Speaking to the Viet Nam News Agency ahead of the election scheduled for March 15, the ambassador highlighted Viet Nam’s political stability and the positive public atmosphere surrounding the election.
Marri said one of the most notable impressions he has observed is the enthusiasm and calm confidence among Vietnamese citizens as the election day approaches.
He said he has not sensed any stress or concern from people. So people are very relaxed and carrying on about their daily business, their daily work, without much consideration of any instability or anything like that coming.
“I've seen many elections in many countries and usually there's a lot of stress as to, we don't know what the future is going to bring, we don't know what the people are going to change the country into,” he said.
But here, Viet Nam has had a pretty stable trajectory. They've had trust built up between the government and the people. So people are very calm, they know whatever happens, the government will look at their best interests and take things forward to benefit the country at best.
Marri, who has served in Viet Nam for nearly two years, said the election takes place at a time when the country is pursuing ambitious development goals set out by the Communist Party of Viet Nam and its leadership.
From his observations and interactions with Vietnamese officials, diplomats and policy makers, he believes the country is firmly on the right path towards rapid development.
“I believe Viet Nam has been set on a path to rapid success,” he said. “Like the Year of the Horse, things are expected to move even faster for Viet Nam.”
According to the diplomat, the achievements made by the previous administration have laid an important foundation for future progress.
“All the hard work done over the past years has set the pace for what will come next,” he said, adding that he is eager to see how ideas and development strategies introduced in recent years will be implemented and advanced in the coming period.
During his tenure in Viet Nam, the Ambassador has also witnessed the country’s administrative reforms, particularly the transition from a multi-tier governance structure to a two-tier local government model.
He said the changes are expected to accelerate administrative procedures and improve interaction between government agencies, businesses and foreign diplomatic missions.
“From what I have heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries, this new system helps speed up processes and improve coordination,” he said. “For diplomats like us, it means our work can become quicker and more efficient.”
Marri also believes that the participation of newly elected representatives after the election will help the new governance model operate more smoothly.
"For one, if you're used to one way of working, it's very difficult to change that and work in a different method entirely. So if a new group of people come working in the new method of the government, it'll be easier and perhaps quicker and more natural for them to evolve and adapt to it as well," he said.
Looking ahead, the Ambassador expressed optimism about the future of bilateral relations between Viet Nam and Pakistan, particularly in the field of parliamentary cooperation.
He noted that the issue has frequently been raised by authorities in Pakistan, who are closely watching Viet Nam’s political developments.
The two countries are working to bring their governments and their parliamentary institutions closer together so that they can interact more and exchange experiences, he said.
According to Marri, these efforts are helping lay the groundwork for deeper cooperation between the two countries.
He said Pakistan expects that after the election, relations between Pakistan and Viet Nam will continue to grow, becoming stronger and more effective in the years ahead.
