Vietnam attaches special importance to stepping up cooperation with the US in all fields, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told outgoing US ambassador David Shear at a reception in Hanoi on August 5.

PM Dung noted with pleasure at the rapid development of Vietnam-US relations which has lifted their comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights and remarkably increased cooperation in trade and investment, education- training, defense-security, and settlement of post-war bomb and landmine aftermath.

“Vietnam wants to further strengthen political and diplomatic cooperation and is willing to conduct dialogues with the US on issues of common concern including human rights in the spirit of respect and mutual understanding.” Dung said.

The Government leader also underlined the need to fully tap huge potential for economic cooperation after the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement is signed.

He said that that the success of this agreement will open up huge opportunities for broader economic, trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and the US, hoping that the US will grant Vietnam a flexible and preferential treatment in the negotiation process as the country remains at a low level of development.

For his part, Ambassador David Shear suggested both sides should work more closely to boost economic, trade and investment cooperation and speed up the early signing of the TPP negotiations.

He pledged his utmost efforts to make positive contributions to bolstering cooperation in all fields between the two nations.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the US guest said that peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea are the common interests of regional countries, as well as the US and other countries in the world.

He said China’s sovereignty claim is one of the root causes of the insecurity and instability in the region while

reiterating his nation’s stance of supporting the peaceful resolution of disputes in the East Sea on the basis of respect for international law.

David Shear also acknowledged Vietnam and ASEAN nations’ efforts to ask China to fully comply with international law, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and other negotiations towards formulating a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).