Manila (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila, the Philippine on July 23 on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-59) and related meetings.
At the meeting, Trung welcomed Rubio's participation and active contributions to the ASEAN meetings, saying they reflected the US' commitment to maintaining engagement in the region, supporting ASEAN centrality, and contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
Minister Trung affirmed that Vietnam considers the US one of its leading partners and wishes to further advance bilateral ties in a substantive, effective and comprehensive manner, for the benefit of the two countries' people and in support of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
On the occasion, Trung asked Rubio to convey a message from Party General Secretary and State President To Lam to President Donald Trump, reaffirming Vietnam's desire to continue working with the US to further promote the substantive development of bilateral ties.
The Vietnamese minister also praised the close coordination between the two foreign ministries since the beginning of the year, noting that it has helped expand cooperation at bilateral, regional and international levels. He proposed that the two ministries continue to promote a coordinating role, facilitate high-level exchanges and enhance the effectiveness of bilateral dialogue mechanisms in various sectors.
Rubio agreed that Vietnam-US relations have maintained positive momentum and achieved important results. He said growing cooperation has brought tangible benefits to both countries while contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.
On economic and trade cooperation, Trung reiterated Vietnam's determination to work with the US to conclude negotiations on a reciprocal, fair and balanced bilateral trade agreement at an early date. He expressed confidence that the agreement would create fresh momentum for more stable and effective cooperation between the two countries.
The minister also proposed that both sides continue maintaining exchanges in a constructive and goodwill spirit, addressing remaining differences from a long-term perspective on bilateral ties while ensuring the legitimate interests of each country.
He called on the US to soon conclude its Section 301 investigation with findings that fully reflect Vietnam's efforts and are consistent with the US policy of supporting a strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous Vietnam.
Trung reaffirmed that Vietnam remains committed to creating favourable conditions for US businesses to do long-term investment and operations in the country. He noted that Vietnam is reviewing and improving its legal framework to make it more transparent, modern and consistent, thereby further enhancing the investment and business environment.
For his part, Rubio described economic and trade cooperation as a key pillar of bilateral ties and expressed his hope that the two countries would soon reach a high-standard, reciprocal, fair and balanced trade agreement that would generate greater economic opportunities, jobs and benefits for both sides.
The two ministers also agreed to develop a comprehensive cooperation agenda covering trade and investment, security and defence, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges, with the aim of bringing the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to greater depth and substance.
Regarding defence and security, they agreed to maintain cooperation in line with the needs and priorities of each country while implementing outcomes of recent meetings and visits of the two countries' defence officials. Minister Trung welcomed the continued participation of the US defence industry in the Vietnam International Defence Expo, scheduled for later this year.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in addressing war consequences, including dioxin remediation, unexploded ordnance clearance, support for persons with disabilities, accounting for US servicemen missing in action, and the search for, recovery and identification of Vietnamese fallen soldiers' remains. Trung appreciated US support in providing archives, information and DNA identification technology, and called for continued resources for this humanitarian work.
The ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues, pledging to maintain close coordination in support of peace, stability and development. Trung expressed Vietnam's support for the US in hosting the G20 Leaders' Summit in Miami, Florida, in this December, while Rubio affirmed the US support for Vietnam's hosting of APEC Year 2027.
Trung also invited Rubio to visit Vietnam at a convenient time, and the US Secretary of State accepted the invitation with pleasure./.
