The visit marks the first time the US President has paid a State visit to Vietnam at the invitation of the Party General Secretary and also the first time both the US President and Vice President have visited Vietnam in one term.
The visit, made on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries, is an important foreign event for both sides, creating motivation for Vietnam-US relations to advance to new heights.
After 28 years of establishing diplomatic relations (1995-2023) and 10 years of implementing the Comprehensive Partnership (2013-2023), the relationship between the two countries has made great strides with substantive and comprehensive development at both bilateral, regional and international levels, positively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development, throughout the region and the world.
An important foundation for the growth of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership is that the two sides adhere to basic principles, such as respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, political institutions, equal cooperation and mutual benefits based on international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
Vietnam consistently treasures its relationship with the US, considering the US a strategically important partner. The US also highly appreciates Vietnam’s role in ASEAN, in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in international forums and Vietnam’s efforts to respond to and resolve global challenges.
The US values its relationship with Vietnam and affirms its support for an independent and prosperous Vietnam, wishing to foster bilateral relations based on respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and each other's political institutions.
Based on that consistent viewpoint, Vietnam and the US have strengthened political and diplomatic relations with regular exchanges of high-level and all-level delegations, thereby enhancing understanding and deepening bilateral relationships. Since the normalisation of relations in 1995, all US Presidents have visited Vietnam.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and many senior Vietnamese leaders have also visited the US. In March 2023, Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong and President Biden had an important phone call, creating strong momentum for Vietnam-US relations in the new period.
Along with good political and diplomatic relations, economic relation is considered a highlight of cooperation between the two countries, gradually becoming the focus, foundation and driving force for bilateral relationship development.
The US is currently one of Vietnam’s leading trade partners and Vietnam is the 7th largest trade partner of the US. The US is one of the major investment partners in Vietnam, while investment in Vietnamese businesses in the US is gradually increasing.
Defence and security cooperation is also expanding actively, with the maintenance of an annual dialogue mechanism. Humanitarian cooperation and mitigation of the consequences of war are high priorities and have achieved many specific results.
The US has raised the budget for the Bien Hoa airport decontamination project, provided support for people with disabilities in dioxin-contaminated areas, and granted aid for mine clearance projects, in addition to funding projects on searching and examining for remains of Vietnamese soldiers during the war.
To date, Vietnam has coordinated with the US to search, identify and repatriate the remains of more than 700 US soldiers missing in the war. Medical cooperation and post-pandemic recovery are also bright spots in the bilateral relationship, with the mutual support of medical equipment, access to vaccines, and disease prevention. In addition, education and training cooperation has made positive progress.
Vietnam and the US have strengthened cooperation at multilateral forums and coordinated effectively in solving international and regional issues of common concern, especially at the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, EAS, and ARF, especially when Vietnam takes on the role of ASEAN Chair and non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The US appreciates Vietnam’s leadership role in promoting consensus, solidarity, cooperation and the central role of ASEAN, and considers the ASEAN-US strategic partnership an important factor in ensuring peace, stability and development throughout the region.
The State visit to Vietnam by US President Biden continues the tradition of incumbent US Presidents visiting Vietnam and marks a new important milestone in the relationship between the two countries.
The visit continues to demonstrate that the US attaches great importance to Vietnam’s political institutions and the role of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This is also a significant milestone in the two countries’ joint efforts to realise President Ho Chi Minh’s wish for a full cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the US.
Welcoming the US President’s State visit, Vietnam consistently affirms its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace and development, multilateralisation and diversification of relations, proactive and active international integration, and being an active and responsible member of the international community.
The visit also reveals that Vietnam values its relationships with the US and continues to boost the achieved results and the relations to a new stature, based on the two countries’ principles, including respect for international law, the United Nations Charter, political institutions, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country.
The US President’s visit is expected to create more momentum for the bilateral relations, bringing Vietnam-US relations to a new level, consistent with the aspirations and interests of both sides, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development, throughout the region and the world.
