The Ambassador and Uncle Sau Khai's advice: "You must translate all my ideas and feelings"
(Baonghean.vn) - We respectfully introduce the sharing of Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Sanh Chau with Nghe An Newspaper about former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. Mr. Pham Sanh Chau is a famous diplomat, who was a close interpreter from the time when Phan Van Khai was Deputy Prime Minister until he became Prime Minister.
Reporter:Mr. Pham Sanh Chau, as someone who was closely associated with former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, could you share your own feelings about the leader whom you had many opportunities to accompany, serve, bond with, and who had a great impact on your diplomatic career?
Mr. Pham Sanh Chau:Prime Minister Phan Van Khai is a very careful person in foreign affairs. Every time he travels abroad or receives international guests, he prepares his speech very carefully.
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| Prime Minister Phan Van Khai is known as the first Vietnamese leader to meet and contact the US President. In the photo, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau stands 4th from left, after former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. Photo provided by Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau. |
Right before meeting the client, he also sat down at his desk to review his work for the last time. As his interpreter, I prepared my notes as carefully as he did, to the point where I knew exactly what he would say and what his thoughts would be if asked suddenly. However, the way he expressed himself would depend on the content, the context, and the conversation partner.
Reporter:Can you share a memory that left a deep and strong impression on you about the decisiveness, talent and mettle of the head of government that you witnessed directly?
Mr. Pham Sanh Chau:In the 1998 Informal ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam aimed to ensure the success of the conference in terms of organization, protocol, and logistics, and to build consensus to adopt the Hanoi Declaration, defining the vision for the entire Association. Vietnam also wanted to actively contribute to realizing the dream of ASEAN leaders to admit all 10 Southeast Asian member countries, first of all, admitting Cambodia into ASEAN at this Summit.
According to Mr. Pham Sanh Chau, former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was a Vietnamese politician belonging to the first generation of technocratic leaders of Vietnam. He wisely steered the Vietnamese economic ship through the most turbulent economic period in the region caused by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, sustaining the average annual growth rate of 7% of the Vietnamese economy during his 9 years as Prime Minister.
However, the political instability in Cambodia in 1997 made several ASEAN countries skeptical, leading to disagreement in accepting Cambodia.
Uncle Sau Khai then called me and instructed: "You must translate all my ideas and feelings so that in the end they will have to accept my proposal."
The Foreign Ministerial level discussion chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam lasted until midnight at the Daewoo Hotel but failed to reach an agreement on Cambodia’s admission. The issue was referred to senior leaders for resolution.
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| Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (sitting in the middle) and overseas Vietnamese students studying in New Zealand in 1999. Mr. Pham Sanh Chau is standing first on the right. Photo courtesy |
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai tried three times to convince each leader who had different opinions. The third time, he fought more fiercely and showed a resolute attitude, although very polite. I still remember having to use very sharp and sweet words to argue for the necessity of admitting the remaining three countries, including Cambodia, into ASEAN for the benefit of each country and the whole region.
When the countries still had different opinions, the Prime Minister kept his voice serious but his face was downcast, his thick eyebrows were raised. I could not show this expression of his so I turned up the volume to express my dissatisfaction on his behalf.
"Prime Minister Phan Van Khai went down in history as the first high-ranking Vietnamese leader to officially contact the US president and invite him to Vietnam. Five years later, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was the first Vietnamese leader to officially visit the US."
Finally, the parties reached a compromise plan to declare Cambodia's admission right at the Conference as our original goal, but the admission ceremony would be held six months later.
Every time I think of Cambodia joining ASEAN, I think of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's wholehearted "fighting" efforts not only for Vietnam, for friendship with Cambodia, but also for peace and stability in Southeast Asia and for a prosperous ASEAN community of 10 countries, which more than 15 years later became a reality.
Reporter:Thank you very much for sharing with Nghe An Newspaper!
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| Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau at a UNESCO meeting. File photo. |
In the election for the position of Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the 2017-2021 term, Mr. Pham Sanh Chau was one of seven candidates who made it to the final round of voting. The secret ballot of 58 member countries on October 9, 2017 in Paris (France) within the framework of the 202nd UNESCO Executive Board, chaired by German Ambassador to UNESCO Michael Worbs.
Mr. Pham Sanh Chau is currently Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister on UNESCO issues, Secretary General of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO. He began his diplomatic career in 1983, serving as Ambassador of Vietnam to Belgium, Luxembourg... From 1999 to 2003, he was the youngest person to be appointed as Ambassador, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO, Paris, France.