Vietnam stands ready to contribute to promoting dialogue and cooperation between BRICS and the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in areas such as supply chains and development finance, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang said at a discussion session on May 15 as part of the expanded BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in India.

Speeches at the meeting emphasized the need for comprehensive reform of the global governance system and strengthening multilateralism towards being more inclusive, representative, suitable, and effective in addressing global challenges.

The reform process must be based on principles of dialogue, cooperation, and narrowing differences, respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, adhering to international law, recognizing the diversity of national circumstances, thereby fostering trust, ensuring fairness, and emphasizing the responsibility of all nations.

Countries also highlighted the urgent need to reform international financial structures to more effectively respond to economic challenges, especially the vulnerabilities of supply chains, pressures on food and energy security, and inequalities in accessing essential resources; strengthening the multilateral trading system towards fairness, openness, rule-based, and inclusiveness, with the WTO playing a central role.

Throughout the conference, members reaffirmed the important role of BRICS in promoting dialogue, cooperation, and the voice of the Global South in the process of reforming multilateral systems and global governance, aiming towards a more inclusive and equitable world order.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang speaking at the conference's discussion session. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Speaking at the discussion session, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang emphasized that the increasingly complex international situation has highlighted the urgent need to reform and strengthen multilateral institutions and the global governance system so they are capable of upholding the fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, while also responding effectively to conflicts and their adverse impacts on trade, energy, supply chains and global growth, particularly in developing countries.

These institutions must also keep pace with rapid advances in science, technology and innovation, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, she stressed.

In this spirit, the Deputy Minister suggested that countries should act responsibly, comply with international law and the United Nations Charter, respect the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of nations; refrain from using or threatening to use force; resolve disputes by peaceful means, through dialogue, ensuring maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation through straits in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982.

The Deputy Minister also proposed that BRICS engage in promoting South-South cooperation, enhancing North-South dialogue in shaping global governance structures, prioritizing ensuring equitable access for developing countries to financial, technological, and knowledge resources.

The Deputy Minister affirmed that as the host of APEC 2027, chair and co-chair of many Mekong cooperation mechanisms, and an active member of ASEAN, Vietnam is ready to contribute to promoting dialogue and cooperation between BRICS and the Asia-Pacific region, especially in areas such as supply chains, development finance, green transition, innovation, and human resource development.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang pays a courtesy call to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Within the framework of the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang, along with the heads of delegations, paid a courtesy call to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the meeting, the Deputy Minister conveyed the greetings of General Secretary, President To Lam to Prime Minister Modi, thanked the Government, leaders, and people of India for the warm and respectful reception given to General Secretary, President To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation during the very successful state visit to India. She respectfully requested the Prime Minister to direct relevant Indian agencies to closely coordinate with Vietnam to promptly and effectively implement the important outcomes of the visit.

For his part, Prime Minister Modi highly appreciated the results of the recent India visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, describing it as strategically significant and opening a new era in bilateral cooperation. To realise these expectations, he stressed the importance of effectively implementing the signed commitments and agreements, and called on the foreign ministries of both countries to coordinate closely in monitoring and advancing implementation efforts.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang held bilateral meetings with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. (Photo: Bao Chi)

To achieve this expectation, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the necessity of effectively implementing the commitments and agreements signed and suggested that the Foreign Ministries of the two countries closely coordinate, actively urge, and promote.

On this occasion, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang held bilateral meetings with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ugandan Foreign Minister Odongo Jeje Abubakhar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergey Lukashevich, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Waleed Bin Abdulkarm El Kheiji, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria Dunoma Umar Ahmed, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar.

During the meetings, leaders of the Foreign Ministries of the countries expressed their impression and congratulated the economic achievements that Vietnam has attained. Sharing about the development plans and visions of each country, the parties agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation to best utilize investment, trade, and cooperation opportunities in fields such as finance, education-training, science-technology... to bring practical benefits, contributing to the development of each nation.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang held bilateral meetings with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Waleed Bin Abdulkarm El Kheiji. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang and leaders of the Foreign Ministries of the countries agreed to coordinate in reviewing and effectively implementing the signed cooperation agreements in high-level activities, promoting specific cooperation contents in the near future, facilitating businesses to exchange, expand cooperation, contributing to deepening Vietnam's relations with partner countries.

On this occasion, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang and the working delegation laid flowers at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh at G20 Park in New Delhi and worked with officials of the Vietnamese Embassy in India.

Some images of Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang's activities in India:

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang meets with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria Dunoma Umar Ahmed. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang meets with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang meets with First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergey Lukashevich. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang meets with Ugandan Foreign Minister Odongo Jeje Abubakhar. (Photo: Bao Chi)