Socialist Republic of Vietnam

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam led by Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan paid a working visit to the US from September 10 to 13.

The delegation had working sessions with representatives of left-wing parties in the US, leaders of the Communist Party USA, Ben Cardin – Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Ted Yoho – Chairman of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee at the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, along with officials of the State Department and the US National Security Council. They also met with some scholars to discuss Vietnam-US relations and regional and global situations.

At the events, the delegation affirmed the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of treasuring the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with the US, and enhancing trust to boost the stable, substantive and sustainable development of bilateral relations, thus benefiting the two countries’ people and contributing to regional and global peace, stability and cooperation.

The two sides also discussed measures to foster bilateral ties, especially increasing meetings at all levels, including between parties. They also welcomed US President Donald Trump’s attendance in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Vietnam this November.

They agreed to promote existing cooperation mechanisms, step up economic-trade-investment cooperation to turn it into a foundation and momentum for bilateral ties, and bolster defence-security cooperation. Vietnam and the US will continue prioritising war consequences settlement and humanitarian aid cooperation.

More extensive and substantive cooperation will be fostered at regional and multilateral mechanisms and forums such as APEC, ASEAN and the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Vietnam and the US will also link each other with the Southeast Asian and North American regions.

The visiting delegation also asked the US to soon recognise Vietnam as a market economy, be more open to agricultural products of Vietnam, and reduce trade barriers.

Meanwhile, officials of the US administration and congress and left-wing parties expressed their delight at the progress in Vietnam-US relations. They agreed on measures to augment bilateral ties, noting that they want to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam and are ready to work with the country to successfully organise the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting later this year.

They highly valued the stature and role of both Vietnam and ASEAN and considered the Southeast Asian nation as an important partner in the region. They affirmed that the US will make efforts to tighten relations and implement agreements with Vietnam.

The US side also emphasised cooperation priorities in terms of economy, trade, education-training, science-technology, defence, and war consequences settlement. They pledged efforts to boost bilateral and multilateral trade cooperation in suitable new frameworks.

At the meetings, the two sides exchanged views on some regional issues of shared concern, including the East Sea situation and the tension in the Korean Peninsula.

The US side shared the view that it is critical to promote the settlement of hot spots in the region through peaceful means and basing on international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to ensure peace and freedom of navigation in and overflight over the East Sea, and to tackle the risk of conflict escalation towards denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula. - VNA