President Donald Trump’s participation in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and his State visit to Vietnam reflects the US’s interest in the partnership with Vietnam in particular and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region in general, stated Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

This is the first visit to Vietnam by President Trump that takes place in the first year of his term, Son, who is APEC 2017 SOM Chair, told reporters at a press conference on the APEC Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting in the central city of Da Nang on November 7.

Vietnam and the US officially set up their comprehensive partnership in 2013 and the bilateral relationship is now developing intensively in various fields, he said, expressing his belief that the upcoming visit by President Trump will provide an opportunity for the two countries to further deepen their ties in line with the common trend in the Asia-Pacific region.

The US President will attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Da Nang on November 11 and then paid a State visit to Vietnam on November 11-12.

Vietnam and the US established diplomatic ties on July 12, 1995. 

Positive strides have been recorded in bilateral relations in all spheres since the countries established a comprehensive partnership in July 2013 on the basis of respecting each other’s territorial integrity, political regime and development path, for the sake of their own interests and for regional peace, stability and development cooperation.

Over the past years, the US has become one of the leading trade partners of Vietnam. Bilateral trade has continually grown by about 20 percent each year. Despite a trade deficit with Vietnam, the US has enjoyed a rapid export growth rate of 77 percent annually, four times higher than the growth of Vietnam’s shipments to the US.

Total US investment in Vietnam has surpassed 10 billion USD. -VNA