Vietnam and the US should continue to ensure economic, scientific, and technological cooperation as the core and driving force for bilateral relations.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong at the talks. Source: VNA

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong gave the remarks during his phone talks with US President Joe Biden on March 29 on the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership.

Trong hoped the two nations would uphold their defense-security cooperation agreements, prioritize trade promotion, and explore new cooperation areas such as logistics, digital economy, green transformation, and health.

He emphasized the need for intensified collaboration in various fields, including addressing the aftermath of war, UN peacekeeping, information sharing, and crime prevention.

Trong suggested the US continue to facilitate the increase of Vietnamese students in the US and appraised the development of Fulbright University Vietnam as a top-tier educational institution in the region. He affirmed Vietnam's commitment to addressing climate change and looked forward to continued support from the US in this regard.

"Vietnam is willing to collaborate with its international partners to enhance friendship and dialogue, consolidate peace, promote development, uphold international law, and tackle common challenges," Trong said.

He noted that Vietnam welcomed the US's support for ASEAN's central role in promoting the ASEAN Vision for the Indo-Pacific and joining other partners in negotiating the ASEAN Framework for the Indo-Pacific Economy Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), which should be open, inclusive, balanced, and mutually beneficial, taking into account the conditions of developing countries like Vietnam.

"Vietnam continues to work with the US and other partners to advance peace, cooperation, and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region and support the US in organizing APEC 2023," Trong said.

US supports an independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Vietnam

Overview of the talks.

US President Joe Biden recognized Vietnam as an important partner, committed to helping its independence, self-reliance, and prosperity. He reaffirmed respect for Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political ideology, acknowledging that respect is a crucial foundation of the bilateral relationship.

The US President agreed with the cooperation directions proposed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, emphasizing the potential of commercial cooperation, clean energy, and energy transformation. He also expressed the US's commitment to promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and looked forward to working with Vietnam and other countries in negotiating the IPEF.

Both leaders agreed to maintain peace, stability, and cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, refraining from using or threatening to use force in international relations, implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and soon signing an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Party General Secretary and the US President reiterated their invitation for high-level visits, which both leaders accepted, with relevant agencies assigned to arrange it at a suitable time.

Vietnam and the US have had normalized relations since 1995, and in 2013, the two countries established a comprehensive partnership. Bilateral trade between Vietnam and the US surpassed $123 billion in 2022, representing an 11% increase compared to 2021.

For many years, the US has been Vietnam's largest export market, while Vietnam is the eighth largest trading partner of the US globally and the biggest partner in ASEAN. US foreign direct investment in Vietnam has amounted to $11.4 billion, making it the 11th largest country and territory investing directly in Vietnam.

Approximately 30,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the US, contributing $1 billion annually to the US economy.

The cooperation between Vietnam and the US in addressing the consequences of war is a positive aspect of their relationship. It has been crucial in fostering reconciliation, healing, and trust-building.

In May 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the US for seven days, participating in over 60 activities. This visit has boosted the bilateral ties between Vietnam and the US in numerous areas. In August 2021, US Vice President Kamala Harris made a three-day trip to Vietnam, becoming the first US Vice President to visit the country while in office.