The year 2020 shall see Viet Nam celebrating a multitude of major anniversaries and political events. The entire Party, people and army will be striving to successfully realize the Social and Economic Development Plan (SEDP) for 2016-2020 and the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress. Party congresses at all levels leading up to the 13th Party Congress will also be held. In this context, Viet Nam will, for the first time, be entrusted with a dual weighty responsibilities: ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 and UNSC non-permanent membership for 2020-2021.
ASEAN, with its centrality in the evolving regional architecture, has been held in high esteem by countries within and beyond the region, who wish to bolster their relations with the Association. Four years since its establishment, the ASEAN Community, the common roof shared by 650 million citizens, has grown in all regards, including an expanded connectivity, internally and with its partners alike.
At the global level, throughout the last three quarters of a century, the UN Security Council has asserted its role as the principal organ of the UN, the largest international organization comprising 193 member states, in the maintenance of international peace and security, thereby consolidating the role of the UN in this critical regard.
Our determination to successfully fulfill both responsibilities – ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 and UNSC non-permanent membership for 2020-2021 – highlights the consistency in our pursuit of the foreign policy line of independence and self-reliance for peace, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralization of external relations, and proactive and vigorous international integration as set by the 12th Party Congress. It also embodies our aspiration, as a responsible member of the international community, to contribute to peace and development in the region and the world. The efforts will help Viet Nam secure a peaceful and stable environment and maximize the factors conducive to our national construction and defense, thereby achieving rapid and sustainable development, and earning our country a higher international profile.
 Recognizing this correlation, we have identified “Cohesive and Responsive” as the theme of the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020, and “Viet Nam: Partnership for Sustainable Peace” as our motto upon assuming a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the 2020 – 2021 tenure. Through these watchwords, at these premier regional and global forums, we will be working in coordination with fellow member states, friends and partners with focus on the following main directions:
 First, to uphold the common interests of the region and the international community: peace, cooperation and development. Heeding the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh, “A cause is made through one-mindedness”, the initiatives and priorities that we set at ASEAN and the UNSC reflect the common denominator of interest among all member states, including ourselves, while keeping it harmonious with the interest of our regional and international partners.
 Second, to champion the role of multilateralism, the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of international law for a more peaceful, fairer and better world. In particular, this will also be an opportune occasion to improve the effectiveness of collaboration and the Comprehensive Partnership between ASEAN and the UN for the common interest of both the ASEAN countries and the international community.
Third, to proactively and vigorously engage in efforts to address the common global and regional challenges, particularly those directly affecting the interest of the countries and the region such as peace, security, stability, sustainable development, climate change, sea level rise, war legacy issues and post-conflict reconstruction, among others.
We regard this as both an immense honor and a huge responsibility and challenge. It shall require the collective engagement of the entire political system, the entire Party, people and army. The support and assistance from our friends and the international community are also much needed to fulfill the duties. Both the central and local authorities must all share the understanding that this is a paramount political undertaking of the Party and the State in 2020. Close and smooth coordination throughout the political system, particularly among the agencies directly engaged in foreign affairs, are required to successfully realize all the set missions and targets.
Viet Nam is enjoying a new standing and new power after nearly 35 years of reform. The entire Party, people and army are carrying within ourselves the strength of solidarity and unity in will. The ASEAN fellow member states, our friends and the international community are providing us with valuable support and effective collaboration. As such, we have every reason for confidence that Viet Nam will fulfill the weighty, yet noble mandates as the ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a UNSC non-permanent member for 2020-2021, thereby contributing significantly to the peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large./.