Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) receives US Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink on January 8, 2019. (Photo: VGP/Hai Minh)

Deputy PM Minh praised the progress made in bilateral relations last year and proposed that they keep working closely in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, security-defence, and international issues towards celebrating 25 years of normalized Vietnam-US relations in 2020.

Ambassador Kritenbrink thanked the Government, ministries and sectors of Vietnam for promoting the two countries’ relationship. He said US enterprises value the Vietnamese market and want to expand their investment and business activities here.

The US considers Vietnam a leading partner in the region and wants to develop relations with Vietnam as well as with ASEAN, Ambassador Kritenbrink said.

He added that the US hopes to strengthen collaboration on issues related to the Mekong sub-region, the freedom and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, and the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions.