The Prime Minister's speech on challenges to peace and security.

One of the events that received significant attention and high praise from leading German and European scholars and researchers during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's visit to the Federal Republic of Germany was the Vietnamese Prime Minister's speech on the afternoon of October 15th at the Koerber Institute in Berlin, concerning challenges to peace, security, and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the development of the Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership within the overall context of Asia-Europe relations.

We are pleased to present the full text of this speech by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung:

The Prime Minister speaks at the Koerber Institute. Photo source: Koerber Institute

Dear Dr. Vemail, Vice President of the Koerber Institute.

Ambassadors,

Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank the Koerber Institute for giving me the opportunity to exchange views with you – leading politicians and researchers from Germany – on issues and challenges to peace, security, and development in the Asia-Pacific region, and the development of the Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership within the overall context of Asia-Europe relations. Our exchange takes place within the space of initiatives, ideas, and philosophies on dialogue for peace, cooperation, and mutual understanding, as Mr. Koerber envisioned when he founded the Institute.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Peace, cooperation, and development remain the dominant trends. The global economy has overcome the crisis and is entering a recovery phase towards sustainable development. However, the world still faces many concerns and challenges, along with rapid, complex, and unpredictable developments. Risks from armed conflict, territorial disputes, the use of force and threats of force, the rise of terrorism, as well as non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, epidemics, and water security are becoming increasingly acute.

In recent years, the Asia-Pacific region has emerged as a driving force for global economic growth and integration, transforming it into a new center of power, a major economic hub accounting for nearly 55% of global GDP and playing a crucial role in shaping the future world order.

However, this region still faces many challenges; most notably, the complex developments in hotspots such as the Korean Peninsula, territorial disputes, especially in the South China Sea and East China Sea... and worryingly, the lack of trust – a key factor preventing truly sustainable peace and stability here. If the environment of peace, security, and development in the Asia-Pacific deteriorates, it will have very negative impacts and unpredictable consequences for both the region and the entire world – conversely, a positive outcome will be a great joy and happiness for all of us.

These risks and challenges demand a high level of responsibility, cooperation, and effort from each nation, the region, and the entire world. No single nation, including leading powers, can solve them alone. To maintain sustainable peace and stability in the region, we believe that goodwill and shared responsibility from all countries are necessary.

Every nation, large or small, in addition to looking after its own interests, must also be concerned with the common issues of the world and the legitimate interests of other countries. This is the fundamental understanding that enables nations to strengthen friendly relations, promote cooperation mechanisms, build trust, and resolve disagreements peacefully, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law.

Countries need to further enhance the role of multilateral institutions and work together to build a stable and sustainable regional structure and institutions; serving as both a foundation and a primary driving force for cooperation, while also being capable of effectively responding to risks and challenges.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are deeply aware that Vietnam's peace and development are closely linked to the peace and prosperity of the entire region. Vietnam's top priority is maintaining a peaceful and stable environment to focus on national development and improving the lives of its people. At the same time, we are making responsible contributions to addressing common regional and global issues and challenges.

After nearly 30 years of Doi Moi (Renovation), Vietnam has successfully transformed its centrally planned, subsidized economy into a socialist-oriented market economy. From a poor, underdeveloped country heavily devastated by wars of aggression, Vietnam has risen to become a middle-income developing nation.

Over 25 years (1986-2010), we achieved an average annual GDP growth rate of 7%. During the global financial crisis and economic recession, Vietnam still maintained a GDP growth rate of 5.6% for three years (2011-2013). In 2014, GDP increased by approximately 6%, and per capita income reached over US$2,000.

With stable socio-political and macroeconomic conditions, guaranteed social security, and the achievement of many of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule, Vietnam is perfecting the rule of law, strongly promoting the democratic rights of its people, and continuing to urgently develop a comprehensive market economy; accelerating economic restructuring, innovating the growth model, improving productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness, aiming for sustainable development with an average GDP growth target of 6-7% per year during the 2016-2020 period.

Vietnam is actively integrating deeply with the region and the world, with economic integration being the focus and main driving force. Vietnam became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007. To date, we have participated in eight free trade agreements and are actively contributing to the building of the ASEAN Economic Community 2015.

We are also negotiating six high-standard free trade agreements, the most important of which are the Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) and the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). International integration, alongside its difficulties and challenges, has opened up many favorable opportunities for Vietnam to accelerate development, reform, and participate more effectively in global production and value chains.

Vietnam is an active and constructive member, making responsible contributions to the activities of many multilateral organizations and forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, WTO... We have participated in UN peacekeeping operations (PKO) and are striving to assume important responsibilities in several key mechanisms and forums such as the UN Human Rights Council and the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)... The current situation and conditions have allowed us to shift from a mindset of "active participation" to "proactively contributing to building and shaping common rules of the game," more clearly demonstrating our responsibility towards regional and global issues and challenges.

We consistently pursue an independent, self-reliant, diversified, and multilateral foreign policy. Vietnam is a friend and a reliable partner of all nations for peace and development. We continuously strive to build good friendly relations and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with all partners, especially neighboring countries, ASEAN countries, strategic partners, comprehensive partners, and traditional partners.

Vietnam's consistent policy is not to ally with one country against another. We are steadfast in defending our legitimate interests, while sincerely wishing to work with other countries to build strategic trust – a sustainable and long-lasting mutual trust – based on the United Nations Charter and international law; respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; resolving disputes through peaceful means; cooperating on an equal and mutually beneficial basis; and making positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Vietnam welcomes all policies of major powers towards the Asia-Pacific region if those policies respect international law and regional institutions, do not impose coercion, do not infringe upon the independence and sovereignty of nations, promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, and make positive contributions to peace, security, and development in the region.

As an active member of the ASEAN Community to be formed in 2015, Vietnam is deeply concerned about the future of the regional structure and ASEAN's central role. The current structure is still in a formative and transitional phase, with many multi-layered mechanisms and forums such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+). To ensure peace, security, and development in the region, the Asia-Pacific needs a sustainable structure with a system of feasible principles and institutions consistent with international law. Within that structure, ASEAN needs to continue to affirm its central, leading, and closely connected role, building strategic trust among all relevant partners.

One issue currently receiving much attention is the complex situation in the South China Sea. Peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea are common interests of countries both within and outside the region. This is where international shipping lanes are located, carrying approximately 50% of global seaborne cargo – a large portion of which flows between Europe and East Asia.

Recent instability and tensions have clearly shown that this benefit can only be guaranteed when all countries, especially those with direct sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, seriously abide by international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, refrain from unilateral actions that further complicate the situation, do not use force or threaten to use force, fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and promptly develop a Code of Conduct (COC).

With its tradition of peaceful coexistence and consistent foreign policy, Vietnam has always steadfastly advocated for resolving disputes through peaceful means, based on respect for international law and regional norms of conduct. While affirming and resolutely defending the sacred territorial sovereignty of the country in accordance with international law, we always proactively act appropriately and seize every opportunity to reduce tensions, restore trust, promote friendly cooperation, and strive for dialogue to find a fundamental and long-term solution to the East Sea issue.

Over the past period, public opinion worldwide, the governments of many countries, international organizations, the United Nations, the European Union (EU), the G7 group of countries, the ASEAN Community, etc., have strongly voiced their support for Vietnam's just stance – consistent with international law – on the East Sea issue. On this occasion, we would like to sincerely thank our friends around the world – in Europe, in Germany – for their positive, objective voices and practical contributions to peace and security in the region.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Having weathered the ups and downs of the economic and political landscape in Europe and the world, Germany has affirmed its increasingly prominent position at both continental and global levels. Germany has not only proven to be a leading economic engine pulling Europe out of crisis and recession, but also plays a crucial role and has a significant voice in major political, security, and peacekeeping issues in Europe and the world. Vietnam supports a strong Germany with an active and responsible role in global peace, security, and development.

Although geographically distant and possessing different histories and socio-economic characteristics, Vietnam and Germany have both strived to overcome numerous difficulties to enjoy peace, development, and a good friendship today. The German people have supported Vietnam throughout its struggle for national independence, reunification, and development.

The relationship between the two countries has made solid progress and is developing very favorably, especially since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2011. In 2015, we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany (1975-2015). The scale and depth of the strategic partnership are clearly demonstrated through high-level visits, dialogue mechanisms at all levels, and effective cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, development cooperation, politics, diplomacy, defense, security, culture, education, people-to-people exchanges... and active coordination at important multilateral forums such as the United Nations, ASEM, and ASEAN-EU.

Germany is currently Vietnam's largest trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching nearly US$8 billion, accounting for over 20% of Vietnam's total trade with the EU. Germany is also one of the largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) donors to Vietnam. We welcome the influx of investment capital from Germany, with many high-quality FDI projects featuring modern, environmentally friendly technologies, including many renowned German corporations and companies such as Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, Braun, Bosch, etc.

German universities are currently hosting over 4,000 Vietnamese students and researchers. A community of over 100,000 Vietnamese people live, study, and work in Germany, along with over 100,000 German speakers in Vietnam, including many generations of students and researchers who have studied in Germany. These communities have made significant contributions to the prosperity of both countries and fostered friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and Germany.

Today, Chancellor Angela Merkel and I had a very successful meeting, agreeing on many important strategic cooperation directions linked to specific action plans to deepen and strengthen the strategic partnership between our two countries. This focuses on five key areas: strategic political cooperation; trade and investment; justice and law; development and environmental protection; and education, science and technology, culture, media, and social affairs.

Vietnam will work with Germany to elevate bilateral dialogue mechanisms, striving to strengthen cooperation for sustainable development, especially in sectors where both sides have strengths and needs, such as energy development, green and clean technologies, manufacturing, public transport, finance and banking, consumer goods, and agricultural and aquatic products.

2015, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany, also marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between Vietnam and the European Union. I am pleased to see that the Vietnam-Germany relationship has played a crucial role in every step of the development of Vietnam-EU relations.

Vietnam highly appreciates Germany's goodwill and positive efforts in the negotiation, signing, and ratification of the Vietnam-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), and currently the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). On October 13, 2014, in Brussels, I and Mr. Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission, announced our agreement on the direction for concluding the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations, with optimism that both sides will soon sign the Agreement in early 2015.

The 10th ASEM Summit, soon to open in Milan, Italy, will discuss many strategic cooperation issues between the two continents and globally. In this process, ASEAN-EU cooperation is the core and driving force of cooperation between the two continents. Our two countries, Vietnam – as an active member of ASEAN – and Germany – as a key member of the EU, need to strive for closer cooperation to jointly contribute to the strong development of ASEAN-EU cooperation and relations between the two continents, making a positive contribution to peace, stability, and prosperity in both continents. This development will, in turn, create a broader and more effective space for the Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In early 2015, a photo contest organized by the German Academic Exchange Agency (DAAD) will feature an exhibition showcasing photographs of Vietnamese families with two or three generations who have lived, studied, and worked in Germany, along with touching stories of close friendships between Vietnamese and Germans.

Even while in Vietnam, people can visit the Goethe Institute in Hanoi and, soon, the German House in Ho Chi Minh City to learn German, explore German culture, or, for some, simply to relive memories of Germany, where they lived and experienced the warm hospitality of their German friends. These are vivid examples of the human connection between the ordinary, peace-loving people of our two nations. This is also the foundation for the ever-growing and enduring Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

According to VOV