PM Pham Minh Chinh addresses the ASEAN - US Special Summit in Washington D.C. on May 13. (Photo: VNA) The high-ranking delegation of Vietnam led by the PM attended the ASEAN - US Special Summit and paid working visits to the US and the UN from May 11 to 17.
Talking to the media, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc said the trip with more than 60 bilateral and multilateral activities at different levels helped carry out the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and comprehensive and extensive international integration.
At the special summit marking the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN - US dialogue relations, Vietnam played a proactive, active, and responsible part in preparing for and organising the event and drafting documents.
PM Chinh’s speeches at this summit reflected countries’ common attention, highlighted ASEAN’s centrality, and shared the vision for international and regional issues as well as development orientations matching the interests of ASEAN, the US, and the international community.
Besides, he met leaders of important UN agencies, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russel, and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.
Ngoc noted the meetings were highly meaningful as they coincided with the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam - UN relations and sent out Vietnam’s consistent message of viewing the UN as a trustworthy partner of leading importance for global peace and development cooperation as well as a faithful and long-standing friend of the country on every development stage. The events also affirmed that Vietnam is always a sincere, trustworthy, responsible partner and will contribute its utmost to common affairs of the UN and the international community.
UN officials said Vietnam is an important partner and an example of success in sustainable development and contribution to the UN’s key activities, which reflected the country’s growing prestige and stature in the international arena, he went on.
During the trip, the Government leader also engaged in a large number of bilateral activities with the US, including meetings with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, President pro tempore of the Senate Patrick Leahy, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, secretaries of important departments, scholars, leading enterprises, and representatives of the Vietnamese community.
Officials of Vietnamese ministries and departments also engaged in more than 40 meetings, working sessions, and seminars with US partners on various areas.
Ngoc said the US side affirmed their respect for Vietnam’s political regime and support for a strong, independent, and prosperous Vietnam, expressing their hope for increasingly extensive and effective development of bilateral relations.
The two sides had substantive and straightforward discussions about the comprehensive partnership, along with its development orientations for the time ahead.
In addition, PM Chinh was the only ASEAN leader to deliver a speech at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) this time and the first of Vietnam to address Harvard Kennedy University.
Receiving executives of top US businesses, he stressed that Vietnam always creates favourable conditions for investors and prioritises investment in green economy, new technology, digital transformation, and innovation.
In every of his destinations in the US, from Washington D.C., Boston, New York to San Francisco, the PM met the local Vietnamese communities and emphasised the Party and State’s policy on great national solidarity.
The US trip was successful and met all the set targets, helping implement the Party and State’s foreign policy, Deputy Minister Ngoc concluded./.
VNA
