Obama's visit demonstrates stronger commitments to comprehensive partnership

Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong considered President Obama’s visit a reaffirmation of leaders' commitments to the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership.

Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and US President Obama

At a reception for the top US leader in Hanoi on May 23, the Party chief said Vietnam considers the US one of its top partners and that both countries should deepen their comprehensive partnership with respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political institution, not to interfere in the other’s internal affairs, for the interest of their peoples, peace, stability, cooperation, development, and prosperity in the region and the world.

The Party leader appreciates announcements and actions by countries, including the US, to help maintain regional and global peace, security, and stability. He affirms Vietnam’s stance to resolve disputes in the East Sea by peaceful, diplomatic, and legal means based on international law.

President Obama in turn, praised the Vietnamese Communist Party (CPV)'s vision in leading Vietnam to gain great achievements over the past years.

He said the US considered Vietnam an important partner in the region and emphasized that he would do his utmost to boost cooperation with Vietnam, especially provide technical support to Vietnam to implement the TPP under the spirit of the Joint Statement on Comprehensive Partnership between Vietnam and the US signed in 2013 and the Vietnam-US Joint Vision Statement signed in 2015.

President Obama said the removal of lethal weapon ban on Vietnam aimed to create new changes in bilateral ties.

He highlighted the importance of ensuring safety, security, and freedom of navigation and aviation, and settling disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means on the basis of international law.

The US leader said he believed the Vietnam-US relationship will grow and flourish in the coming time.

Meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc the same day, President Obama expressed his hope to establish friendly and long-term relations between the US and Vietnam on the basis of respecting each other’s political institutions and for their people’s interests.

US President Obama and PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc meet at the government office

The two leaders hailed the practical progresses in bilateral relations since the comprehensive partnership was established in July 2013, particularly in economics, trade, investment, education, health, war consequence settlement, and people-to-people exchanges.

The government leader suggested the US help Vietnam successfully organise the 2017 APEC Summit, and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country.

President Obama emphasized the importance of boosting bilateral ties in education and training, climate change adaptation, economy, trade and science-technology.

They discussed measures to bolster the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership, with the priority given to development cooperation.

Both sides also compared notes on the regional situation, including the East Sea issue, as well as non-traditional security challenges which are affecting peace, stability and development cooperation in the region and the world.

They underscored the need to respect the UN Charter and international law in cooperation in dealing with regional issues.

They agreed that disputes in the East Sea should be solved by peaceful measures on the basis of respecting international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

It is essential to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), ensure maritime and aviation security and safety, and not use force, they noted.

PM Phuc reaffirmed that the Government will soon submit the Trans-Pacific Partnerahip (TPP) to the National Assembly for ratification and asked President Obama to continue boosting the US Congress’s approval of the deal.

The same day,President Obama was also received by National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.