Gyeongju (VNA) – Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong met with US President Donald Trump and leaders from several APEC member economies on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in the Republic of Korea on October 29.
Both leaders hailed the upbeat trajectory of the Vietnam – US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, pledging to further deepen and strengthen the relationship in a substantive, stable, and sustainable manner that serve both nations’ interests while contributing to peace, collaboration, and sustainable development in the region and the world.
President Cuong congratulated the US on its recent achievements under President Trump’s leadership and praised his push to step up the settlement of conflicts and peacebuilding in some parts of the world.
Vietnam, he said, stands ready to act as a bridge and support efforts to seek lasting solutions to ongoing conflicts in line with international law.
To sustain the current stable and effective momentum, he proposed that both sides expedite negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement, ensuring mutual benefits and alignment with the recent joint statement, while taking into account Vietnam’s specific conditions and the strategic importance of bilateral ties.
He also urged expanded collaboration in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, science and technology, national defence-security, people-to-people exchanges, and war legacy remediation.
Vietnam welcomes the US’s active and responsible contribution to the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, he added.
President Trump, for his part, affirmed that the US attaches importance to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, applauding the country’s rising global stature and ongoing efforts in reform, openness, integration, and economic innovation. He also welcomed Vietnam’s increasing imports of US’s strength.
On global and regional issues of shared concern, he expressed support for ASEAN centrality and spoke highly of Vietnam’s contributions to global and regional issues.
On the occasion, President Cuong conveyed an invitation from high-ranking Vietnamese leaders to the US President and the First Lady to visit Vietnam soon. President Trump expressed fond memories of his previous visits to Vietnam in 2017 and 2019, thanked Vietnamese leaders for the invitation, and said he anticipates scheduling another visit.
During a banquet held the same day, President Cuong briefly met the Prime Ministers of Canada, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. The leaders praised Vietnam’s all-around development and rising global role, and stressed the importance of advancing substantive and comprehensive bilateral cooperation ahead.
They also agreed to ramp up coordination and active engagement in multilateral mechanisms and forums, including APEC and ASEAN, contributing to global and regional stability, peace, cooperation, and development./.
