Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a Vietnamese delegation left Hanoi on May 10 for the US to attend the ASEAN-US Special Summit at the invitation of US President Joe Biden, joining other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members at the summit on May 12-13.

At the same time, he is set to make a working visit to the US and the United Nations from May 11-17.

PM Pham Minh Chinh left Hanoi for the US on May 10. Photo: VNA

This is the first visit of the PM to the US since the 13th National Party Congress (NPC). This is also the first external activity of ASEAN to take place outside of ASEAN since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung has emphasised the significance of the upcoming ASEAN - US Special Summit, saying that the resolve of Joe Biden and ASEAN leaders to organize the summit despite uncertainties in Europe, especially the conflict in Ukraine, demonstrates the importance they attach to the relationship.

The year 2022 marks the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN-US partnership, and the event will be an occasion for the two sides to review their relationship, set out cooperation orientations in the time ahead, and exchange views on regional and international issues of shared concern.

Dung expressed his belief that the ASEAN-US collaboration will be strengthened in such spheres as infrastructure, digital economy, smart city development, clean energy transformation, health care, epidemic prevention and control, and climate change response.

According to Dung, pandemic containment and economic recovery are at present the top priorities in cooperation between the two sides, stressing that apart from providing vaccines and medical supplies to ASEAN countries, the US has opened its US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Southeast Asia Regional Office in Hanoi.

Several Vietnamese businesses have invested in big projects in the US

Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Dung. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in the US)

“I am very optimistic about the prospects of economic cooperation between the two countries in the coming time,” said Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung.

He explained that over the past time the bilateral economic ties have developed rapidly and effectively, with Vietnam being the US’s biggest export and import market in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while the US remains Vietnam’s largest export market. Leaders of the two countries have paid attention to promoting the economic relations, and always supported cooperation between their businesses, the diplomat added.

Moreover, Vietnam has developed rapidly and dynamically, and integrated deeply into the region and the world by joining many major regional and global free trade agreements, he said, noting that the country has been regarded as a safe and friendly destination.

Another reason for the prospects is the strong development of Vietnamese enterprises, with many of them now able to meet high international standards. The ambassador added that several Vietnamese businesses have invested in big projects in the US.

Vietnamese community leaders at a town hall meeting in Westminster about the 2020 census. Photo: Los Angeles Times

According to the ambassador, among the 2.2 million strong Vietnamese community in the US, many are scientists and entrepreneurs, who work as a bridge between the two economies.

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