Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet met with former US President Bill Clinton and his Filipino and Central African Republic counterparts on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York on September 21.

During his meeting with Clinton , President Triet applauded the CGI’s contributions to the UN and nations worldwide, including Vietnam , regarding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The President also spoke highly of Clinton ’s role in normalising and enhancing Vietnam-US relations.

Clinton said that the US-Vietnam relationship is growing well and the two countries have a foundation for stepping up cooperation for peace, stability and development in the 21 st century. He confirmed that the Clinton Foundation wants to continue supporting Vietnam in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The former US president expressed his appreciation of the warm hospitality the Vietnamese people extended to him during his visit to Vietnam in 2001 as well as to his wife, Hillary Clinton, when she visited the country last July. Clinton congratulated the Vietnamese people on the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and said he wanted to revisit Vietnam .

Clinton established the CGI in 2005 and it is now an important forum, held annually on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, attracting many leaders of nations, businesses and international organisations to discuss global challenges.

CGI members have pledged a total of 57 billion USD for 1,700 projects focusing on protecting and improving forests, preventing malnutrition in children and providing credit for small and medium-sized enterprises. The CGI has funded activities to assist children with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam since 2005.

When talking with Philippine President Benigni Aquino III, President Triet hailed the country’s recent achievements, especially its endeavours to overcome the global financial and economic crisis and record a high growth rate in the first months of 2010.

President Triet said friendly and cooperative relations have developed well with the Philippines and the 35 th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2011 will see the two nations review and promote their friendship.

The Philippine leader praised Vietnam ’s achievements in socio-economic development and its improved position both regionally and internationally.

He said his country would cooperate closely, particularly with ASEAN members, to contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity. Aquino said he wants to visit Vietnam to advance bilateral friendship and cooperation.

When meeting with the president of the Central African Republic Francois Bozize Yangouvonda, Triet said that both nations have many similarities and emphasised that Vietnam is willing to work closer with the African country.

Yangouvonda said that the Central Africa Republic attaches great importance to South-South cooperation and wants to step up relations with Vietnam , especially in agriculture, agricultural infrastructure and human resources development.

The same day, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, who is accompanying President Triet, held separate meetings with the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sven Alkalai, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Mexico Lourdes Aranda Bezaury, and US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell./.