President Tran Dai Quang and his US counterpart Barack Obama discussed measures to step up the two countries’ relations during their talks following an official welcome ceremony in Hanoi on May 23.

At the talks, the two leaders expressed their satisfaction of the rapid, practical and all-round development of bilateral ties following the Joint Statement on the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 and the Joint Vision Statement reached during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s US visit in July 2015.

President Quang once again affirmed Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, and diversification and multilateralisation of international relations. He also reiterated the country’s wish to deepen its relations with the US.

President Obama said he is happy to visit Vietnam for the first time, confirming that his visit will further boost the two countries’ comprehensive partnership.

He agreed to speed up the US Congress ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, and help Vietnam increase its capacity to realise the agreement.

Both host and guest reached a consensus on considering development cooperation in economy, trade, education and training, science and technology, and climate change response a focus of the bilateral ties.

They also emphasised the need to continue cooperation in addressing war consequences, particularly in dioxin detoxification, bomb and mine clearance, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The US leader took the occasion to announce the US’s complete removal of its ban on lethal weapon sales to Vietnam. The decision was highly appreciated by his Vietnamese counterpart.

Regarding regional issues, the two leaders shared the significance of maintaining peace and stability in the region, as well as ensuring navigation and aviation safety and security, and peacefully resolving any disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards reaching a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The two sides agreed to enhance coordination with the international community in a joint effort to deal with regional and global issues such as climate change adaptation, especially drought and saltwater intrusion, Mekong River water resources security, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, prevention of wildlife trade, and protection of biodiversity.

On the occasion of the US President’s visit, the two nations issued a Joint Statement agreeing to boost bilateral comprehensive partnership in a deeper and more effective manner for the sake of mutual benefits as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and beyond.

After the talks, President Tran Dai Quang and his US counterpart Barack Obama witnessed the signing of important economic cooperation agreements, including a contract for buying 100 Boeing B737 Max planes between Vietjet Air and the US Boeing Group; a contract to supply aircraft engines and technical maintenance services for 63 new-generation Airbus A320/A321 NEO planes between Vietjet Air and Partt&Whitney; and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade and the US GE Group on cooperation in carrying out measures to develop wind energy in Vietnam.

The same day, President Tran Dai Quang hosted a banquet at the International Convention Centre in Hanoi to welcome President Barack Obama and his entourage.

Party chief welcomes US President

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) welcomes US President Barack Obama

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed the visit made by President Barack Obama to Vietnam as a reaffirmation of the commitment of the two countries’ leaders to the bilateral comprehensive partnership while receiving the US leader in Hanoi on May 23.

He affirmed Vietnam continually considers the US one of its leading partners, stressing the need for both sides to further the comprehensive partnership in a more practical and effective manner on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions, and not intervening in each other’s internal affairs, for their people’s interests and for peace, stability, cooperation, development and prosperity in the region and the world.

The Party chief appreciated the US cooperation with Vietnam in activities to address war aftermath and hoped for the country’s continued assistance in this field.

He reaffirmed Vietnam’s viewpoint on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, asking the US to continue implementing its technical assistance commitment for Vietnam during the enforcement process.

He also exchanged notes with the guest on measures to step up the two countries’ economic cooperation.

The Party General Secretary also welcomed statements and actions of other countries, including the US, in a bid to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

He reiterated Vietnam’s stance of handling disputes in the East Sea by peaceful, diplomatic and legal measures on the basis of following international law.

For his part, President Obama spoke highly of the role and vision of the Communist Party of Vietnam in leading the country to achieve important accomplishments over the past years and in its strategic policy on the TPP negotiation process.

He affirmed that the US considers Vietnam its important partner in the region, while pledging to do everything he can to boost his country’s relations with Vietnam in priority fields, especially the provision of technical assistance for Vietnam’s TPP enforcement, following the spirit of the Joint Statement on the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 and the Joint Vision Statement in 2015.

He confirmed that the US’s complete lifting of its ban on lethal weapon sales to Vietnam is to create a change in the two countries’ relations.

The US leader also highlighted the necessity to ensure maritime and aviation safety, security and freedom, and to address disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means with respect to international law.

He expressed his belief that Vietnam-US relations will grow even further in the future, for each country’s interests as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

US wants to set up long-term relations with Vietnam: US President

President Barack Obama expressed his hope to establish friendly and long-term relations between the US and Vietnam on the basis of respecting each other’s political institutions and for their people’s interests at his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on May 23.

The two leaders spoke of their satisfaction with the practical progresses in bilateral relations since the comprehensive partnership was established in July 2013, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, investment, education, health, war consequence settlement, and people-to-people exchanges.

They exchanged views on measures to intensify the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership, with the priority given to development cooperation.

PM Phuc asked the US to recognise Vietnam’s market economy status as early as possible, open its market wider to Vietnamese goods, and increase its foreign investment to become the biggest investor in Vietnam.

He voiced his hope for the US’ assistance in responding to climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta – Vietnam’s largest rice granary.

He also asked the US to help Vietnam successfully organise the 2017 APEC Summit, and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country.

President Obama stressed the importance of boosting bilateral ties in education and training, climate change adaptation, economy, trade and science-technology.

He exchanged notes with the Vietnamese Government leader on the regional situation, including the East Sea issue, as well as non-traditional security challenges which are affecting peace, stability and development cooperation in the region and the world.

The two leaders affirmed the need to respect the UN Charter and international law in cooperation in handling regional issues.

They agreed that disputes in the East Sea should be solved by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea. They also emphasised the need to work towards the formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, ensure maritime and aviation security and safety, and not use force.

The Vietnamese PM reaffirmed that the Government will soon submit the Trans-Pacific Partnerahip (TPP) to the National Assembly for ratification and asked President Obama to continue boosting the US Congress’s ratification of the document.

On the same day, the US leader was welcomed by Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Both sides showed their hope that the two countries’ legislatures will intensify cooperation to bring about practical benefits to their people and to foster the two countries’ development.-

VNA