Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc voiced his delight at the development of relations between the National Assembly of Viet Nam and the US Congress while holding phone talks with some key parliamentarians of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party in Washington D.C on May 31 (local time).

He had phone talks with Orrin Hatch – President pro tempore of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Bob Corker – Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Sheldon Whitehouse – member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Ted Yoho – Chairman of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

PM Phuc said the recent expansion of the two parliaments’ relationship has helped enhance mutual understanding, narrow differences, and create trust.

He highly valued the US Congress’s role in bolstering the countries’ cooperation while applauding the US’s intensification of cooperation with the Asian-Pacific region, which will contribute to regional peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

He expressed his wish to continue advancing the Viet Nam-US comprehensive partnership based on respect for each other’s political regime. The PM said he supports both sides in boosting trade cooperation and wants the Congress to help Viet Nam’s agricultural, fruit and aquatic products enter the US market.

The Vietnamese leader also asked the Congress to further help his country address war consequences, including detoxifying Da Nang and Bien Hoa airports, assisting Agent Orange/dioxin victims, and clearing unexploded ordnance left from war.

Viet Nam is ready to cooperate with the US to contribute to the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region, he stressed.

He also voiced his hope that the US Congress will continue paying attention to and advocating peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, and the peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea on the basis on international law along with diplomatic and legal processes, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as serious adherence to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), toward the finalization of a Code of Conduct of parties in the waters (COC).

The US Congress members spoke highly of the role of PM Phuc’s visit in the promotion of Viet Nam-US relations, adding that both countries share many common interests, and the solidification of connections with Viet Nam is supported by both Democratic and Republican Parties.

They affirmed that they attach importance to Southeast Asia and the US’s strategic partnership with ASEAN, and they also support stronger ties with the region.

They appreciated the consensus the Vietnamese and US governments reached in various issues, including the enhancement of the comprehensive partnership and the handling of trade issues based on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. The congress members also applauded security, defense and education cooperation, as well as valuable trade agreements signed during PM Phuc’s visit.

The US parliamentarians valued Viet Nam’s resolve to push ahead with economic reform and restructuring. They shared the view that both sides need to expand cooperation in such fields as war consequences settlement, people-to-people exchange, and exchange of scientific studies on water security and oceanography.

They agreed on the need for peaceful settlement of East Sea disputes basing on international law and diplomatic and legal processes, thus contributing to regional peace, security, stability, cooperation, and development.

The congress members also consented to bolster the two parliaments’ cooperation, adding that the US Congress will send many delegations to the region to step up linkages with Viet Nam and other ASEAN nations.

At the phone talks, PM Phuc invited them to visit Viet Nam and they accepted the invitation with pleasure. -VNA