Vietnamese peacekeepers join peacekeeping operations (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The 22nd Assembly of the WorldPeace Council (WPC) will focus on calling for international solidarity andjoint efforts for peace, cooperation and sustainable development, stated UongChu Luu, Chairman of the Vietnam Peace Committee (VPC), in aninterview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of Vietnam’s hosting of the eventfrom November 20-27.
At the event, Vietnam hopes to promote the image of itsnation and people, especially in the renewal period, and popularise the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, developmentcooperation, multilateralisation and diversification; being friend to allcountries and partners in the principle of not interfering in each other’sinternal affairs and respect to each other’s dependence and self-reliance; andbeing a positive member of the international community.
Luu emphasised that this is also an opportunity for Vietnamto show gratitude to international friends, including the WPC and its memberorganisations over the past seven decades, for accompanying, supporting and showingsolidarity with Vietnamese people both in the past and present.
For Vietnam, the event also provides a chance to enhance theawareness of the community, especially youngsters, of the role and value ofpeace to the national construction and defence, as well as the significance ofinternational solidarity and support from international friends to the successof the Vietnamese revolution.
Highlighting the special historical relationship between the WPCand Vietnam, Luu said that from the very beginning, President Ho Chi Minh and the Party clearly saw the important role of the WPC and the needto connect Vietnam with this international organisation. Vietnam sent 11delegates to participate in the founding Congress of the World Peace Council in1949. The Congress honoured President Ho Chi Minh as the No. 1 soldier for peace and Honorary Chairman of the World Committee for the Peace Protection ofVietnam.
Over the past 70 years, the WPC has always given Vietnamnoble international solidarity and strong support, both the past strugglefor peace, national independence, and liberation and the present renewal,construction and defence of the Fatherland, he said.
Luu also reviewed a number of important milestones in therelations between the WPC and Vietnam.
In 1950, at the WPC’s second Assembly in Warsaw, it issueda statement supporting the Vietnamese people's resistance against the Frenchcolonialists.
In 2017, Vietnam successfully hosted the Conference of theExecutive Committee of the council in Hanoi, with the highlight being thecelebration of the 100th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution.
Uong Chu Luu, Chairman of the Vietnam Peace Committee (Photo: VNA)The WPC established the Ho Chi Minh Prize in 1980, which waspresented to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat the same year and Namibian leader SamNujoma, and Sandinista National Liberation Front of South Africa in 1986. Thishas affirmed the role and prestige of Vietnam and the Vietnam Peace Committeeto the WPC, stated Luu.
Regarding the reason why the WPC chooses Vietnam to host its 22nd Assembly, Luusaid that the role and engagement of Vietnam, a founding member of the WPC, inthe council’s operations have been recognised by international friends and membersof the council.
Vietnam is a peaceful and stable country that is on theprocess of innovation, integration and development, he said, adding that Vietnamesepeople have a tradition of patriotism, love for peace, and are very friendly,hospitable, loyal, and affectionate.
During the past 35 years, the country gained great andcomprehensive achievements in all fields, including the COVID-19 pandemic control. Despitethe global crisis in the past two years, Vietnam still enjoyed positive socio-economicresults. These are among the factors persuading the WPC members that Vietnam is asuitable place to organise the 22nd Assembly, said Luu.
He added that the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations has full capacity and experience to host major multilateral diplomatic events.
Currently, Vietnam has drawn great attention frominternational friends and WPC members who are interested in exploring its achievementsand experience in advancing to socialism. The event is a chance to show thatthe choosing of the Party, State and people of Vietnam is proper, and thevitality of the road to socialism in Vietnam has brought about achievementsthat international friends have recognised and are very impressed with, hesaid.
Luu stressed that today, Vietnam's engagement in worldpeacekeeping has not limited in protesting, preventing new world wars ornuclear wars, minimising arms races, fighting terrorism, racism or inequality, butthe concept of peace keeping and protection has been expanded. Peace is notjust the absence of war, but it is matter of development, the environment,human rights, justice and righteousness.
Vietnam needs to show its participation on a broader scaleto further contribute to the preservation of sustainable peace on this earth,he stressed.
The WPC, an organisation leading the world peace movement, gathers 135 organisations of communist and left-wing parties in more than 100 countries. From an international anti-imperialist movement of the masses, after more than 70 years of development, it has become part of the world peace movement closely cooperating with international movements and countries to promote peace around the globe./.
