Vietnam consistently regards US as partner of strategic importance: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance on regarding the US as a partner of strategic importance while meeting with US President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. in Hanoi on September 11.

At the meeting, Chinh affirmed that the establishment of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development demonstrates the growth of the bilateral relationship, matching the interests of the two countries’ people, and positively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

The PM appreciated the country for supporting a strong, independent, self-resilient, and prosperous Vietnam, and suggested the US continue promoting specific forms of cooperation to implement the commitment.

For his part, Biden rejoiced at the elevation of bilateral ties to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development, considering this an opportunity for the two sides to build a bright future for their people.

The President reiterated the support for a strong, independent, self-resilient, and prosperous Vietnam with further reforms and international integration, playing a greater role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as in international cooperation in handling global challenges.

The leaders shared the view that the bilateral relationship has been developing intensively and extensively bilaterally, regionally and internationally after nearly 30 years of the normalisation of the relations and 10 years of the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership.

Economic-trade-investment cooperation remains a bright spot and momentum of the bilateral ties, with two-way trade exceeding 123 billion USD last year, they said, adding progress has also been made in collaboration in science-technology, education-training, national defence-security, war consequence settlement, climate change response, and people-to-people exchange.

To effectively implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development, Chinh suggested the two sides enhance cooperation in all channels, especially Party, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy channels.

For the economic-trade-investment cooperation, the PM stressed that it should be considered a perpetual engine of the bilateral relations, and suggested the US soon recognise Vietnam’s market economy, upgrade the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, and continue to encourage its high-tech firms to operate in the Southeast Asian nation.

Breakthroughs should be made in cooperation in science-technology, innovation, and education-training, he said, suggesting stronger collaboration in climate change response, green growth and renewable energy development.

Biden agreed with Chinh’s views on orientations and measures to implement a new framework of the bilateral relations, as well as priority cooperation areas, including health care, social welfare, green energy and high-tech.

Chinh noted that as an active, proactive, responsible member of the international community, Vietnam wishes that the US will maintain its practical support for Vietnam’s peacekeeping activities in the United Nations.

Pointing to a host of challenges relating to non-traditional security challenges globally, the PM highly valued the role of multilateralism and suggested the US give more resources to effectively materialise the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and deepen the Mekong-US Partnership through specific, practical projects on climate change response, sustainable water resources management, ensuring food security, energy transition and human resources development in the Mekong sub-region.

On this occasion, the PM expressed his sympathy to the US President over losses of American people caused by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, emphasising Vietnam's stance on fighting terrorism in any form, saying international cooperation in terrorism combat is very important, including cooperation with the US.

Chinh called on Biden and the US to further support the Vietnamese community in the country.

Prior to the meeting, the leaders visited a photo exhibition of the Vietnam News Agency, featuring the Vietnam-US cooperation.

On display were 15 photos on milestones in the bilateral ties since the normalisation of the relations, including the establishment of the diplomatic ties in 1995, the Comprehensive Partnership in 2013, visits to Vietnam by US Presidents and visits to the US by Vietnamese Party and State leaders, especially the meeting between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Biden, as Vice President, during the Vietnamese leader’s official visit to the US in July 2015.