Party chief Trong has phone conversation with US President Biden

Trong said the two countries should make economic, scientific and technological cooperation the focus of and driving force for their relationship.

He also hoped they would continue with defense-security cooperation, promote trade and work together in new fields such as logistics, the digital economy, green transformation, and healthcare, according to a statement released by the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs.

The two sides should step up cooperation in overcoming the consequences of their past war, U.N. peacekeeping activities, information exchange, and crime prevention, he said.

The U.S. should create favorable conditions to increase the number of Vietnamese studying in its schools, and the building of Fulbright University Vietnam into a high-quality training center in the region is a welcome step, he said.

He hoped the U.S. would continue to support Vietnam’s efforts to cope with climate change, one of its major development undertakings.

Vietnam welcomed the U.S.’s support for ASEAN’s central role and its joint endeavor with member countries to promote the ASEAN Vision for the Indo-Pacific, he said.

Biden said Vietnam is an important partner for the U.S., which supports an “independent, self-reliant and prosperous” Vietnam.

He underlined his country’s respect for Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political institutions, saying that respect is an important foundation for the bilateral relationship.

He concurred with Trong’s call to make commercial cooperation, clean energy and energy transformation areas of bilateral cooperation.

The U.S. is committed to promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and looks forward to cooperation from Vietnam and other countries in negotiating the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

The two leaders agreed on maintaining peace, stability and cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and aviation, not using or threatening to use force in international relations, implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, soon signing an effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They reiterated their calls for mutual high-level visits and accepted each other’s invitations.

Vietnam and the U.S. normalized relations in 1995 and established their comprehensive partnership in 2013.

Their bilateral trade has grown rapidly to top US$123 billion last year. The U.S. has been Vietnam’s largest export market for years, while Vietnam is its eighth largest trading partner in the world and the largest in Southeast Asia.

American investment in Vietnam is worth $11.4 billion, 11th highest of any country or territory.

Around 30,000 Vietnamese students currently study in the U.S., contributing $1 billion to its economy.

The two nations’ cooperation in overcoming the consequences of their war has remained a bright spot in their relationship.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made a week-long visit to the U.S. last May and took part in a number of activities.

Analysts said the visit added momentum to the bilateral relationship in many areas.

In August 2021 Kamala Harris became the first U.S. vice president to ever visit Vietnam.