Viet Nam has emerged from war-torn nation to an economic powerhouse in the region. (Photo: VNA)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has described Viet Nam as a prime example of how reform, courage, and determination could transform its harsh circumstances into a remarkable development success story.
In an online interview with Viet Nam News Agency's correspondents in Tel Aviv on the occasion of Viet Nam’s 80th National Day (September 2), Barak reflected on his impressions on the country’s trajectory since the launch of Doi moi (renewal) in 1986, calling it “a typical success story of development.”
Barak said that Viet Nam possesses a unique energy, focus, unity, and aspiration for development that become apparent during his visit in 2022, stressing Doi moi was not only a policy shift but also a strategic transformation that required breaking away from dogma while safeguarding political legacy, making Viet Nam’s flexible and rapid changes admirable.
Reflecting on the four-decade journey, Barak said Viet Nam has demonstrated to the world that with the right strategy, commitment to embracing changes, and courageous spirit, even the most challenging background could lead to extraordinary success. He praised the country’s achievements in lifting millions of people out of poverty and setting sights on high-income nation status in the next two decades.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (Photo: AP)
Viet Nam is on the right track, he said, expressing his confidence that the country will attain comprehensive development by its centennial in 2045.
Barak reserved particular admiration for Vietnamese leaders in the past and at present. He described President Ho Chi Minh as a great figure, whose writings and thoughts revealed extraordinary depth in strategy, diplomacy, and geopolitics. He also praised General Vo Nguyen Giap for his creativity and military talent. However, he said that even exceptional leaders require a people willing to sacrifice and pursue shared ideals. True leadership means channeling national spirit but without collective determination and resilience, strategies remain meaningless.
Regarding the Viet Nam – Israel relations, he said Viet Nam have transformed dramatically since it opened door, revealing its strength and resilience to the world. The Israeli people have admired Viet Nam for the struggle for national independence as well as ability to transform the spirit into exceptional development progress.
Entrepreneurs in Israel, he noted, have seen enormous potential in Viet Nam, especially in innovation, despite cultural and business differences. He expressed his belief that the country’s reform-driven mindset will allow it to establish a clear foothold in the global innovation map.
Loading containers onto a 200,000 DWT vessel at Gemalink International Terminal, Phu My township, former Ba Ria-Vung Tau province (now part of Ho Chi Minh City). (Photo: VNA)
German scholar confident in Viet Nam's prosperity
Viet Nam’s early completion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and its active pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demonstrate strong governance, inclusive policies, and effective global cooperation, said Ludwig Graf Westarp, Vice President of the Viet Nam– Germany Association.
In an interview with the Viet Nam News Agency's correspondent in Berlin on the occasion of the 80th National Day (September 2, 1945 – 2025), Westarp, who is a lecturer at Dortmund University of Technology and once served as Chief Representative of the German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Viet Nam, said these achievements have improved living standards, reduced inequality, and promoted sustainable growth, laying the foundation for a happier and more prosperous Viet Nam.
Westarp, who first visited Viet Nam in 2012, said the Southeast Asian country and its people have greatly enriched his life. Since then, both his career and family have developed strong ties with Viet Nam.
According to the German scholar, after nearly 40 years of the Doi moi (Renewal) process, Viet Nam has transformed from a poor, agriculture-based country into a fast-growing, globally integrated middle-income economy. Rising GDP, industrialisation, and trade expansion have reduced poverty and improved infrastructure, while enhancing social welfare, expanding healthcare and education, and raising living standards.
Processing agricultural products for export. (Photo: VNA)
Westarp highlighted Viet Nam’s emergence as a “middle power” with increasing international influence. The country has twice served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, held ASEAN Chairmanship in 1998, 2010 and 2020, hosted APEC Years in 2006 and 2017, and is currently a member of the UN Human Rights Council. It has also joined major trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU–Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), while upgrading ties with the US, Japan, and Australia. These steps place Viet Nam at the centre of regional discussions on supply chains, digital trade, climate, and security.
Viet Nam’s contributions to UN peacekeeping have grown from its first deployment in 2014 to regular troop rotations. As ASEAN Chair in 2020 under the theme “Cohesive and Responsive,” the country helped establish mechanisms to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosting APEC in 2017, it led the adoption of the Da Nang Declaration on inclusive, rules-based growth.
The country has also pursued an independent foreign policy, combined with the “Four No's” defence policy, and maintained a maritime position based on international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This approach allows Viet Nam to expand partnerships while safeguarding autonomy and minimising the risk of overdependence, Westarp noted.
From a war-torn nation to a country that helps shape international rules, engages actively in trade, and participates in peacekeeping operations, Viet Nam today serves as a flexible “bridge” between major powers and the Southern Hemisphere, which is trustworthy enough to assume important diplomatic roles while maintaining an independent and self-reliant foreign policy, he emphasised.
However, the scholar cautioned that Viet Nam still faces challenges, including the risk of the “middle-income trap,” productivity gaps, uneven regional development, and environmental pressures. Climate change, resource constraints, and global geopolitical tensions require agile policy responses, while domestic reforms in law, governance, and technology are needed to sustain growth.
Viet Nam’s 80-year journey has created unity, economic strength, and international standing for a new era of development. To seize opportunities in digital growth, green transition, and high-value industries, the country must overcome structural weaknesses, environmental pressures, and global uncertainties through reforms, innovation, and sustainable strategies, Westarp added./.
Source: VNA
