Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concerns over the phone on Thursday. 

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. Photo: VGP

Minh affirmed Viet Nam regards the US as one of its partners of top imporance, expressing his pleasure at the increasingly extensive and pratical advancement of the Viet Nam-US relationship across all fields, from diplomacy-politics, economy- trade, security-defense to science-technology and people-to-people exchanges.

He spoke highly of the programs on humanitiarian cooperation, settlement of war consequences, and dioxin decontamination, which have contributed to consolidating trust between the two countries.

Minh also welcomed the organization of activities by both sides to mark the 25th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which included the exchange of congratulatory letters by their high-ranking leaders.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State highly valued the two countries’s efforts in strengthening and expanding the Comprehensive Partnership on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and each other’s political systems.

Pompeo also said Viet Nam and the US share the common vision on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, affirming the US attaches importance and commits to maintaining stable ties with Viet Nam.

He was pleased that Viet Nam is about to welcome American volunteers to teach English in the country under the agreement signed last month between the Peace Corps and the Ministry of Education and Training.

Both sides discussed ways to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, support their citizens to return home, and coordinate in restoring and maintaining regional and global supply chain.

Minh took the occasion to affirm that Viet Nam attaches importance to the US’s role at international forums, pledging to continue working with the American side and partners in addressing common challenges in order to contribute to sustaining peace, stability, security and development in the region and the world.

Pompeo highly valued Viet Nam’s role in addressing global issues, expressing his wish to cooperate with Viet Nam in intensifying the strategic partnership between ASEAN and the US./.