Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and a high-level delegation left for the US on February 14 to attend the ASEAN – US Summit slated for February 15-16 in California.
The Prime Minister’s attendance at the event was made at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said on February 13.
The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh, among others.
The upcoming ASEAN – US Summit marks the first between the ASEAN and a partner after the official formation of the ASEAN Community on December 31, 2015.
It aims to discuss orientations and measures to implement the ASEAN – US strategic partnership in a more practical and specific manner. The two sides will also share views on international and regional issues of common concern.
The participation of the Vietnamese delegation in the event represents the activeness, responsibility and efforts Vietnam has made as a member country of ASEAN to foster the development of the strategic partnership between ASEAN and the US.
The visit is also intended to promote the cooperation between Vietnam and the US in economics, science–technology, education-training, people-to-people exchange as well as in handling transnational challenges.
The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA