PM receives US Secretary of State

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, now on a working visit to the US and the United Nations, received US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC in May 13 morning (local time).

The PM congratulated the US for its timely response to the COVID-19 pandemic and successfully bringing the life back to normal, and thanked the government and people for providing Vietnam with nearly 40 million vaccine doses at a point of time when Vietnam was in difficulty.

On bilateral relations, the PM stressed they have a special history. Going through upheavals, they have now achieved long and positive progress, in which the historical visit to the US 7 years ago by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong laid a firm foundation and created a basis for the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership to develop intensively and extensively, in the principle of respect to each other’s political institutions, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, for the sake of peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world over, bringing about practical benefits to the two peoples.

PM Chinh affirmed the US is one of Vietnam’s partners of the top importance, and spoke highly of the country’s policy of supporting Vietnam powerful, independent and prosperous. He welcomed positive achievements in the bilateral relations over the recent past, and asked the US to continue pushing the activities of cooperation with and support to Vietnam in various fields.

Agreeing with Chinh’s opinions on the positive growth and potential of the Vietnam – US relations, Blinken reiterated that the US supports Vietnam strong, independent and prosperous.  

He stated the US considers the issue of overcoming the war consequences one of high priorities in its relations with Vietnam and will continue to work closely with the Southeast Asian nation in this field.

Congratulating Vietnam on its achievements in the COVID-19 fight, the diplomat said he hopes Vietnam will continue to actively join the international efforts in controlling the disease.

He welcomed Vietnam's commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), affirming that the US will assist the country in implementing them.

The two also exchanged ideas on regional and international matters of common interests, with the PM welcoming the organisation of the ASEAN-US Special Summit as contributing to strengthening the  comprehensive and responsible cooperation between the two sides in particular and between the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean regions in general.

They agreed to emphasise the importance of ensuring peace, freedom, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea; and of settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), helping maintaing peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world over./.