President Truong Tan Sang’s recent participation in the United Nations (UN) Summit and his official visit to Cuba demonstrate clearly Vietnam as an active, trustful partner and responsible member in global affairs of peace, cooperation and development. Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc made the remarks in an interview granted to the press following the President’s activities in the US city of New York and Cuba from September 24 to 30. He continued to say that the UN Summit for the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was the biggest and most significant global event on development since the 2000 Summit that adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This year’s Summit aimed to devise a new global agenda for the next 15 years replacing the MDGs set for the 2000 – 2015 period. It was more important when the UN celebrates its 70 th founding anniversary, giving countries a chance to review the organisation’s role and map out future operation orientations. Unlike the MDGs which focus on tackling social matters, the 2015 Summit’s outcome document entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” composes of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 accompanied targets, creating a new development orientation for all countries on the pillars of economic growth, social equity and environmental protection. Ngoc added that President Truong Tan Sang and his entourage joined their counterparts from 192 other UN member nations at the Summit and practically contributed to SDGs negotiations. In his address, the President underlined major challenges threatening global peace, security and sustainable development while asserting Vietnam’s commitment to exerting all efforts to successfully realising the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. He considered ensuring peace and security in line with international law as an essential prerequisite for SDGs achievement in all nations, calling for their high political resolve and utmost efforts to optimise their own potential and combine the SGDs in all people-centred development policies and strategies. Ngoc said the speech also emphasised Vietnam’s endeavours to work with other ASEAN nations to maintain regional peace and security, including maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea, so as to create a favourable environment for sustainable development. Besides the Summit’s plenary session, President Truong Tan Sang shared Vietnam’s experience in sustainable rural development and gender equality promotion at other sidelines events. At the UN Peacekeeping Summit, he announced that Vietnam will send level-two field hospitals and sappers to take part in UN peacekeeping forces in the near future. Deputy Minister Ngoc said other countries regarded Vietnam as a symbol of national independence struggle and also an example of socio-economic development. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told President Truong Tan Sang at their meeting that Vietnam is an active contributor to negotiations on the Summit’s outcome document and one of the eight pioneers in implementing the “One UN” initiative. It also has a strong political commitment to the MDGs realisation and succeeded in reducing poverty. Ngoc cited Ban as saying that the world will successfully accomplish the SDGs in the new period if all countries make effective efforts like Vietnam. During the interview, the diplomat highlighted the Vietnamese delegation’s bilateral meetings with its equivalents of nearly 20 countries where they exchanged views on international issues of mutual concern and ways to boost bilateral relations and coordination at multilateral forums, especially the UN. The Vietnamese delegation also held a number of important activities in coordination with the US such as a policy dialogue, a business discussion on possible impacts of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, and meetings with the US Trade Representative and Under Secretary of State, Ngoc added, underlining the events’ role in concretising outcomes of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s July visit to the US and deepening the nations’ comprehensive partnership. During the following official visit to Cuba, the two countries’ leaders agreed to continually increase all-level visits and meetings and underscored substantive exchanges on development experience in order to improve mutual understanding and trust, Deputy Minister Ngoc said. They also concurred in furthering the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms, particularly the inter-Governmental committee on economic-trade and scientific-technical cooperation, ultimately intensifying economic, trade and investment partnership. Cuba affirmed its willingness to act as a bridge linking Vietnam and other Latin American and Caribbean countries. Both sides pointed up the necessity to further mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums so as to raise their stature and contribute to peace, stability and cooperation in the two regions and the world at large. During the visit, President Truong Tan Sang was presented with the Order of Jose Marti – Cuba’s noblest award granted to foreigners – and visited local schools named after late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and revolutionaries Nguyen Van Troi and Vo Thi Thang. Successful participation in the UN Summit and visit to Cuba by the President have helped promote Vietnam’s global standing and bolster her multifaceted cooperation with the UN as well as nations around the world, Ngoc concluded.-VNA