United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his wife have arrived in Hanoi.

This afternoon, May 22, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his wife landed at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), beginning an official visit to Vietnam.

At the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang, on May 22, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his wife began an official visit to Vietnam. Taking place in the context of many changes in the world, the visit to Vietnam by the UN Chief is expected to contribute to strengthening the Vietnam-UN relationship and multifaceted cooperation with the UN; thereby, promoting peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

First of all, it can be said that 2015 is a year with many important milestones and activities of the UN. These include the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN, the completion of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the effort to reach a new international agreement to respond to climate change by the end of 2015. In the context of the current volatile world, the UN has an increasingly larger role in maintaining global peace and stability, with a greater role in promoting multilateralism, international law, peaceful resolution of conflicts and responding to non-traditional security challenges.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his wife during his visit to Vietnam in 2010 (Photo: Reuters)

Officially joining the United Nations on September 20, 1977, Vietnam has become an active and responsible member of the United Nations. By successfully assuming the position of non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 term, and successfully assuming the position of member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term, Vietnam has been actively participating in UN peacekeeping activities, UN reform initiatives, and the Delivering as One UN Initiative. The Green One UN House in Vietnam is the first common house of the UN in the world, which is Vietnam's specific and outstanding contribution to the UN reform process.

Before visiting Vietnam, in an interview with the press, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon emphasized that “Vietnam is one of the active members of the UN and he is very happy to visit Vietnam again”. Mr. Ban Ki-moon also shared that he still remembers his visit in 2010 to attend the UN-ASEAN Summit and meet with the leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam. He thanked Vietnam for supporting the “One UN” reform initiative.

Previously, during his visit to Vietnam in May 2006, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan also spent 3 days visiting Hanoi. The image of a smiling UN Secretary General walking around the old town, visiting the Temple of Literature and waving to the capital's people, is perhaps one of the most beautiful images of the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the UN.

This is also the reason why the UN chose Vietnam to implement its reform initiatives. And Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will also be the first UN Secretary-General to inaugurate the Green One UN Building - an environmentally friendly building in Hanoi.

Taking place in that context, the visit to Vietnam by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this time is of special significance to the Vietnam-UN bilateral relationship. Accordingly, the visit will contribute to strengthening the Vietnam-UN relationship and multifaceted cooperation with the UN; promoting issues of mutual concern; improving the effectiveness of using UN support resources to implement the Post-2015 Development Agenda, especially in the field of environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation programs...

With this visit, Vietnam believes that the Vietnam-UN relationship will develop further. Vietnam pledges to continue being an active and dynamic member of the UN, and together with the UN, contribute to maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and the world./.

According to VOV