Vietnam's Top Leader Engages in Diplomacy at UNGA, Focusing on AI and Economic Cooperation

Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary To Lam delivered a key address at the high-level general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, while also engaging in extensive diplomatic activities with various world leaders on the sidelines. These engagements underscore Vietnam's emphasis on economic growth and deepening strategic partnerships within its one-party system. During his meeting with Mongolian counterparts, President Lam affirmed Vietnam's readiness to foster close, comprehensive, and extensive cooperation across all sectors, in line with the Vietnam-Mongolia Comprehensive Partnership framework. The focus areas included economy, trade, investment, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, reflecting Vietnam's strategy to strengthen ties with diverse nations for its economic development. With Finland, Vietnam proposed enhancing cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green and circular economies, as well as economic, trade, and investment ties. Specific areas of interest included high technology, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, 5G/6G, renewable energy, education, and high-quality human resource development. These proposals align with Vietnam's ambitions for industrial upgrading and adaptation to global technological trends. Regarding relations with the United States, President Lam stated that Vietnam regards the US as one of its leading strategically important partners and aims to work together to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a stable, substantive, and effective manner. This indicates Vietnam's desire to strengthen ties with the US, a key driver of its economic growth, in both political and security dimensions. In discussions with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Vietnam's active and pioneering engagement in security, political affairs, sustainable development, and a just energy transition was appreciated. Guterres expressed hope for Vietnam's continued strong role in global transformations, contributions to climate change efforts under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and promotion of emerging technologies, including AI. This reflects Vietnam's diplomatic strategy to contribute to international issue-solving and enhance its global influence. Vietnam also called on international partners to fulfill their commitments by mobilizing private investment for sustainable infrastructure, enhancing cooperation in technology and knowledge sharing, promoting responsible technology governance, and supporting developing countries in building capacity and applying digital technologies in key areas such as agriculture and healthcare. This stance highlights Vietnam's emphasis on solidarity among developing nations as part of the Global South. Furthermore, Vietnam proposed that each country establish a specialized coordination task force to verify, investigate, and handle complex transnational scam rings and cases, ensuring rapid and effective information exchange and coordination of investigations. This initiative addresses the evolving challenges posed by increasing digitalization. The contribution of Vietnam to peacekeeping operations was also underscored, with the departure of Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 8 for the UN mission in South Sudan. This deployment signifies Vietnam's commitment to contributing to international peace and stability. These diplomatic initiatives demonstrate Vietnam's multifaceted foreign policy, which prioritizes economic growth while simultaneously seeking to expand its role in the international arena and navigate geopolitical complexities. The keen interest in advanced fields like AI and the digital economy suggests their centrality to Vietnam's future development strategies. Source: VietnamPlus English