Pacific region in future.

He underscored the increasing role of Asia-Pacific in dealing with global climate change and greenhouse effect.

Concerning fisheries, he showed his wish for Vietnam’s support for his nation in preventing illegal fishing as it is related to livelihoods of island countries like Nauru and marine environment protection.

Nauru also desired to cooperate with Vietnam in fighting human trafficking and cross-border crimes, he added.

At a meeting with President of Marshall Hilda Heine, PM Phuc affirmed Vietnam’s high regard for friendship and cooperation with Marshal, suggesting that leaders of both sides avail themselves of multilateral forums to increase mutual trust and deepen understanding.

He urged both sides to consider signing a number of framework cooperation agreements to create a legal framework for bilateral cooperation and share information and boost coordination in regional issues of shared concern.

Hilda Heine told her host said that she hopes Vietnam will share experience in areas of its strength such as agriculture and rural development, fishing and aquatic farming, and developing and processing products from industrial crops, while enhancing collaboration in dealing with regional challenges, including climate change and natural disaster mitigation.

She pledged to continue working hand in hand with Vietnam at multilateral and regional forums, including the UN.

PM Phuc congratulated Guyana on the recent achievements in national construction and development while meeting with Guyana’s President David Granger.

Vietnam pays heed to promoting friendship and cooperation with Guyana, he said, proposing that the two sides strengthen delegation exchange and step up collaboration in areas of both sides’ strengths, thus increasing mutual trust and understanding.

The Guyana President asked two sides to bolster cooperation in information technology and infrastructure system while urging businesses to study each other’s market toward elevating two-way trade and investment to higher levels.

President Granger also extolled Vietnam’s tremendous achievements in economic development and poverty reduction as well as regional and international integration and hoped that Vietnam will further expand cooperation with South Pacific and South American regions.

On the occasion, PM Phuc thanked Guyana’s President Granger for supporting Vietnam’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 tenure and asked Guyana to recognize Vietnam’s market economy soon.