On September 11, 2018, Vienna Chapter of the Group of 77 (G77) held a grand commemoration of the 20th anniversary of its establishment in the headquarters of the United Nations (UN). Chairman of the G77 Vienna Chapter Ambassador Carlos Játiva Naranjo and permanent diplomatic envoys of member states of the G77 attended the commemoration. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a congratulatory message to the commemoration. The newly-appointed Permanent Representative of China to the UN (Vienna) Ambassador Wang Qun read out the message at the commemoration.

Wang Yi expressed in the congratulatory message that the G77 is a united front formed by developing counties to realize unity and self-improvement, an important force to maintain common interests of developing countries and improve global governance system, and also a pillar to safeguard multilateralism. Since its establishment 20 years ago, the G77 Vienna Chapter has united with all developing countries to take an active part in multilateral affairs of Vienna, conducted plenty of effective work in such fields as industrial development, peaceful use of nuclear energy, arms control, disarmament, drug control, crackdown on crime, and anti-corruption, and played a significant role in maintaining common interests and increasing international discourse right and influence of developing countries.

Wang Yi pointed out that the current world landscape has been undergoing unprecedented changes. All developing countries have been developing at a rapid speed, and there has been greater balance in global power configuration with South-South cooperation enjoying broader prospects. At the same time, hegemony and power politics persist. Protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise, and traditional and non-traditional security issues remain as complex and interwoven as ever. There is a long road ahead of us to realize global peace and development.

Wang Yi stressed that China is the closest cooperation partner of the G77, cherishes very much the cooperation mechanism of the G77 plus China, and will firmly stand with the G77 as always. No matter how international landscape changes, China will as always, together with the G77 hand in hand and side by side, enhance unity and collaboration, deepen South-South cooperation, jointly safeguard multilateralism, maintain common interests of developing countries, and make positive contributions to the building of a new type of international relations and the community with a shared future for mankind.

Established in Geneva in 1964, the G77 serves as an important coordination mechanism of developing countries in international organizations including the UN and international affairs. The G77 Vienna Chapter was established in May, 1998. China has been conducting cooperation with the G77 in a mode of the G77 plus China, and promoted justified proposals and reasonable demands of developing countries in multilateral fields.

Director General of the UN Office at Vienna Yury Fedotov, Director General of UN Industrial Development Organization Li Yong, Acting Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency Mary Alice Hayward, and other heads of UN organizations at Vienna attended and addressed the commemoration. The unveiling ceremony of the plaque commemorating the 20th anniversary was also held during the activity.