PM Chinh highlighted Kerry’s heartfelt sentiments towards the country and people of Vietnam, as well as his responsibility and enduring contributions to Vietnam-US relations over the past years.

He also praised Kerry for his role in building the two-Party consensus in the US in supporting the relationship with Vietnam, especially the settlement of war consequences – part of the process of reconciliation and trust-building between the people of the two countries.

Vietnam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, multilateralisation and diversification of relations, and being a good friend and a reliable partner of countries worldwide, and an active, responsible member of the international community, the PM affirmed.

During the process, Vietnam always considers the US a leading important partner, and wants to work together with the US to promote the bilateral ties on the basis of respect for each other’s political institutions and in a stable, effective and substantive manner, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, he continued.

PM Chinh also appreciated the US’s policy to support a strong, independent and prosperous Vietnam.

He told Kerry that during the three-day stay in Washington D.C, he and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation attended the ASEAN-US Special Summit and held practical working sessions with President Joe Biden and senior officials of the US administration and Congress, representatives from Vietnamese and US businesses, experts and scholars.

The two sides agreed to deepen the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership in major spheres, from politics-diplomacy to economy-trade, national defence-security, education-training, science-technology and people-to-people exchange, he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been brought under control in Vietnam, partially thanks to vaccines provided by international friends, including the US, the PM said, noting that at the ASEAN-US Special Summit, he suggested the US support the ten-member bloc in assessing post-pandemic impacts, covering people’s health and spirit.

For his part, Kerry reiterated the US’s consistent view of attaching importance to its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam and supporting the country’s proactive and practical role in the region, and in responding to global issues, including climate change.

Expressing his special sentiments towards and impression on the country and people of Vietnam, Kerry promised that in any position, he will strongly back and work to promote the Vietnam-US relations.

The envoy also affirmed the US President’s resolve to boost global efforts to prevent rising global temperature in the next five years.

Kerry said when he was Secretary of State, he paid due attention to cooperation in climate change response and energy transition in Vietnam, and had made visits to the country to discuss this issue.

In this regard, PM Chinh said Vietnam has seen climate change response a key, urgent matter that offers both challenges and opportunities for the country to shift towards a green, sustainable growth model.

Though being a developing nation, Vietnam has joined commitments by developed countries to cutting gas emissions, he said, stressing that these efforts need great support from international partners in the principle of equality and justice, including the grant of preferential credit loans with streamlined administrative procedures.

Lauding the US administration’s efforts to promote global efforts in climate change response, PM Chinh suggested the US continue its coordination with and assistance to Vietnam in terms of resources and finance, especially preferential loans, infrastructure, technology and personnel training.

The Vietnamese government welcomes the engagement of enterprises under the public-private partnership (PPP) and creates the best possible conditions for foreign investors to cooperate with Vietnamese ministries, agencies and businesses in energy transition, he said.

Vietnam prefers any method of energy transition and gas emission that would benefit businesses and people most, he emphasised.

Kerry said he was impressed by Vietnam’s commitments at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), as well as its approach in energy transition and climate change response, and believed that the international community also supports the country in the process with many financial sources.

He stressed that the US government and he himself will further closely coordinate with Vietnamese ministries and agencies, and stand ready to provide assistance as much as possible to help the country develop renewable energy, reduce gas emissions and consolidate its infrastructure in a sustainable way.

Many major enterprises in the world and in the US are interested in and willing to invest in and join the energy transition in Vietnam, he noted, suggesting the country make the best use of this opportunity.

PM Pham Minh Chinh meets with USAID Administrator

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power in Washington D.C on May 13 (local time), as part of his activities while on a working visit to the US.

At the meeting, PM Chinh highly appreciated USAID's contributions to the recent development of Vietnam-US relations through effective aid activities, contributing to the settlement of post-war consequences, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, and promotion of sustainable and inclusive development in Vietnam.

The PM welcomed USAID's plan to expand operations in Vietnam, speed up approval procedures and implement projects to increase the effectiveness of development aid.

He suggested USAID continue to increase support for Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of the war, focusing on handling Agent Orange/dioxin at Bien Hoa Airport and other hotspots, supporting people with disabilities, war victims, supporting the search for remains of Vietnamese martyrs, and especially helping with DNA assessment capacity of Vietnamese scientists through the construction of a high-tech centre in this field.

While welcoming USAID's 70-million-USD financial support for Fulbright University Vietnam for the development and modernisation of educational institutions and universities in the country, the PM also asked USAID to further assist Vietnam in health, culture, environmental protection, combating climate change and protecting biodiversity in the Mekong Delta.

Power informed about USAID’s plan to expand and enhance its operational efficiency in Vietnam. USAID will focus on assisting Vietnam in dioxin decontamination, bomb and mine clearance, marine environment protection, response to climate change and energy transition, she said.

The Administrator also introduced a number of USAID-funded global initiatives in reducing ocean plastic waster and sustainable infrastructure development in which  Vietnam can take part.

At the meeting, PM Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation witnessed the exchange of two cooperation documents between USAID and the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment to improve economic competitiveness and support local capacity development. The cooperation would last until 2028 with the total amount of official development assistance being 100 million USD.

A project on enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnam’s private sector (IPS-C) was also announced. The project, with an ODA amount of 36.3 million USD will last until 2025.

PM visits hotel where President Ho Chi Minh used to work in Boston

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his delegation visited Omni Parker House Hotel where late President Ho Chi Minh used to work in Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, on May 14 (local time) as part of his working trip to the US.

Massachusetts is one of the destinations in President Ho Chi Minh's journey to seek a way for national liberation, where he studied history and learned about the struggle for national independence, freedom and reunification of the American people.  

A number of mementos in the kitchen where he worked more than 100 years ago are still kept by the hotel.

Old documents with many pictures and articles about the daily life of Boston people in the previous period which was hung at the hotel, with words saying that Ho Chi Minh used to work as pastry chef of Parker from 1911 to 1913. 

In the guestbook, PM Chinh expressed his emotion when visiting the Omni Parker House Hotel where great President Ho Chi Minh, the hero of national liberation and the world's cultural celebrity once worked. He sincerely thanked the hotel's managers and staff for carefully preserving the items.

He hoped that the hotel will continue to be a meaningful stopover for Vietnamese and international friends who are interested in learning about President Ho Chi Minh's journey to find a way to save the country as well as his contributions to laying the foundation for the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the US, connecting the ideas of independence and freedom for the prosperous development of the two nations and interests their people.

Source: VNA