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National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and US Senator Mike Crapo (Photo: SGGP) |
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue gave a reception in Hanoi on May 26 to a delegation of US Senators led by Senator Mike Crapo, during which the host hoped that their ongoing Vietnam visit will be an important milestone, contributing to deepening the ties between the two countries and parliaments.
The Chairman spoke highly of the positive, substantive, and comprehensive development of bilateral relations in recent years, while recalling recent contacts and meetings between the two sides, including the phone talks between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joe Biden on March 29 and a meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Biden on the sidelines of the expanded G7 Summit in Japan in May.
Vietnam appreciates the US strengthening cooperation with partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, Hue said, adding that Vietnam hopes the US, through new strategies and initiatives, will continue to demonstrate its strong commitment to upholding ASEAN centrality, the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as well as the Mekong–US Partnership.
Expressing his agreement with Hue's opinions on cooperation in addressing war consequences, collaboration in economy, trade, investment, and between the two countries' legislative agencies, Senate Crapo said the US senator delegation's visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties, promote opportunities in business and trade, address war aftermath, continue cooperation in searching for servicemen missing during wartime and efforts to clean up dioxin-contaminated areas.
Agreeing with the NA Chairman's view on a record of US$123 billion in two-way trade between Vietnam and the US last year, Senator Crapo expressed his hope that the figure will continue growing.
The US Senator highly valued Vietnam's commitments on all four pillars in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) initiative.
According to the US Senator, the two sides can cooperate in multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms. This is also one of the US's current highest priorities to nations, including Vietnam, and the Indo-Pacific region.
He welcomed Vietnam’s approach to global trade issues and wished to work with Vietnam to realize cooperation plans.
During the meeting, both sides spoke highly of the role of parliamentary cooperation in the two countries' relations, saying that both parliaments have increased mutual visits and contacts in recent times. They supported and hoped to further strengthen the relations between the two parliaments via the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level ones, to promote cooperation between their legislative agencies and collaboration in areas.
Chairman Hue said he hopes the two legislatures will continue to expand cooperation in various forms so that US congressmen and Vietnamese NA deputies understand more about the situation in each country, bilateral relations, especially young parliamentarians; promote the exchange and coordination mechanism between the two countries’ parliaments, their committees, friendship parliamentary groups, parliamentary assistants, and soon establish a group of parliamentarians who are in favor of Vietnam–US relations in the US Congress.
Also at the meeting, Hue voiced Vietnam’s support for the US in its role as the APEC Chair 2023 and hoped that the US would support Vietnam’s bid to host APEC Year 2027.
On the East Sea issue, Vietnam highly appreciated the US's support for Vietnam and ASEAN's stance regarding the East Sea, including ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, and peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Chairman Hue hoped for more US congressmen to visit Vietnam to understand the country's achievements in its process of development and ensuring social welfare.
On this occasion, Hue invited the US to attend the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) to be hosted by the National Assembly of Vietnam this September in Hanoi.
After the meeting, the US Senate delegation attended a working session of the National Assembly.
