Vietnamese PM to visit United States, United Nations from May 11-17

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: VNA/VNS Duong Giang

The Special ASEAN-US Summit is set to take place in the capital Washington D.C. from May 12-13 to mark the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN-US relations.

This is the second in-person summit between ASEAN the US leaders after the first in Sunnylands (US) in 2016, with a summit slated for 2020 having been cancelled and eventually move to virtual format in 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The two sides are expected to review the partnership progress of the past 45 years and set out development orientations for the future, as well as have in-depth discussions on cooperation issues of mutual interests such as trade and investment, maritime security, post-pandemic recovery, infrastructure, climate change, science and technology.

The Vietnamese Government leader will also lead a high-level delegation to visit the US and the United Nations from May 11-17, marking the first foreign trip he has made since the reopening of the country as the domestic COVID-19 situation gets under control and socio-economic recovery is underway.

The visit holds important meaning in the implementation of the Party and State’s foreign policy orientations, affirms Vietnam’s role and responsibility within the Southeast Asian regional bloc, and aims to boost the ties between ASEAN and the US.

The trip underlines Vietnam’s consistent stance in implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, multilateralisation, and diversification of foreign relations, and that Vietnam strives to become a reliable partner and an active and responsible member in the international community, while at the same time, safeguard the interests of the nation and the people in line with the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law, and the spirit of equality, cooperation, and mutual benefit.

The visit is expected to create a strong impetus for the development, efficiency, depth, and long-term stability of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership in fields of politics, diplomacy, economy, trade and investment, science and technology, education and training, and overcoming the consequences of war.

The trip demonstrates Vietnam’s strong commitment and active contribution to world peace and stability, contributing to strengthening the comprehensive and effective cooperation relationship between Vietnam and the UN as the two celebrating 45 years of partnership (1977-2022) and Vietnam is seeking for further support from the UN in the fields of sustainable socio-economic development, post-pandemic resilience, climate change response, implementation of the SDGs, and deployment of UN peacekeeping activities.

The visit also showcases the Party and State’s attention to the Vietnamese community in the US, and is expected to galvanise their contributions to the national development and sovereignty protection.

VNS