President Luong Cuong, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation are on a visit to attend the High-level General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) and to engage in bilateral activities in the United States.

The Vietnamese state leader’s attendance at UNGA 80 reflects the country’s proactive, active participation and responsible contributions to the UN, helping to assert and enhance Viet Nam’s international standing. It also conveys Viet Nam’s commitment to respecting international law, the UN Charter and the resolution of conflicts through peaceful means.

Meanwhile, President Luong Cuong’s activities in the US aim to deepen relations with the US, fulfil the commitments made between the two countries’ senior leaders, and promote bilateral cooperation, especially in economics, trade, investment, and science and technology.

The UN was formally established on October 24, 1945 with the ratification of its charter. Through the promotion of dialogue and the conduct of negotiations, with the powers conferred by the UN Charter and its unique international standing, the UN has become a mechanism for member states to foster common ground and work together to address challenges, adopting collective decisions on global issues such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, humanitarian and health crises, gender equality, and more.

Over the past 80 years, the UN has grown into the most broadly representative global organisation, with the participation of nearly all independent states in the world. The role and activities of the UN have expanded in every respect, as it strives to realise the principles and purposes it has set forth, thereby bringing about significant and positive impacts on international life and on individual nations. From its original 51 founding members, the UN now has 193 member states.

With the important achievements it has attained, the UN has been recognised by the international community as a global organisation of great significance in international political life and as an indispensable foundation for a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world.

On September 20, 1977, Viet Nam officially joined the United Nations. Over the past nearly 50 years, relations between Viet Nam and the United Nations have been developing positively, becoming increasingly substantive and continuously being consolidated and strengthened. During the period of national reconstruction, post-war recovery, overcoming the blockade and embargo, and gradually integrating into the international community, Viet Nam has always received the companionship and assistance of the United Nations.

Viet Nam–United Nations relations have contributed to protecting and promoting the national interests of Viet Nam, especially in maintaining and consolidating a peaceful, secure, and favourable environment for national development; fostering deeper international integration and contributing to improving Viet Nam’s position and image in the international arena; further deepening Viet Nam’s ties with countries, key partners, and friends; and mobilising an important source of support for national development.

At the same time, Viet Nam has proactively made increasingly practical and active contributions to the United Nations’ activities, including promoting the role of the United Nations and multilateralism, promoting respect for the UN Charter, international law, equal relations, development cooperation among nations, and the right to self-determination of people; opposing oppression, aggression, and unilateral embargo in international relations; and participating in discussions and the adoption of many important resolutions and declarations of the UN on development cooperation, disarmament, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, counter-terrorism, and the protection of human rights.

Viet Nam has been evaluated by the United Nations and the international community as a successful example in implementing the Millennium Development Goals and as a country is committed to and serious about carrying out the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Viet Nam has also actively promoted UN reform initiatives and has notably been recognised as one of the pioneering countries in implementing the UN “Delivering as One” initiative to enhance the effectiveness of the UN’s activities at the national level.

With its contributions, Viet Nam has been trusted and elected to many important positions and bodies of the United Nations, leaving numerous Viet Nam’s “imprints” at agencies such as the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly takes place while the world continues to witness a rapid transition towards a multipolar, multi-centre, and multi-layered order. At the same time, international and regional developments continue to reflect trends of volatility, complexity, and instability due to increased strategic competition, armed conflicts, and non-traditional security challenges.

Additionally, global challenges such as climate change, environmental pollution, biodiversity degradation, pandemics, migration, food security, energy security, cybersecurity, and transnational crime are becoming increasingly severe and unpredictable. Global development agendas, especially the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are facing many difficulties due to resource shortages.

The year 2025 holds special significance as it marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (1945–2025). This year’s session is an important occasion for the international community to review the achievements and lessons learned since the UN’s establishment. This year’s general debate is themed “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights” and is expected to bring together many heads of state and government.

Viet Nam’s Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung

The attendance of President Luong Cuong at the high-level general debate of the 80th UN General Assembly reflects Viet Nam’s support for multilateralism and its regard for the United Nations. It is also an opportunity for Viet Nam to affirm its role as an active, responsible member of the international community, to express its views, share development experiences, and contribute practical initiatives and solutions to common human issues such as peace, stability, sustainable development, and climate change response.

In 1995, Viet Nam and the US officially normalised relations, marking a historic milestone that opened a new chapter in bilateral ties, closing the past and looking towards the future. With the determination of the leaders of both countries and the tireless efforts of people from all walks of life, Viet Nam–US relations have seen increasingly positive development, recording many important accomplishments across all fields, from politics, security, and economics to culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. The two countries established a comprehensive partnership in 2013 and upgraded it to a comprehensive strategic partnership ten years later.

Leaders of both countries have emphasised that the foremost factors for the development of Viet Nam–US relations are full respect for the fundamental principles guiding bilateral relations, including respect for the United Nations Charter, international law, and each other’s political system, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The leaders agreed to continue strengthening delegation exchanges and contacts across all channels and levels, especially at the high level.

In economy, trade and investment, the two countries have achieved notable results. Bilateral trade turnover has continued to grow strongly. The US has given high priority to reciprocal trade negotiations with Viet Nam, and both sides have soon reached high-level common understanding to orient specific negotiations aimed at ensuring more sustainable and balanced trade.

Among the fields of cooperation between Viet Nam and the US, cooperation in overcoming war consequences continues to be a priority. Activities such as the search for US servicemen missing in action (MIA), the search for Vietnamese martyrs, dioxin remediation, and support for people with disabilities have been further promoted.

The Vietnamese side has proactively and actively coordinated with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in implementing the memorandum of intent on cooperation to enhance capacity in war remains identification. The two sides signed an action plan on cooperation to strengthen Viet Nam’s capacity in war remains identification.

The participation of President Luong Cuong and his spouse, along with the high-level Vietnamese delegation, in the General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly was of great significance, reaffirming Viet Nam’s strong commitment to multilateralism and the core values of the United Nations. At the same time, the bilateral activities with the US conducted by the Vietnamese high-level delegation on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations will help to further advance Viet Nam–United States relations in a deeper and more effective, substantive and comprehensive manner in the time ahead.

Published: September 2025
Production managers: CHU HONG THANG - PHAM TRUONG SON
Content: NGUYEN HA - MINH HANG
Translation: NDO
Design: HOA AN
Sources of reference: MOFA, VNA