Vietnam calls for dialogues, citizen protection in Ukraine

Vietnam at the United Nations General Assembly called on related parties to resume dialogues and seek long-term measures for disputes in Ukraine.

Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations Dang Hoang Giang speaks at the UN special session on March 1. Photo: VNA

Expressing deep concerns about the armed conflicts there, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations Dang Hoang Giang called for restraint and ending the use of force at the emergency special session held between February 28 and March 2.

Accordingly, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang welcomed the dialogue held on February 28 between the two delegations of Ukraine and Russia and hoped that relevant parties would continue to maintain dialogue towards the above solution.

In addition, Giang emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the people, protect essential infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law, and asked the international community to promote humanitarian aid for civilians.

The ambassador suggested relevant parties ensure security and safety for the expatriate communities living in Ukraine, including the Vietnamese community, and create favorable conditions for the evacuation of Vietnamese citizens.

Sharing from its own history of experiencing painful and longstanding wars, Vietnam finds that wars and conflicts often stem from outdated doctrines of political arrogance, ambitions to dominate, impose and use force to settle international disputes, according to the ambassador’s speech.

He affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance on settling international disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, especially provisions on security and peace among countries.

Vietnam is among 115 countries addressing the special session which was mandated by a February 27 vote in the Security Council, following its failure to adopt a resolution condemning the Russian Federation’s recent actions in Ukraine. It’s the 11th meeting of its kind in the United Nations 77-year history.

Give peace a chance

At the meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said “The fighting in Ukraine must stop now,” affirming that the United Nations stands with the people of Ukraine, including more than 500,000 who crossed the country’s borders fleeing relentless attacks by Russian forces. He warned of potentially dire consequences for the world at large.

He said the organization has been already providing humanitarian assistance to some 3 million people on both sides of the contact line. “We are fully committed to staying and delivering,” he said, calling on all sides to uphold their obligations to allow safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian aid and on the world’s nations to mobilize support.

President of the General Assembly Abdulla Shahid called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint and return to diplomacy and dialogue. “Let’s demonstrate that moral courage and use today’s debate not to whip up war rhetoric, but to give peace a chance,” he stressed.

Throughout the debate, many delegates voiced their views on a draft resolution to be taken up by the Assembly later this week, which is similar to the text which was vetoed by the Russian Federation in the Security Council.  Should the resolution pass by a majority vote, it is widely expected to condemn the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.