While this is not a permanent membership, the two-year membership will be a test to see if Vietnam is ready or not to take on bigger roles on an international scale. Vietnam’s Prime Minister was very active in the UN talks with Burma. While Vietnam is still a Communist country, it has gone quite the way towards integrating with the rest of the world.
This will be a very challenging role for Vietnam which was isolated from the international scene in the past. Vietnam and four other countries were selected in October to be temporary members of the UN Security Council.
Excitement was triggered amongst the locals of Vietnam that see it as a sign of being equal with much bigger neighbors.
“It is a great honour and prestige for Vietnam, to be given such responsibility,” according to Thieu Thi Tao, a Vietnam War veteran.
“During the war, we could never dream of this,” added Thieu.
“One of the biggest challenges will be the direct pressure from major countries as well as the impact from other countries in the process of casting votes, when it comes to issues of regional security,” according to Vietnam’s first deputy minister of foreign affairs, Pham Binh Minh.
Another big challenge would be on how to deal with the five permanent members of the council. China is one of those members.
Recently, the relations between China and Vietnam have sunk. China has been concerned with the anti-China demonstrations taking place within Vietnam.
Recently, hundreds of Vietnamese youths staged public protests in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City responding to a decision allegedly made by China to put in a new administrative city to control three archipelagos in the South China Sea. Vietnam has claimed two of those archipelagos.
Big demonstrations such as this are rare in Vietnam.
According to experts, Vietnam will need to resolve this decision and it has to be done quickly if it is able to work with China in the UN Security Council.
While Vietnam lacks the experience, it is learning fast. The country has contributed more to international efforts to pacify trouble spots such as Burma and North Korea. So far, Vietnam has played an active role in negotiating with the region at the same time opposing sanctions against the junta.
Currently, Vietnam is also in a good position in to talk with North Korea. Vietnam has hosted many meetings with North Korea on the controversial nuclear program.
This move is popular both domestically and internationally.