Viet Nam–U.S. relations rest on a solid foundation and shared interests: Marco Rubio
VGP - Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed measures to further advance the relations between Viet Nam and the U.S. during their talks in Washington D.C. on February 19 (local time).
Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington D.C., February 19, 2026
Le thanked Rubio for his congratulatory message to General Secretary To Lam and the 14th National Party Congress, emphasizing that the Congress set out major orientations, including a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and proactive, responsible engagement in regional and global issues.
Viet Nam attaches importance to a stable and long-term relationship with the U.S. for the benefit of both nations' people and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world, stressed Le.
He appreciated the U.S. Secretary of State's personal support and the active cooperation of the U.S. Department of State in effectively advancing the bilateral ties.
The Vietnamese Foreign Minister suggested both sides coordinate closely in strengthening political trust, promoting high-level and all-level exchanges, and expanding cooperation in economy, defence-security, war consequence remediation, and science and technology.
Regarding international and regional issues, Le welcomed the U.S. sustained and responsible contributions to regional peace, security and development, highly valued President Donald Trump's Board of Peace initiative, and thanked the U.S. for inviting Viet Nam to join the initiative. He affirmed Viet Nam's readiness to optimise its role and advantages to work with the U.S. and the international community to promote peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
For his side, Rubio congratulated Viet Nam on the success of the 14th National Party Congress, and affirming his country's support for a strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous Viet Nam. He also lauded the Southeast Asian nation's socio-economic achievements, and saying that Viet Nam's development model could be applicable to many countries.
The Secretary of State thanked Viet Nam for being among the first countries joining the Board of Peace and General Secretary To Lam for his attendance at the Board of Peace's inaugural meeting in Washington D.C., adding that the participation reflects Viet Nam's increasingly proactive and active role in addressing common regional and global challenges.
Rubio noted that Viet Nam–U.S. relations rest on a solid foundation and shared interests - a fundamental factor for its future growth.
He expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to work closely together to further deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a more effective manner. Rubio hailed Trung's proposals regarding the bilateral ties, agreeing to promote exchanges and meetings between high-ranking leaders of the two countries.
On economic and trade cooperation, the U.S. side called for the early conclusion of reciprocal tariff negotiations to create a framework for stronger bilateral collaboration, while expanding cooperation in science and technology, defense and security for the benefit of both countries' people and for peace and stability in the region and the world.
Both sides also compared notes on regional and international issues of shared concern. Rubio spoke highly of Viet Nam's growing role and voice at regional and multilateral forums such as ASEAN, G20 and APEC, underscoring the importance of settling disputes through peaceful means on the basis of respect for the interests of all parties.
Le took the occasion to invite the U.S. Secretary of State to visit Viet Nam./.
