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| Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on the afternoon of November 17 on the sidelines of the APEC 2022 Summit Week in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
At the invitation of Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Vietnam from April 14-16. The visit takes place in the context of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership maintaining positive momentum thanks to the relationship that has been built and nurtured by both sides over the past 28 years in all fields, bilaterally, regionally and internationally.
On the rise
In terms of politics and diplomacy , the two sides have maintained contact and delegation exchanges as well as through flexible forms such as phone calls and exchanges at all levels to promote positive momentum in multifaceted cooperation, enhance understanding, trust, and coordinate in handling issues of mutual concern.
Specifically, last March, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joe Biden had a phone call. During the conversation, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that the results achieved in the relationship between the two countries are in line with the aspirations of the people of the two countries, promoted on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each country, mutual understanding, equal cooperation, mutual benefit and in the spirit of "putting aside the past, overcoming differences, promoting similarities, and looking towards the future".
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden stated that Vietnam is an important partner and supports an “independent, self-reliant, and prosperous” Vietnam. He reaffirmed his respect for Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political system, agreeing that this respect is an important foundation in the country’s relationship.
In addition, since the beginning of the year, many delegations of high-ranking US officials have visited Vietnam, such as Trade Representative Katherine Tai (February), Director General of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power (March), Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Rochelle Walensky, and a delegation of US congressmen led by Senator Jeff Merkley (April)...
| Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit takes place in the context of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership maintaining positive momentum thanks to the relationship foundation that has been built and nurtured by both sides over the past 28 years in all fields, bilaterally, regionally and internationally. |
Economic - trade - investment cooperation maintains a stable development momentum. Bilateral trade maintains strong growth momentum. The United States continues to be Vietnam's largest export market (reaching more than 109 billion USD in 2022), and is also Vietnam's second largest trading partner (bilateral trade value in 2022 reached 123.86 billion USD, up 11% compared to 2021). In terms of investment, by 2022, the United States ranked 11th out of 140 countries and territories with FDI in Vietnam (with more than 1,200 projects, total registered capital reaching more than 11 billion USD), large US enterprises continue to maintain their interest in investing in the Vietnamese market.
Defense and security cooperation is maintained and promoted, in parallel with annual dialogues (actively implementing the Pacific Partnership Program, arranging a visit to Vietnam by a US aircraft carrier, etc.). The two sides also give high priority to humanitarian cooperation and overcoming the consequences of war, in which the US government and Congress continue to increase the budget for the Bien Hoa airport detoxification project (phase 1 completed), support for people with disabilities in dioxin-contaminated areas, and aid for projects to clear mines and unexploded ordnance.
Regarding cooperation in regional and international issues, the two sides will strengthen close coordination at regional and international forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Forum (APEC), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the United Nations, etc. and global issues, in the context of Vietnam having just assumed the role of a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.
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| Cooperation in addressing the consequences of war is a bright spot in the Vietnam-US relationship - Photo: USAID Administrator Samantha Power, US Ambassador Marc Knapper, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and representatives of both sides announced a new contract worth 73 million USD to handle and clean up soil at Bien Hoa airport. (Source: USAID) |
Three big goals
In that context, Mr. Antony Blinken's first visit to Vietnam as US Secretary of State demonstrates the importance of bilateral relations, especially on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries (2013-2023).
Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit will have three main goals.
Firstly , it is to continue to promote and further strengthen the Vietnam-US relationship in the spirit of the 2013 Comprehensive Partnership and the 2015 Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam-US Relations, while implementing the results of the phone call between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joe Biden (March 2023).
Second , the visit of the head of the US State Department demonstrates Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, and diversification of foreign relations.
Third , the two sides will discuss the recent situation of Vietnam-US relations, measures to maintain momentum and develop bilateral relations in a substantive, effective and comprehensive manner in the coming time, especially in new areas such as digital economy, green economy, cooperation in responding to climate change, etc., contributing to enriching activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership.
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 | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Vietnam Press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
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