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| Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) had talks with US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper in Hà Nội on March 13. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang |
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam always considers the United States a partner of strategic importance, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính said while receiving US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Evans Knapper in Hà Nội on Thursday.
PM Chính and Knapper acknowledged the results achieved in the relationship between the two countries recently, especially after Việt Nam and the US upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They discussed priority areas for promoting bilateral cooperation on the occasion of the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and the US.
The PM highly appreciated Knapper's efforts in promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, maintaining stable development momentum with many positive results, including maintaining and promoting high-level contacts, notably the very successful phone talks between Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and US President Donald Trump before and after being elected.
He affirmed the message of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and senior Vietnamese leaders that they attach great importance to and want to cooperate closely with President Trump’s administration to promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, maintain a stable and increasingly substantive development momentum, and effectively implement the contents of the Joint Declaration and Action Plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the common interests of the two countries.
In the context that the two countries are organising activities to celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations, PM Chính requested the US Ambassador and Embassy to coordinate with relevant Vietnamese agencies to implement measures to deepen cooperative relations, including promoting visits and meetings at all levels, especially high-level ones.
Emphasising the need to continue making economic - trade - investment cooperation a bright spot and driving force of the bilateral relations, the PM said that Vietnamese ministries and sectors are actively addressing the US side's current concerns in economic - trade - investment ties, including sending the Minister of Industry and Trade as a Special Envoy to work in the US to co-chair the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council’s meeting.
According to the government leader, Việt Nam's relevant ministries, sectors and agencies are actively reviewing the tariffs on goods imported from the US, encouraging increased imports of products that the US has strengths and Vietnam has demand, especially agricultural products, liqied petroleum gas and high-tech products.
He emphasised that the Vietnamese Government always pays due attention to creating conditions for US businesses and investors operating in Việt Nam, affirming that Việt Nam wants to build balanced, stable, harmonious and sustainable economic - trade - investment cooperation relations with the US for the common interests of the two countries.
The PM also proposed the US continue to take steps towards recognising Việt Nam as having a market economy and creating conditions for Việt Nam to import high-tech equipment from the US.
On this occasion, PM Chính requested the Ambassador and the Embassy to continue to prompt the US Government and Congress to increase support projects to overcome the consequences of war in Việt Nam, especially the dioxin detoxification project at Biên Hoà airbase, assist people with disabilities and war victims, and support the search for fallen Vietnamese soldiers; transfer technology and improve the capacity to examine the DNA of Vietnamese martyrs.
Thanking the PM for his recognition and appreciation, Knapper pledged to continue to coordinate closely with Vietnamese ministries and sectors to promote and further deepen the Việt Nam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Ambassador expressed his joy with the two sides actively implementing the Joint Declaration and Việt Nam - US Action Plan for 2023, affirming that Việt Nam - US relations have achieved many positive results, in accordance with the desires and interests of both sides.
He affirmed that the US prioritises developing relations with Việt Nam based on the principle of respecting Việt Nam's political institutions, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, supporting a strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous Việt Nam.
The US wants to expand cooperation in all fields, including cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war, defence - security, and education - training; support Việt Nam in training high-quality human resources and human resources in the semiconductor industry, and cooperate with Việt Nam in essential mineral exploitation and nuclear energy research and development, the diplomat said.
Knapper emphasised that 2025 is of important significance in the bilateral relationship, with the two sides celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The US Embassy in Hà Nội will work together with Vietnamese agencies to build an effective agenda, thereby deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, he added. — VNA/VNS