According to VNA, on the occasion of attending the 79th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week and working in New York, USA, on the morning of September 23 (local time), General Secretary and President To Lam visited and delivered a policy speech at Columbia University.
Speaking here, General Secretary and President To Lam mentioned a number of issues on the path towards the era of national growth, the Vietnam-US relationship and the vision to build a bright future for all humanity in the face of great changes, both cyclical and structural, and with unprecedented breakthroughs under the impact of the scientific and technological revolution, especially artificial intelligence and digital technology.
Continue to innovate and integrate in the era of growth
The General Secretary and President said that after nearly 80 years of national founding and nearly 40 years of Doi Moi, under the comprehensive leadership of the Communist Party, Vietnam is standing at a new historical starting point, a new era - the era of the Vietnamese people's rise. The great and historic achievements of the Doi Moi process are the premise for the Vietnamese people to believe in the future ahead.
According to the General Secretary and President, the great achievements that Vietnam has attained stem from the correct path chosen under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with the efforts and determination of the entire nation.
Overcoming many difficulties and challenges, from a country of slavery and war-torn Vietnam, Vietnam has regained independence and today has affirmed its position as a dynamically developing economy with economic and trade scale in the top 40 and 20 in the world respectively.
From being isolated, Vietnam today has diplomatic relations with 194 countries, has Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Partnership with 30 countries, including all major countries and all 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, is an active member of ASEAN and more than 70 regional and international organizations, and has relations with 224 markets on all continents.
Pointing out that Vietnam's development path cannot be separated from the general trend of the world and human civilization, the General Secretary and President said that Vietnam cannot achieve the above noble goals without pure international solidarity, valuable support and effective cooperation from the international community.
From Former Enemies to Comprehensive Strategic Partners
Referring to the Vietnam-US relationship, the General Secretary and President said that over the past 30 years, from former enemies, the two countries have become partners, Comprehensive Partners and now Comprehensive Strategic Partners.
The General Secretary and President affirmed that for the relationship between the two countries to turn a new page and develop well as it is today, the most important factor is the tradition of humanity and altruism of the Vietnamese people, and the talented leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam with its intellectual vision, determination and mettle to bring Vietnam into the international flow.
Besides, we must mention many American friends and partners such as President Bill Clinton and his successors, Senators John McCain, John Kerry, Patrick Leahy... and many others, especially the strong bipartisan support in the US for the Vietnam-US relationship.
Vision for a new era
From the path forward of the Vietnamese people and the success story of the Vietnam-US relationship, the General Secretary and President assessed that in order to build a better common future for all humanity, it is necessary to affirm and promote the role of the spirit of healing, respect and mutual understanding, in which respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions is the most important.
Cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war has become the foundation for the two sides to heal, move towards normalization, build trust and deepen relations.
From that lesson, the General Secretary and President said that for a relationship to develop, both sides need to promote research on each other's history, culture, people, political, and socio-economic systems.
In a broader view, if countries understand and respect each other's legitimate interests and build trust together, the world will have more peace and less conflict.
On the other hand, according to the General Secretary and President, it is necessary to attach importance to and promote the culture of dialogue, with evidence from the Vietnam-US relationship itself. Although the two sides have made great strides in their relationship, there are still certain differences in views on human rights in the economic, political, social and religious fields. However, the important thing is that the two sides have chosen dialogue instead of confrontation in an open, frank and constructive spirit.
Emphasizing Vietnam's motto of putting the past behind and looking toward the future, the General Secretary and President believes that with an approach that promotes international solidarity and looks toward the future, as well as the success story of the Vietnam-US relationship, the world will turn the impossible into possible, continuing to build a sustainable and progressive civilization for all humanity.
