As Myanmar undergoes comprehensive reform, and moves towards a modern state that is peaceful, democratic, prosperous and open, Viet Nam firmly supports Myanmar's path of development most appropriate to its national conditions: Ambassador of Viet Nam
The following is an exclusive interview with H.E. Mr Ly Quoc Tuan, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Q: Excellency, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, could you please share with us Viet Nam's significant achievements over the course of 75 years of development?
75 years ago, on the 2nd of September 1945, Viet Nam's beloved first President, the great Ho Chi Minh, proclaimed independence for the fledgling Democratic Republic in Ha Noi's Ba Dinh square. Following myriad hardships, and innumerable sacrifices to safeguard national independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty and self-determination, today, the most cherished goals of the Declaration: [inalienable rights]... including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have been achieved. Maintaining the preconditions conducive to continued realization of these goals today remain the chief priorities of our Government.
The people of Viet Nam today are triumphant. Triumphant not only in war, but also in nation building and development. We have defended our sovereignty, vanquished "enemies of the people" - hunger, illiteracy, and financial distress, and embarked on a path of international integration and sustainable development.
Since 1986, with the advent of the "Open Door" policy, Viet Nam's economy has taken off. GDP has grown nearly 20 folds, to $261 billion USD in 2019; GDP per capita has grown a dozen folds, to roughly 2,700 USD. This has translated into growth and successes in other social areas as well, such as in population growth, growing roughly 50% to around 97 million people, or in literacy - 95% (internationally recognized) in 2019. Viet Nam is among the few countries that had achieved the United Nations Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule, and is on solid footing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Development Agenda. For three quarters of a century, Viet Nam has remained steadfast in its pursuit of human-centric goals, endeavoring towards the goals of "a prosperous people, a strong nation, democracy, equality, and modernity". The mantra of the current government is "no one left behind".
Today, Viet Nam enjoys high economic growth, and continually improving living standards. The basis for this has been socio-political stability, undergirded by national security, defense as well as enhanced regulatory frameworks and respect for the rule of law. Over the past 30 years, Viet Nam has pursued a policy of openness and proactive international integration. It now enjoys relations with over 190 countries and territories, hundreds of international organizations, and investors from all over the world are welcome to seek opportunities, and do business in Viet Nam on an equal footing.
In terms of foreign policy, Viet Nam has determined that it will be a responsible member of the international community by contributing positively to peace and cooperation. It has done so first through accession to regional and international organizations such as ASEAN, ASEM, APEC, WTO, and has become much more active at the UN and within UN bodies. As part of these international mechanisms, Viet Nam pursues its goals through an independent, principled approach. In addition, Viet Nam's network of 30 strategic and comprehensive partners, and membership in a dozen free trade agreements, including new-generation FTAs such as the CPTPP and EVFTA has entwined its interests with those trade accords, and has given it crucial importance in the regional and global supply chains.
In 2020 Viet Nam assumes leadership in a trio of important mechanisms: ASEAN chairmanship, ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly presidency, and non-permanent member cum rotating Chair of the United Nations Security Council. In these endeavours, we recognize that:
a) Globalization and international integration remain key drivers for mankind development, despite certain setbacks. Countries need to work together for more sustainable, humanistic and safer globalization;
b) Multilateral mechanisms are in need of reforms to be more effective, representative and responsive, with the United Nations at the core. Organizations such as ASEAN are part and parcel of this process, all working together for a fair and sustainable world order;
c) Peace, stability, cooperation and development are the aspiration of all nations and people, and to that end, we are all equal. All countries should uphold the rule of law and respect the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and legitimate interests of one another;
d) Small and medium-sized countries make up the majority of the international community, and are increasingly playing an important role in the world. As such, their voices should be heard and respected more;
e) In this quickly changing world, stronger cooperation is required for more effective response to non-traditional security challenges such as pollution, climate change, natural disasters and pandemics such as Covid-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great change and damage to the world. It has morphed from an emergency health crisis, into socio-political, socio-economic crises and reached every country in a matter of months. It has impacted nations, governments, people, and even the way we interact with each other. It has exacerbated and fast-forward emergent trends, to such an extent that a "new normal" has set in, and countries are now left to adapt to this new circumstance. Covid-19 has clearly shown how interdependent countries are today, and the critical role that international and regional cooperation, particularly with regards to access to vaccine research and production, has to play because in this day and age, "no one country can go it alone".
Viet Nam and Myanmar are very close partners. The official name that we have attached to this relationship is Comprehensive Cooperative partnership. What's more, we are members of the ASEAN family. Viet Nam's recent gift to Myanmar during the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic is continued animated proof of the tradition of solidarity and close assistance that the two countries have always enjoyed since our ties were established in modern history by President Ho Chi Minh and General Aung San. It is also vivid proof of Viet Nam's commitment to helping its "family members", particularly in trying times. The fact that major Vietnamese businesses and investors, such as Mytel, have had a positive presence in the Myanmar market, speaks to the depth of our cooperation. At multilateral forums, our cooperation is just as substantive, with both sides working to advance national and ASEAN interests.
With such a close partnership, Viet Nam's future and vision for a strong, united ASEAN would not be possible without a strong, united and independent Myanmar. Our countries' future are inseparable from peace, stability, cooperation and the shared prosperity of the region and the world. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold in unpredictable ways, Viet Nam hopes to work closely with Myanmar, as well as other members of the international community, to fight it effectively and foster economic recovery and development together.
Q: Excellency, in 2020, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Viet Nam's joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), what contribution has Viet Nam made to ASEAN, your opinion in the cooperation between the two countries in ASEAN, especially in 2020, when all countries are facing the Covid-19 pandemic.
July 28, 2020 marked the 25th anniversary of Viet Nam's accession to ASEAN. This year, the anniversary coincides with Viet Nam's 2nd chairmanship of the organization.
Joining the Association in 1995 was a major milestone for Viet Nam and for ASEAN as well. It helped turn Southeast Asia "from a land of discord to a land of concord, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic development". Beside the European Union, ASEAN is another model of success for regional cooperation. ASEAN-led forums have drawn together major countries, and is valued by all world powers.
When Viet Nam joined ASEAN, the Cold War had just ended and its international standing and economic largesse remained modest. Much has changed in the past 25 years. Today, ASEAN is home to about 650 million people with a combined GDP of over 3.2 trillion USD and trade revenue of 2.8 trillion USD. The 10 Southeast Asian nations today are part of a united community with rising prestige in the Asia-Pacific and the world.
For ASEAN, Viet Nam's accession as its seventh member helped speed up the expansion of the bloc to all 10 countries in the region, further consolidating peace and stability in a region that has special geo-political and geo-economic importance, one that connects the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Upon becoming a member, Viet Nam actively pushed for the joining of other continental Southeast Asian countries into the bloc, with Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia becoming members in 1997 and 1999.
As a member of ASEAN, Viet Nam has taken a proactive and responsible part in the Association's work, including institution building such as the ASEAN Charter the ASEAN Community Roadmap, various development master plans... It has pursued Community building across ASEAN's three pillars. Through important initiatives and contributions, such as expanding the EAS and establishing the ADMM mechanism, Viet Nam has actively worked with other member states to maintain ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture.
Membership in ASEAN has brought about significant and practical benefits for Viet Nam. Over the past 25 years, ASEAN membership has helped Viet Nam join other members in building a region of friendship, cooperation free of wars. This is the preconditions for any successful nation-building process. In addition to promoting intra-bloc cooperation, Viet Nam has set up strategic partnership and comprehensive partnership frameworks with neighbouring and regional countries, and important partners.
ASEAN membership has also helped Viet Nam in the course of international integration and attracting resources for development, enabling it to push ahead with reforms, expand markets, increase exports, and attract investments and ODA.
ASEAN membership has also allowed Viet Nam to twice chair ASEAN. As Chair of the organization in 2020, Viet Nam has been able to set the tone for cooperation during the year “Cohesive and Responsive”, to allow the Association to push ahead in building an ASEAN Community and further promoting ASEAN's centrality in a changing world.
Over the course of a quarter of a century, Viet Nam has gradually become an integral part of ASEAN. Its ASEAN policy has become an important part of Viet Nam’s foreign policy. Through this policy, Viet Nam links its development to ASEAN's development. As such, as Viet Nam continues to grow, it grows more ready to shoulder more of the Association's common work, and to assist members to better address their issues as well.
Over the past seven months, Viet Nam have demonstrated its "cohesive and responsive" spirit. It has pushed for a coordinated response among ASEAN members against the pandemic, encouraged experience sharing, best practices to overcome challenges and sound ideas and solutions to boost economic recovery and development.
As Myanmar undergoes comprehensive reform, and moves towards a modern state that is peaceful, democratic, prosperous and open, Viet Nam firmly supports Myanmar's path of development most appropriate to its national conditions. Viet Nam looks forward to and is ready to assist Myanmar in maintaining its development momentum, as well as political stability, economic development and social harmony so that it can achieve national peace and reconciliation as soon as possible. Together, we can help consolidate and promote ASEAN solidarity and resilience, strengthen ASEAN centrality, and address common issues of concern.
Q: Ambassador, 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Myanmar. With similarities in history and development, as Vietnam's highest representative in Myanmar, what message do you have for the future of this relationship?
Viet Nam and Myanmar established diplomatic relations immediately following Viet Nam's reunification. Over the past 45 years, Viet Nam and Myanmar have built up a solid, trustworthy, and multifaceted traditional friendship. The two countries have supported and helped each other in the struggle for national liberation and in the course of national construction. Recently, our Comprehensive Partnership has helped to further develop relations substantively and effectively at all levels. In the past four years, we have seen exchanges of 4 high-level delegations. Our heads of Government regularly meet and exchange views at regional and international forums.
Thanks to direct flights, people to people and business-to-business exchanges have increased rapidly as well. Two-way trade has increased rapidly to nearly 1 billion USD. Viet Nam is currently the 7th largest investor in Myanmar with more than 200 businesses operating in country.
At the moment, we are both responding to the Covid-19 pandemic in similar ways, based on the motto: "No one left behind". I hope that in adapting to the "new normal", the authorities of the two countries will continue to create favorable conditions for businesses to trade and invest, as well as provide maximum support for citizens in returning home. Given such strong political, economic and cultural ties, Viet Nam will continue to work with Myanmar to bolster bilateral relations. Personally, I am very honoured to have the chance to act as a bridge in furthering relations between the two countries, to assist Myanmar in the course of development of a peaceful, stable and developed nation.
Beyond our bilateral relations, I look forward to working with Myanmar colleagues, as members of ASEAN, to strengthen the rule of law and enhance ASEAN’s centrality role in the regional architecture, further enhance cooperation between ASEAN and other regional and international organizations, such as the UN. In the current context, we have the chance to not only promote solidarity and resilience of the Association, but also highlight ASEAN's centrality in addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the region.
GNLM
PHOTO: THE VIETNAMESE EMBASSY
(The Views expressed in this article are those of the author, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Myanmar)
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