Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh received US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken
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At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh exchange measures to implement the results of the visit to Vietnam by US President Barrack Obama, particularly in the field of development cooperation (trade and investment, education and health, humanitarian, science and technology), politics and security-defense.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the two sides should continue to strengthen exchanges and dialogue at all levels, particularly further promoting the cooperation of mutual interest on all three levels of bilateral, regional and global levels, while minimizing the differences between the two countries for the benefit of the two peoples and countries, for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed on the need for Vietnam and the US to increase delegation exchanges and dialogues to strengthen the bilateral relationship. They discussed how to translate the agreements reached during the visit to Vietnam by US President Barrack Obama in May 2016 into actions.
They agreed to work together to manage differences between the two countries, for the sake of their people, and for peace and development. Blinken suggested Vietnam and the US utilise the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, to which they are both signatories, to enhance their collaboration in trade-investment, science-technology, climate change response, and national security and defence.
Antony Blinken expressed his pleasure about the positive developments in bilateral relations over time. He said that the two sides should take advantage of the positive momentum of relations, continue to promote dialogue and exchange of delegations at all levels to strengthen substantive cooperation, promote trade relations and investment, science-technology, respond to climate change and deal with differences issues.
Both parties talked about regional politics and security, including traditional and non-traditional security challenges. They discussed the settlement of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful measures and on the basis of respecting international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, in order to maintain peace, stability, security, and maritime and aviation freedom in the area.
The same day, Deputy PM Minh held a roundtable talk with more than 25 large US businesses, including big investors in Vietnam like Intel, Metlife, Cargill and Coca Cola. He attributed the thriving relationship between Vietnam and the US to contributions from the businesses.
Vietnam has signed free trade agreements, including the TPP, he said, calling on US enterprises to maximise opportunities afforded by the pacts to step up their investments in the Southeast Asian nation.
The Vietnamese Government will continue to improve the local investment climate to help foreign firms operate in the country, the official pledged. A number of the US businesses said they are interested in manufacturing, services and finance-banking in Vietnam.
