Prime Minister’s WEF attendance, Hungary and Romania visits hold great significance: Deputy FM

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Hằng. VNA/VNS Photo

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Hằng talks to the press about the significance of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s trip to Davos, Switzerland to attend the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-54) and his official visits to Hungary and Romania from January 16-23.

Could you please provide insights into the significance and importance of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s participation in the 54th WEF Davos Conference in Switzerland?

Taking place from January 15-19, 2024, under the theme “Rebuilding Trust”, the 54th WEF Davos Conference marks the largest gathering since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, boasting unprecedented attendance by leaders from various countries and international organisations.

With the active involvement of nearly 100 senior leaders from countries and international organisations, along with approximately 3,000 leaders representing global corporations and businesses, this year’s conference stands as the premier global event for exchanging ideas and fostering multi-dimensional discussions on worldwide economic prospects, emerging trends and global development visions.

It aims to facilitate economic, trade, investment and other forms of cooperation between nations and businesses. Simultaneously, the conference seeks to mobilise global strength, with a particular emphasis on public-private collaboration, to create new growth drivers and address common challenges amid the current difficult, risky and uncertain global context.

The Prime Minister’s attendance is a crucial opportunity to further solidify Việt Nam’s commitments and solutions. Given the scale and significance of the conference, this marks the Prime Minister’s inaugural business trip of the year, carrying several key implications:

First, the conference serves as a valuable platform to grasp global perspectives, ideas, development models, governance structures and emerging trends. In essence, it allows for an exchange and understanding of the world’s ‘pulse’, enabling Việt Nam to leverage timely opportunities, respond effectively to challenges and attract maximum resources for the country’s socio-economic development.

Second, considering the recent years’ notable accomplishments in pandemic prevention and socio-economic development, Việt Nam has cultivated an exceptionally favourable foreign affairs environment. This opportune moment presents an ideal opportunity for us to disseminate information, share insights and promote Việt Nam’s achievements, orientations, national development strategies, policies and foreign relations.

It is a platform to convey a compelling message about Việt Nam being a dynamic, innovative and attractive investment destination for global corporations. We aim to translate our current favourable foreign policy environment into tangible economic cooperation results and practical investment projects, fostering new driving forces for rapid and sustainable national development.

Third, the Prime Minister’s active participation in the conference, coupled with the sharing of assessments and proposals on global-level situations, development perspectives and solutions to stimulate economic growth and address emerging challenges, will reaffirm Việt Nam’s responsible and effective contributions to peace, development, and common global concerns. This engagement serves to bolster the country’s position and prestige in the international arena, particularly within the global business community.

Fourth, given the presence of numerous leaders from countries and international organisations in Davos, the conference provides an opportunity for Việt Nam to strengthen exchanges and foster cooperation with Switzerland, its partners and international organisations. This engagement aims to deepen relations across various fields, with a special emphasis on economics, trade, and investment, aligning with the directives set forth by the 13th National Party Congress.

What contributions does Việt Nam aspire to make at this conference?

The Prime Minister’s agenda includes a comprehensive programme of activities. This entails active participation and addressing pivotal discussion sessions, particularly those dedicated to Việt Nam. Additionally, the PM plans to host numerous discussions with leaders of leading corporations, engage in bilateral contacts with counterparts from various countries, international organisations, and businesses.

The fact that Việt Nam is among the nine partners proposed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to co-organise the National Strategic Dialogue, and PM Phạm Minh Chính is one of the eight leaders chosen for separate dialogue sessions with WEF, underscores the attention, recognition, and appreciation from both WEF and multinational corporations towards Việt Nam’s role, international standing, achievements and development vision. In line with this acknowledgment, PM Chính and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation are poised to actively participate and contribute at the conference.

First, the Prime Minister will share Việt Nam’s assessments, observations, and perspectives on the prospects, opportunities, challenges, and adjustment trends of the global economy in terms of both structure and model, along with their impacts on global and national development.

Drawing on the experiences and lessons learned from Việt Nam and ASEAN, the Prime Minister will propose immediate and long-term solutions to strengthen international solidarity, rebuild trust, and enhance cooperation among countries, governments, businesses and partners. This collaborative effort aims to share common responsibilities, navigate challenges effectively and transform obstacles into opportunities.

Second, the discussions will emphasise Việt Nam’s responsible contribution to addressing global challenges, particularly in areas where the country has strengths such as food security, smart agriculture, and climate change adaptation. The Prime Minister will share experiences in macroeconomic management, highlight the prompt embrace of new trends, and underscore Việt Nam’s readiness to attract investment, especially in priority areas like high technology, research and development, green transformation, digital transformation and the circular economy.

Third, the dialogue will extend to proposing directions to leverage the potential, strengths, and central role of ASEAN and Việt Nam in promoting growth, strengthening global trade and investment links and supporting the resilience of the global economy during economic recovery.

Could you elaborate on the special significance of PM Chính’s official visit to Hungary and Romania?

Upon receiving invitations from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, accompanied by his wife, is set to embark on an official visit to Hungary and Romania from January 18-23. Notably, this marks the first delegation exchange at the Prime Ministerial level between Việt Nam and Hungary in the past seven years, and with Romania within the last five years.

Hungary and Romania hold a distinctive place in Việt Nam’s diplomatic history, being among the first ten countries globally to recognise and establish diplomatic ties with Việt Nam following our independence. Reflecting on the past 70 years, the Governments and people of both nations have consistently demonstrated unwavering support and affection towards Việt Nam in its struggles for independence, national unification, innovation and socio-economic development.

During the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hungary and Romania emerged as steadfast supporters, becoming the first countries to assist Việt Nam with substantial vaccine donations and medical equipment. This assistance significantly contributed to Việt Nam’s successful containment of the disease and subsequent economic recovery.

Furthermore, Hungary and Romania actively support Việt Nam’s comprehensive partnership and cooperation with the European Union (EU). They played crucial roles in the negotiation, signing, and ratification of the Free Trade Agreement between Việt Nam and the EU (EVFTA) and the Việt Nam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Romania, in particular, exerted significant effort to facilitate the signing of the EVFTA during its EU Presidency, while Hungary proudly became the first EU member state to ratify the EVIPA.

In light of the enduring friendship spanning three-quarters of a century and considering the complex and pivotal global landscape, the Prime Minister’s visit holds paramount importance. It signifies Việt Nam’s commitment to consistently implement its foreign policy of independence, autonomy, multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations. The visit underscores the nation’s dedication to strengthening and deepening ties with traditional partners and friends in this dynamic international context.

As part of the visit’s agenda, the Prime Minister is scheduled to engage in talks, meetings, contacts, and collaborative work with the senior leadership of Hungary and Romania. Additionally, he will explore various localities, universities, research centres, and businesses, fostering connections with the Việt Nam Friendship Association in Hungary and Romania.

This visit holds the potential to significantly contribute to the deepening of political trust, reinforcing the traditional friendship, and enhancing active mutual support between Việt Nam and Hungary and Romania. The Prime Minister’s efforts are geared towards elevating traditional areas of cooperation, including economics, trade, labour, culture, education, and human resource training, to a new stage that aligns with the developmental needs of each nation.

Furthermore, the visit seeks to stimulate collaboration in promising and robust sectors such as science and technology, information and communication, pharmaceuticals and innovation. Ultimately, the visit aims to strengthen the bonds between the Vietnamese people and the citizens of Hungary and Romania.

Beyond bilateral relations, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s visit presents an opportunity to advance cooperation with Hungary and Romania, fostering connections between Việt Nam and the Central Eastern European region. It also aims to strengthen ties between the two countries and the ASEAN community and underscores a commitment to close coordination in addressing global challenges, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development within the region and worldwide. VNS