PM calls for southern countries’ stronger cooperation to cope with challenges

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính delivers his speech at the third Voice of Global South Summit chaired by Indian PM Narendra Modi. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on August 17 urged southern states to bolster cooperation in the spirit of solidarity and unity in diversity to together seize opportunities, overcome challenges, and head to a future of sustainable prosperity for all nations.

In his keynote virtually delivered at the third Voice of Global South Summit chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Vietnamese Government leader highlighted that the boom of science and technology and the fourth industrial revolution have basically changed the means of production, business and consumption, as well as the ways the world has operated and developed, and habits of the people globally.

Security challenges, particularly non-traditional ones like climate change, aging population, exhausted natural resources, and cyber security, have become more complicated, and left regular and direct impacts on the security and development of all nations, he stated.

Against the backdrop, he stressed that the southern states should have a joint vision, shared mindset and joint actions along with a global, comprehensive and inclusive approach. In that spirit, he suggested that the countries focus on promoting the reform process of the regional and global governance institutions in a more effective and substantive manner, with the key being reforming the UN for more democratic and effective operation, consolidating the multilateral trade system with the WTO at its centre, and minimising trade barrier and unfair competition.

He highlighted that it is necessary to mobilise and effectively use all social resources to successfully realise the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). Countries should promote their pioneering role in ensuring food security, protecting the environment, preventing natural disasters, responding to climate change, and developing green, digital and circular economies on the basis of assuring equal and fair access, independence and self-reliance, he said, calling for more practical and effective support from the international community, especially countries with well-developed finance and technology.

PM Chính also said that southern states should promote new motives for growth, particularly science technology, innovation and startup, seeing them as the key in all cooperation mechanisms and initiatives. He suggested they continue boosting south-south trade and investment, building south-south science-technology markets, and developing innovation eco-system that connects the state, education establishments, and enterprises.

The opening session of the summit with the overarching theme of “An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future” drew the participation of nearly 20 presidents, prime ministers and high-ranking leaders from developing countries.

In his opening remarks, PM Modi reaffirmed the significance and contributions of the summit to the G20’s agenda, and highlighted the importance of enhanced solidarity among the southern economies to promote global growth amidst complicated and uncertain trends and challenges in the world.

Participants at the summit spoke highly of India’s initiative to organise the event, creating a framework for developing countries to share their voice, stance, and measures to overcome global challenges. They affirmed their commitment to the global multilateral system and international law, and underscored the need to promote solidarity and international cooperation, accelerate the reform of multilateral organisations, and step up the implementation of the SDGs via enhancing financial resources and experience sharing, developing private economy, and strengthening technology cooperation.

This is the third time Việt Nam has been invited to the summit, demonstrating its increasing role, position and prestige in the global multilateral mechanisms. — VNS