Vietnam, Pakistan enjoy excellent friendship and cooperation in many fields Nguyen Tien Phong
Naveed Ahmad Khan Photos By Ghulam Farid
ISLAMABAD: Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan Ms.Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that in 77 years, Vietnam has become one of the most vibrant economies and a role model for developing nations. Since the establishment of our diplomatic ties in 1972, bilateral relations between Pakistan and Vietnam have grown in all spheres of cooperation.
She expressed these views while addressing the gathering on the occasion of the 77th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The event was hosted by Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam and his spouse at the Marriott Hotel at the 77th Anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day. The event was attended by Ambassadors, Charges d’Affairés, and representatives of international organizations. All ASEAN ambassadors shared the stage with the chief guest and host to celebrate the event in a befitting manner. Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was the chief guest. Dean of Dip Corp and Ambassador of Turkmenistan Atadjan Movlamov also present on the occasion.
Mumtaz Baloch said this year both countries are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. Pakistan and Vietnam are committed to further deepening and enhancing mutually beneficial partnerships in all areas of cooperation. There is a deep reservoir of goodwill for Vietnam in Pakistan.
She added that Pakistan is grateful for Vietnam’s continued support to Pakistan in (ASEAN) including in its quest to become the Full Dialogue Partner of the ASEAN.
Pakistan has also included Vietnam in the list of business-friendly countries whose nationals can get a visa on arrival in Pakistan. This year Pakistan was registered as an exporting country of plant origin products to Vietnam.
She concluded that Pakistan is committed to supporting businesses in both countries to enhance the bilateral trade of agricultural products.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan Nguyen Tien Phong said that over the past 50 years, Vietnam and Pakistan have enjoyed excellent friendship and cooperation in many fields, including trade, investment and technology.
He made these remarks while addressing a reception to celebrate the 77th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Islamabad.
In his speech, the Ambassador also expressed his deep and profound sympathy and condolences over the loss of more than 1000 lives resulting from the recent unprecedented floods and calamities in Sindh and Baluchistan. He wished that Pakistan and the people would soon overcome these natural catastrophes.
He said this year, 2022, Vietnam and Pakistan are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations.
Fifty years ago, on November 8, 1972, Vietnam and Pakistan officially established diplomatic relations, opening a new page in friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
In terms of economic and trade, notably, the trade volume between Pakistan and Vietnam increased from 54 million USD in 2005 to more than 700 million USD in 2017 and reached more than US$ 794 million in 2021, increasing 54.41% compared to 2020.
However, it is still very low compared to both sides’ huge potential.
Currently, Viet Nam and Pakistan are preparing to organize the third Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) and the fifth Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) and Joint Trade Commission (JTC), he added.
Ambassador said 77 years ago, on 2 September 1945, President Ho Chi Minh, who has been honored by UNESCO as National Liberation Hero and World’s Cultural Celebrity, read the Declaration of Independence officially giving birth to Viet Nam Democratic Republic, now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
He said Over the past 77 years, under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party, with the spirit of “nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, Vietnam in the Ho Chi Minh ERA overcame many difficulties and challenges to maintain its independence and unification and achieved many proud construction and development achievements.
From the strong reforming spirit of “Doi Moi” 1986, with persistent efforts, Viet Nam from a country ravaged by wars, underdeveloped, with limited foreign relations… has now risen to become a eveloping economy, people’s living standards are improved; Social and political stability; national defense and security are guaranteed; foreign policy and international integration are deepening.
With an average annual GDP growth of about 7% over the past 36 years, today, Viet Nam ranks among the Top 40 economies with the largest GDP in the world, and the Top 16 most successful emerging economies.
Viet Nam is a convergence of tens of thousands of investors from 140 countries and territories with a total investment of nearly 430 billion USD.
Nguyen Tien Phong said Vietnam and Pakistan have signed a remarkable number of MoUs and Agreements in many fields and they are very significant foundations for further enhancement of the relationship. And it is the time for us to implement, to bring into play and realize substantively all the huge potential for the sake of our peoples and countries.
He said “I always remind myself that I am here with the assignments from our State, Party, Government and Vietnamese people to boost up the relations comprehensively and in all fields, to those goals, we need to elevate people to people contact, strengthen mutual understandings between our peoples, it is the key for the development of our bilateral cooperation relations. And it is very feasible, I am sure, why? The reason is that, despite of difficulties, obstacles, Ambassador Osman Hyder came to Ha Noi Viet Nam as a first Pakistani diplomat for the beginning of our diplomatic relations journey together, and now why not any citizen of our two countries be a diplomat in his/her fields, and why not any of our diplomat of Vietnam Embassy here in Islamabad and your diplomat in Hanoi be a facilitator, an implementer for the cause of bridging our peoples closer, of creating more and more value added in our traditional and friendly relations, it is absolutely possible”.
Nguyen Tien Phong said we are living in an era of globalization, full of rapid and unpredictable changes. Most extraordinarily, the emergence and outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional and non-traditional security challenges, such as conflicts in many areas, climate change.
Notably the climate change, extreme natural disasters that we are witnessing here in Pakistan and other parts of the globe put severe impacts on the peoples and the countries all over the world, the climate change is not a problem of a single people or country, like in Pakistan now, it is, as UN SG Antonio Guterres said few days ago, “Climate change today is the problem of Pakistan and tomorrow it will be your country problem”. That is we are all interlinked in all issues of above mentioned difficulties and also interlinked in all our success, development and achievements.
He said Viet Nam hopes to join hands with Pakistan and all other countries to address traditional and on-traditional security challenges, foster globalization and international integration and connectivity, and work towards a green, clean world of more sustainable, inclusive and humanistic development. Viet Nam focuses on discussing and forging consensus on matters of importance related to peace, security and development in the world and the region, including cooperation to combat COVID-19 and yes the issue of climate change.
At the end of the speech, the Ambassador of Vietnam said “I look forward to working closely with all of you for common interest and for peace, cooperation, development, and for the common good and prosperity of all nations in the world”.
