Prime Minister addresses ASEAN-U.S. Summit, meets U.S. Vice President

Addressing the 11th ASEAN-U.S. Summit that took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 6, Pham held that ASEAN and the U.S. are entering a new era of cooperation with the comprehensive strategic partnership established in late 2022.

Both sides should join hands to carry out this partnership in an effective, substantive, and mutually beneficial manner, he suggested, underlining the need to quickly turn economic and trade cooperation into the pillar, and science, technology and innovation into an impetus for the ASEAN-U.S. comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two sides should coordinate to promote harmonious and sustainable trade and stabilize supply chains; and minimize the imposition of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties and unnecessary measures on exports that may directly affect people's jobs and livelihoods, the Vietnamese leader proposed.

It is vital to reserve adequate resources for boosting cooperation in science-technology and innovation to open up a new development space and give a strong boost to economic growth and sustainable development, he said.

Pham suggested the U.S. foster cooperation with and assist Viet Nam in responding to climate change, carrying out the Political Declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership. 

He also expected the U.S. to continue supporting the development of the Mekong sub-region, including the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam, via the Mekong-U.S. Partnership.

In 2022, the U.S. was the biggest investor in ASEAN with the total foreign direct investment (FDI) capital worth US$36.5 billion. The U.S. was also the second biggest trade partner of the bloc with the trade value estimated at US$420.4 billion last year. 

At the summit, both sides pledged to step up trade and investment, stabilize supply chains, improve health capacity, expand collaboration in science and technology application, develop sustainable infrastructure, protect the environment, adapt to climate change, and foster digital transformation, energy transition, green economy and circular economy.

The summit approved a joint statement on cooperation on the basis of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.           

The same day, Prime Minister Pham had a meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Both leaders expressed their delight on the strong development in Viet Nam-U.S. comprehensive partnership, heading to upgrade the relations in the time ahead, particularly in such areas as economy, trade, investment, science-technology, innovation, education and training, people-to-people links and overcoming war aftermath. 

Pham spoke highly of contributions of Kamala Harris to the bilateral relations, particularly in supporting Viet Nam in the COVID-19 fight, expecting to concertize high-level agreements to promote the relationship in a more intensive, effective, and practical manner. 

Viet Nam is closely working with the U.S. to make preparations for U.S. Joe Biden's upcoming State visit to the country this week, he noted. 

For her part, Kamala Harris stressed the significance of the U.S. President's upcoming State visit to Viet Nam, which will be made at the invitation of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. 

She expressed her belief that the visit will mark a new development step in bilateral relations./.