Expanded G7 Summit Vietnam Makes Important Contributions to Common Issues of Int’l Community

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's attendance at the expanded Summit of the Group of Seven (G7) and official visit to Japan from May 19-21, 2023 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio reaffirmed and helped consolidate Vietnam's increasingly important position and role in the international arena, make important contributions to global issues, and heightened Vietnam’s relations with partners, especially making the Vietnam-Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership deeper, more substantive and more effective. The Vietnam-Japan relationship is at its best stage ever.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other leaders pose for a group photo at the expanded G7 Summit 2023

In nearly three days, Prime Minister Chinh chaired and attended about 40 events, including Summit gatherings, meetings with Japanese leaders, associations, companies and friends of Japan, and exchanges with leaders of countries and international organizations.

Important contributions to multilateral affairs

Vietnam is one of the eight countries worldwide and one of the two ASEAN countries (along with Indonesia, the incumbent ASEAN Chair 2023) invited as a guest to the Expanded G7 Summit. This was the third time Vietnam attended the G7 Summit, showing the appreciation of Japan and the G7 for Vietnam's position and role in the region and in the world.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and delivered speeches at three Summit sessions: “Working Together to Address Multiple Crises”, “Common Endeavor for a Resilient and Sustainable Planet” and “Toward a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous World” where he put forth many proposals to foster cooperation in addressing common international and regional issues and recommended important approaches and solutions from the perspective of a developing country that is accelerating industrialization, modernization and extensive and comprehensive international integration.

At the Session “Toward a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous World”, he highlighted Vietnam's three messages on peace, stability and development.

First, ensuring a peaceful and stable environment for cooperation and development is both an essential foundation and an ultimate destination for sustainable development and prosperity around the world, as well as in each country and each region. Peace is an ultimate goal of international cooperation and a common value of mankind. Sustainable peace, the rule of law and sustainable development are organically and closely interconnected. The Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnam values a holistic approach to peace, security and development. Peace is the foundation, solidarity and cooperation are the driving force, and sustainable development is the goal.

Vietnam has risen from a poor country to a middle-income country and aimed to become a developed high-income country by 2045. He stressed Vietnam will do its best and join hands for peace, stability and sustainability of mankind; wishes to end conflicts, not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons, to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to ensure food security, energy security, and human security.

Second, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the message that rule of law, respect for the United Nations Charter and international law, and settlement of all disputes by peaceful means should be upheld and executed by specific commitments. He called on all parties involved in all conflicts to resolve them through dialogue and negotiation to find everlasting solutions and take the legitimate interests of the parties into account. He affirmed that Vietnam picks no side, but instead, it chooses justice, fairness and goodness.

For the region, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his wish that the international community and partners would continue supporting the central role of ASEAN in building the region of peace, stability, cooperation, and self-reliance. From that perspective, countries need to strictly abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work toward the conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). He urged parties to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions that may complicate the situation or violate sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of relevant countries as defined by UNCLOS 1982.

Third, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that sincerity, strategic trust, and a sense of responsibility are of special significance in addressing the current global challenges. Vietnam pursues the aforesaid values through the consistent implementation of its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multi-lateralization, being a good friend, trusted partner, and active and responsible member of the international community.

From left: Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, U.S. President Joe Biden at the expanded G7 Summit

At the session “Working Together to Address Multiple Crises”, Prime Minister Chinh said that the currently unprecedented context requires unprecedented action with a global, all-people approach and upholds multilateralism. He emphasized the urgency to promote and create new driving forces for global economic growth, recovery and development in a greener, cleaner and more sustainable direction.

From that perspective, he suggested the need to improve global economic governance, and strengthen policy coordination, particularly interest rate, financial-monetary, trade and investment policies, while reforming the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at the core. He welcomed G7 countries' Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Development (PGII) and urged G7 countries to continue green finance assistance for developing countries and cooperate with these countries in strategic infrastructure development, especially transport development.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam highly values the Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security; suggested that G7 and its partners step up the opening of agricultural markets, foster green agricultural cooperation, increase participation and support implementing the South-South and tripartite cooperation mechanisms in ensuring global food security. He affirmed that Vietnam is ready to boost food production to contribute to the realization of the Hiroshima Statement.

He emphasized that global determination and action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are more important than ever. To leave no one and no country behind, Prime Minister Chinh called on G7 and development partners to have a specific action plan and strengthen resource support to realize SDGs, bridge the digital divide, master advanced technology, ensure transboundary water security, enforce gender equality, and build effective mechanisms in response to health emergencies in future.

He took the occasion to express thanks to the assistance of G7 countries and the international community for Vietnam to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and revive post-pandemic socioeconomic development.

At the session “Common Endeavor for a Resilient and Sustainable Planet”, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that sustainable development, response to climate change, greenhouse gas emission reduction and energy transition can only be a success by adopting a global and people-centric approach, upholding multilateralism, deepening international cooperation, and promoting self-reliance of each country.

He raised his point of view on ensuring fairness and rationality, with attention paid to different conditions and levels of countries; ensuring a strategic balance between clean energy transition and global energy security; and developing just, diversified, highly practical energy transition roadmaps in line with market rules.

The Prime Minister emphasized that science, technology and innovation are central to sustainable development for all countries and key to rapid and sustainable growth. He asked G7 countries and international organizations to enhance assistance for developing countries to acquire new technologies, improve institutional, infrastructure, human resource, and governance capacity and build a clean energy development ecosystem.

He said that effective mobilization and use of resources is vital to sustainable development, thus, G7 countries need to prioritize the timely and effective implementation of their financial commitments for development and meet urgent requirements of debt relief, relaxation and restructuring for poor countries. He suggested that it is necessary to take a creative approach to mobilizing diverse financial sources, focusing on public-private partnership (PPP) and mixed finance associated with the participation of private and foreign investment.

For its part, Vietnam is determined to realize its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, though it is still a developing country in transition and has made tireless efforts to overcome the consequences of wars, he asserted. This is seen as a huge challenge but a path that Vietnam has chosen, with the approach that internal resources are strategic, decisive, fundamental and long-term, and external forces are important and breakthrough.

The Prime Minister voiced support for the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiated by Japan and proposed G7 countries and partners continue to work together with Vietnam to carry out the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in a substantive and effective manner; help Vietnam unlock its potential and advantages to become a regional renewable energy center, deeply join supporting industrial production chains in clean energy and circular economy. Affirming that wind and solar are energy sources that no one can take away, Prime Minister Chinh revealed that Vietnam has adopted the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, giving priority to renewable energy development.

He wished to continue receiving effective support and cooperation in the management and sustainable use of water resources, improving capacity to cope with climate change and sea level rise, especially in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, and supporting sustainable development of the Mekong Subregion.

His ideas and proposals are highly appreciated by leaders of countries and international organizations for building a balanced and holistic approach to addressing global challenges. The substantial participation and responsibility of Vietnam has also made an important contribution to joint efforts of the international community to maintain peace and stability, and foster economic recovery and development on the basis of equality and mutual benefit in line with the interests and concerns of developing countries.

Deepening relationships with partners

Vietnam and Japan are at the best stage in history, worthy of the extensive strategic partnership built on sincerity, affection, trust, peace, cooperation and development in the region, in the world and for the benefit of the people of each country. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio agreed to continue their efforts to bring the Vietnam-Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia to a new high, especially in 2023 as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Vietnam and Japan achieved some substantive results in official development assistance (ODA) cooperation and investment. The two sides signed three ODA cooperation documents worth 61 billion yen (US$500 million) for new-generation ODA Program projects on support for post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery and development, public transport infrastructure improvement in Binh Duong province, and agricultural development infrastructure improvement project in Lam Dong province. Leaders of the two countries also agreed to foster Japan's ability to provide new-generation ODA with high incentives, and simple and flexible procedures for large-scale strategic infrastructure development projects in Vietnam.

Besides, the two sides reached a common understanding on further bolstering cooperation in new potential fields such as green transformation, digital transformation, emission reduction and energy transformation. They agreed to further promote and deepen people-to-people exchanges, local cooperation, education-training and tourism in a variety of forms, with high quality and efficiency. They will work closely to support and facilitate the community of nearly half a million Vietnamese people to live, study and work in Japan, and continue to act as a bridge to reinforce bilateral cooperation in the coming time. The two sides affirmed the intent to coordinate their stances on issues of mutual concern at multilateral and regional forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, Mekong and East Sea matters.

With other partners, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted dozens of bilateral meetings in the spirit of openness, frankness and sincerity with all G7 leaders, guest countries and international organizations to exchange concrete measures to substantially foster bilateral relations and enhance coordination on issues of mutual concern.

During their meetings, the partners highly appreciated the role and position of Vietnam and expressed their willingness to strengthen multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, focusing on economic and commercial cooperation, solving current emerging matters such as food security, energy security, response to climate change, green economy, circular economy and innovation.

At the Summit and separate bilateral meetings, leaders of countries all emphasized the importance of ensuring the security and safety of navigation and aviation and resolving all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon completing an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Boosting new Japanese investment wave into Vietnam

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that Japan strengthen cooperation and investment with Vietnam in the high-tech industry, supporting industries, electronic components and electric cars; science, technology, innovation, research and development; green economy, digital economy, circular economy and knowledge economy; semiconductor production, new energy (such as hydrogen) and renewable energy; and eco-industrial parks with smart cities. Japan is strong and experienced in these fields while Vietnam has high demand and rich potential for them.

Besides, he hoped that Japan will support Vietnam to increase the agricultural value chain through technology transfer and capacity building in distribution and processing fields; and facilitate procedures and coordination for the early announcement of Japanese grapes coming into Vietnam and Vietnamese green-skinned pomelos into Japan.

The Prime Minister hoped that the Japanese side and investors will actively cooperate and support Vietnam in all five aspects (institutions, capital, technology, human resources, and governance), and support Vietnamese businesses to join deeper supply chains and regional and global value chains toward greening and emission-reducing trends.

In particular, his meeting with Japanese business leaders reinforced and consolidated investor confidence, and solved many specific difficulties in investment projects.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also asked businesses of the two countries to actively discuss and remove difficulties for the Nghi Son oil refinery project. The two sides will also accelerate the progress of some ODA cooperation projects such as Cho Ray Hospital 2 and Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line No.1 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum