Vietnam, US establish comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joseph Biden announced that the two sides had adopted a joint statement on elevating the Vietnam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development at a press conference following their talks in Hanoi on September 10 evening.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and US President Joseph Biden at the press conference in Hanoi on September 10.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joseph Biden announced that the two sides had adopted a joint statement on elevating the Vietnam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development at a press conference following their talks in Hanoi on September 10 evening.

General Secretary Trong said the two sides have agreed that the Vietnam-US relationship has seen strong, in-depth, substantial and effective progresses since the two countries normalised their relations and set up their Comprehensive Partnership.

The Party chief stressed that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of the two countries continues to base on the full respect for fundamental principles guiding the bilateral relationship, including respect for the UN Charter, international law and each other's political institution, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

US President Joseph Biden at the press conference

The two sides also underlined that the understanding of each other and each other's situation, respect for each other's legitimate interests and non-interference into each other's internal affairs are basic principles that are always important to the bilateral relationship as well as international relations. Vietnam values the US's affirmation to support a strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous Vietnam, said the Vietnamese Party leader.

He went on to say that the contents of the new partnership inherit underway cooperation contents between the two countries, and take them to a higher level through the promotion of economic, trade, investment collaboration in the direction of renovation being the foundation, focal point and motivation for bilateral relations, and the strengthening of cooperation in science-technology will be a new breakthrough of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development. In the time to come, relevant agencies of the two sides will work together to realise the reached agreements, he added. 

"Vietnam promotes relations with the US and other international partners in the spirit outlined by President Ho Chi Minh after Vietnam regained independence, which is Vietnam is a friend of all countries. Regarding the US, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed Vietnam's complete independence and Vietnam's willingness to fully cooperate with the US. This independence and cooperation is beneficial to the whole world. We all know that in many following years and months, Vietnamese people went through uncountable sacrifice and hardship to defend the nation's independence and regain unification," stated the Party General Secretary.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the conference

He stressed that the 13th National Party Congress set the policy on strengthening and deepening bilateral cooperative relations in the framework of the consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations. Vietnam is a friend, a trustworthy partner as well as an active and responsible member of the international community.

The two sides informed each other about the situation of the two countries, expressing their appreciation of the efforts and positive results achieved in socio-economic development in each country.

Regarding complex situations and international conflicts, Vietnam hopes that the sides engage in dialogues, and resolve those peacefully on the basis of respecting the fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.

The Vietnamese Party chief expressed the hope that through this important and meaningful visit, President Biden and other members of the US delegation will have the opportunity to get first-hand feelings of the renewal, development, and dynamism of Vietnam, as well as the hospitable, friendly and peace-loving Vietnamese people.

President Joe Biden expressed his joy at the upgrade of bilateral relations between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, stressing that this is an important step for the US and Vietnam to deepen their cooperation in terms of critical and emerging technologies, particularly in building a more resilient semiconductor supply chain; and expand economic partnerships to spur even greater trade and investment bonds, and educational exchange between the two countries.

Emphasising that everything achieved in recent years was not accidental or inevitable but required strong efforts of the two countries’ leaders, President Biden said 10 years ago, when he was Vice President, the two nations reached a new milestone with the establishment of a comprehensive partnership.

He said that he is incredibly proud of the way the two countries and their people have built trust and understanding over the decades, and work to handle post-war consequences, including clearing unexploded ordnance, remediating environmental pollution caused by dioxin, expanding support programmes for people with disabilities, and searching for and repatriating the remains of American service-members and Vietnam soldiers still missing from the war in Vietnam.

Biden said that he looks forward to a new chapter in the relationship of the two countries.