Vietnamese Vice President Meets SCO Secretary General

Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan met with Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbayev in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31, on the occasion of attending the SCO expanded summit. At the meeting, the SCO Secretary General expressed his honor in welcoming Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan to the summit. He recalled his deep impressions and memories of Vietnam during his tenure as the concurrently accredited Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Vietnam. Highly appreciating Vietnam's growing position and prestige in the region, Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev stated that he was very impressed with the speech delivered by General Secretary and President To Lam at the Shangri-La Dialogue, noting that the goals and principles Vietnam is pursuing are fully aligned with the SCO's development orientation. Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan thanked Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev for his good sentiments towards Vietnam. Congratulating the SCO on its 25th anniversary, the Vice President affirmed that the SCO has achieved many important successes in promoting dialogue, building trust, strengthening cooperation and connectivity in the Eurasia space to resolve conflicts and disputes, and bringing peace to regions worldwide. She affirmed that Vietnam always values its relations with the SCO and its member states. Vietnam is ready to actively participate in cooperation activities within the SCO framework for the peace, stability, and development of the region and the world, ensuring compliance with international law, the UN Charter, and Vietnam's independent and self-reliant foreign policy. Vietnam is ready to play a bridging role, promoting cooperation between ASEAN and the SCO, enhancing connectivity between Southeast Asia and Central Asia, and connecting ASEAN with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and other regional cooperation mechanisms, contributing to consolidating cooperation for peace, stability, and sustainable development. Sharing Vietnam's major development orientations in the coming time and its goals towards 2045, the Vice President proposed that the SCO coordinate to strengthen cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science-technology, innovation, as well as in combating terrorism, transnational crime, and cybercrime. The SCO Secretary General shared that the organization is no longer solely a security organization as it was at its inception, but has expanded its cooperation fields to include economy, trade, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. He also mentioned that the SCO is undergoing extensive reforms to enhance the organization's role and promote international cooperation between the SCO and its member states, as well as among member states themselves. He expressed confidence that SCO-Vietnam cooperation will bring practical benefits to both sides. On this occasion, the Vice President respectfully invited SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev to visit Vietnam again soon to witness firsthand the latest changes in Vietnam. The SCO Secretary General respectfully thanked the Vice President for the invitation and wished Vietnam success in realizing its national development goals by 2045.