Biden's Vietnam visit 'very special': deputy foreign minister

Biden's visit to Vietnam September 10-11 would be a "very special event" as it will be the first state-level visit by the U.S. president at the invitation of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Ngoc said.

The visit takes place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership between Vietnam and the U.S., marking the first time that both the president and vice president of the U.S. visit Vietnam in the same term.

Biden's visit follows a tradition of incumbent U.S. presidents visiting Vietnam during nearly 30 years of bilateral relations.

Deputy minister Ngoc said the visit underscores the fact that both sides attach foremost importance to each other's foreign policy and policies towards the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

"The visit reflects the U.S.'s high appreciation for Vietnam's political regime, the role of the Communist Party of Vietnam and its General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and Vietnamese leaders," Ngoc said in the interview released by Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"It is also a significant milestone in the joint efforts of the two countries to fulfill the wish of President Ho Chi Minh as expressed in his February 1946 letter to U.S. President Harry Truman: Vietnam has full cooperative relations with the U.S.," he said.

Ngoc added that economic, trade and investment cooperation remain high priorities and driving forces behind joint cooperation in the two countries' bilateral relationship.

"In nearly 30 years since the normalization of relations, the two countries' bilateral trade has grown very impressively," he said.

He pointed out that two-way trade has increased from US$450 million in 1995 to $123 billion in 2022. Vietnam has become the U.S.'s 7th largest trading partner, and its largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Since 2022, the U.S. has been Vietnam's largest export market, with a turnover of $100 billion.

The U.S. has been one of the leading investors in Vietnam, with over $11 billion in direct investment last year, not including investments through U.S. company branches in third-party countries.

Several Vietnamese firms have also invested billions of dollars in the U.S., creating thousands of jobs for American workers, deputy minister Ngoc said.

In the coming time, both countries will focus on cooperating to develop supply chains, infrastructure, high-quality human resources training, energy transitions, digital economy, green economy and manufacturing industries.

In addition to economics, Ngoc said that cooperation in science, technology and innovation "will be a breakthrough field."

The two countries will focus on creating a digital technology platform, a semiconductor ecosystem, or the application of artificial intelligence, as well as focusing on energy transformation, biotechnology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

"Cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war is a bright spot between the two countries," Ngoc said.

In addition, Vietnam and the U.S. will step up cooperation in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, military medical training, relief and rescue operations, and maritime and aviation capacity building.

At global and regional forums, the two countries will strengthen cooperation in ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the UN.

Deputy minister Ngoc concluded by saying the two sides would work especially closely together to overcome global challenges such as climate change, as well as energy, food, water and health security.