Message of 'peace' from the venue of the second US-North Korea summit

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Vietnam for a two-day summit on February 27-28. The event took place on the occasion of Hanoi celebrating 20 years since being recognized by UNESCO as a "City for Peace".

Mr. Hoang Van Nghien - Chairman of Hanoi from 1994 to 2004 said that in 1999 in La Paz (capital of Bolivia), UNESCO awarded the City for Peace award to 5 localities from 5 continents in the world. Hanoi is the only place in the Asia - Pacific region to receive this title because it meets the following criteria: Equality in the community; Urban development; Preserving the living environment; Promoting cultural and educational development; Caring for civic education and the young generation.

"This is an internationally recognized title to recognize Hanoi's contributions in the struggle for peace and urban development," said Mr. Nghien.

Billboards welcoming the US-North Korea summit were erected on many roundabouts of major streets in Hanoi. Photo: PV.

As the person directly in charge of preparing the dossier as requested by UNESCO and coming to receive this title, Mr. Nghien further analyzed that 1999 was the time when the city was preparing to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi.

"This is a city with many cultural and historical values, and is also the capital of a country that has often endured fierce wars. Our ancestors shed blood for generations to give the city peace as it does today," he explained why the capital adopted the new slogan "Hanoi - City for Peace" after being honored by UNESCO.

According to Mr. Nghien, the US-North Korea Summit held in Hanoi on the occasion of the city's 20th anniversary of being recognized by UNESCO has many meanings. "The history of the Korean peninsula has similarities with Vietnam in terms of war and division. There were North Korean soldiers who went to Vietnam to fight and sacrifice. You, like us, have a desire for peace. Vietnam was once hostile to the US, but now the two countries are comprehensive partners. Following the first meeting in Singapore, the US-North Korea Summit in Hanoi shows that the leaders of both sides are making efforts towards peace. These are very meaningful messages," Mr. Nghien shared.

President Trump and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the meeting on the afternoon of February 27. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

Mr. Pham Quang Nghi, former Secretary of Hanoi Party Committeebelieves that the message "Hanoi - city for peace" now needs to be understood in a broader sense as the capital of a peaceful country, ensuring security and safety for people, tourists and important international events.

According to Mr. Nghi, there are many reasons why the US and North Korea chose Hanoi as the venue for the summit, the important reason being that both countries positively evaluated Vietnam's friendly and multilateral foreign policy. "Right after arriving in Vietnam, leaders of both sides thanked us for hosting the summit; highly appreciated Vietnam's responsibility to the international community and world peace," he said.

Mr. Nghi also said that the US - North Korea choosing Hanoi proves the capacity and prestige of the Vietnamese capital when organizing major international events from security, logistics, reception to creating conditions for the press to work...

The former Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee also expressed that this international event will make the capital's people more proud of the "city for peace" and responsible for preserving and promoting that tradition.

Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phu BinhFormerly an embassy official in North Korea, the Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea and Japan also said that the history of US-North Korea and US-Vietnam relations have similarities. Vietnam and the US are former enemies, while US-North Korea relations were once very tense, at times it seemed like war could break out at any moment.

"Vietnam is now a comprehensive partner of the US, with a developed economy and an increasingly high international position. Vietnam's development model and circumstances attract the attention of both the US and North Korea. At the same time, in Hanoi there are both US and North Korean embassies, which is convenient for both sides in terms of logistics, security and information," Mr. Binh said.

The diplomat hopes that after the successful US-North Korea Summit, many countries and international organizations will choose Vietnam as the destination for important events in the future.

North Korean President Kim Jong-un arrived in Vietnam on the morning of February 26. Photo: Giang Huy

Dr. Le Hong Hiep, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singaporeanalysis, Vietnam is the model that the US wants to encourage North Korea to follow. In case Pyongyang is really interested and wants to apply the Vietnamese model as inspiration for innovation, the model will go beyond the national framework, Vietnam's international position will be significantly raised.

"During the conference, images of the venue, especially the places where the North Korean and US delegations appear, will be reported by thousands of international reporters, sending a positive message about Vietnam as peaceful, hospitable, dynamic, and developing. Thereby, foreign investors will be more interested and seek it out," said Mr. Hiep.