US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The PM carried out 60 bilateral and multilateral activities involving ASEAN and the UN. The trip elevated multilateral diplomacy and deepened bilateral relations with the US, which has become one of Vietnam's leading partners after nearly three decades of diplomatic relations.

Shared ASEAN vision

Prime Minister Chinh’s statements at the Special Summit marking the 45th anniversary of relations between ASEAN and the US highlighted ASEAN’s centrality, spirit of sincerity, trust, and responsibility, and shared vision on global and regional issues and orientations aligned with the interests of ASEAN, the US, and the global community.

PM Chinh and other ASEAN leaders coordinated with their US counterparts to adopt the ASEAN-US Joint Vision Statement, elevating ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and setting out major cooperation orientations.

Prime Minister Chinh was the only ASEAN leader to deliver a policy speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the first senior leader of Vietnam to address Harvard University.

The Prime Minister’s busy itinerary took him to Washington DC, Boston, New York, and San Francisco, encompassing the highest-level and most comprehensive direct contacts and exchanges between the two countries in more than two years. He met with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, President pro tempore of the Senate Patrick Leahy, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, and key Cabinet members, academics, and business people.

The leaders of ministries and sectors who accompanied the PM attended more than 40 meetings, working sessions, and discussions.

US officials said they value relations with Vietnam, respect Vietnam’s political system, and support a strong, independent, and prosperous Vietnam. Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said: “US officials described the Vietnamese market as advantageous for investment and investment cooperation. They praised our policy changes to attract investment and expressed confidence in our open policy, given what they have achieved in Vietnam over the years. Given our advantages and the ASEAN-US strategy already outlined, I believe that trade between Vietnam and the US will grow strongly in the coming years.”

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said he sees the great potential of Vietnam-US technology cooperation on a more equal footing.“During working sessions with American tech partners, both sides raised the issue of upgrading cooperation, not merely as buyers and sellers, but working together in research and development. Future cooperation between US and Vietnamese tech companies will create product lines bearing the brands of each,” Hung said. 

Visiting the headquarters of leading US groups, PM Chinh listened to and shared the concerns and desires of businesses, saying Vietnam consistently advocates creating favorable conditions for investors, considers investors' interests as its own, and prioritizes cooperation in the green and clean economy, new technology, digital transformation, and innovation. The groups all said Vietnam is a market they are aiming for and pledged to expand their investment in Vietnam. The Prime Minister saw 25 new business agreements signed.

The Prime Minister met with leaders of key UN agencies, who promised to continue to support Vietnam’s innovation and international integration policies. The UN leaders reaffirmed that Vietnam is an important partner, a successful model for sustainable development, and a key contributor to the UN's work.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s trip to the US was a success as it achieved the goals and contributed to the successful implementation of the Party and State's foreign policy, particularly the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution on "continuing to improve the efficiency of foreign affairs and international integration."