Speaking at a meeting with reporters in Hanoi on Friday, Mr. Derek Chollet, Advisor of the US State Department, said that at meetings with representatives of the Vietnamese ministries and sectors, the two sides discussed bilateral ties and ways to boost cooperation in economics, trade, national defense, climate change response, and COVID-19 prevention and control.

Derek Chollet said Vietnam is an important partner of the US in the region. The US hopes to expand bilateral cooperation with Vietnam toward upgrading the Vietnam-US relation. He said the US will work closely with Vietnam to ensure freedom of maritime security in the East Sea with respect for international law and to promote cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific.