(VOVworld) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong received US President Barack Obama in Hanoi on Monday. Mr. Trong appreciates the significance of Mr. Obama’s visit, considering it a reaffirmation of both countries’ leaders' commitments to the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership.

Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong meets US President Barack Obama on May 23, 2016 (photo: tuoitre.vn/ Nguyen Khanh)

Mr. Trong 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.

Mr. Trong 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 praised the Vietnamese Communist Party’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 President said he believed the Vietnam-US relationship will grow further in the coming time. The same day, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received the US President. National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan met President Obama at the Presidential Palace.