Positive outcomes in the Vietnam-U.S. relations will create a foundation for the two countries to elevate their ties to a new height, for the sake of their people, and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole, Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Hanoi on Saturday.

Blinken arrived in the Vietnamese capital city on Friday evening for his first official visit to Vietnam in office.

The visit, scheduled to end on Sunday, marks the 10th anniversary of the two nations’ comprehensive partnership.

Party General Secretary Trong spoke highly of the results of the U.S. diplomat's working sessions in Vietnam as well as the strong and comprehensive development of the bilateral relations between the two countries.

He affirmed that important foundations for the two countries' bilateral relation development are the respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each other, for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese Party chief also highly valued the outcomes of his phone talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on March 29, during which they discussed major orientations for the bilateral relations, particularly high-level meetings and exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and expand cooperation in varied sectors.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken reiterated that the U.S. attaches importance to the relationship with Vietnam and wants to lift it to a new level.

Blinken, on behalf of President Biden, also repeated an invitation to Party General Secretary Trong to visit the U.S..  

In response, Party chief Trong thanked him for the invitation, saying that he would ask the relevant agencies to arrange the visit at an appropriate time.

He also invited President Biden to visit Vietnam.

Blinken also met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on the same day.

PM Chinh suggested the two sides enhance the exchange of delegations and contacts at all levels to further deepen their relations.

He expected the U.S. to help Vietnam deal with war legacies, strengthen the cooperation in trade - investment, science - technology, education - training, defense - security, and new sectors.

The Vietnamese head of government stressed that both sides should continue putting in efforts to promote harmonious and sustainable trade exchange.

PM Chinh suggested the U.S. limit anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties and other unnecessary measures against Vietnamese exports.

He called on the U.S. to create favorable conditions for 2.2 million Vietnamese living in the U.S. to continue integrating into its society, complying with the host’s law, and contributing to the development of the two countries' relations.

Minister Son suggested the two countries step up delegation exchanges and contacts this year, which marks the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive partnership.

He hailed the coordination between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State over the past time, especially Blinken’s role in promoting the bilateral ties, including the recent phone talks between Party General Secretary Trong and President Joe Biden.

Blinken said there is ample room for the cooperation between the two nations and their relations should be boosted on the principles agreed by their high-ranking leaders.

He reiterated the U.S. commitment to respect Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political institutions, as well as Washington's support for a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Vietnam.

The U.S. will continue supporting Vietnam in coping with war legacies and cooperating with the Southeast Asian country in important sectors, Blinken noted.

He also attended a ceremony to break ground on the new U.S. Embassy campus, which requires an investment of US$1.2 billion, in Hanoi.

The comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the U.S. over the past decade has created an extremely solid foundation in various sectors, Blinken said at a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi after his meetings with Vietnam's high-ranking leaders.

“We think that it’s high time to go further. By that way, we want to better the current cooperation and jointly work in new cooperation sectors," Blinken said.

"U.S. President Biden and Vietnamese Party General Secretary Trong discussed these issues during their phone talks."

The two sides should keep discussing the enhancement of their partnership in the coming weeks or months, the U.S. diplomat noted.

They can intensify the collaboration in climate change, healthcare, security, science and technology, and education, he added.

Vietnam and the U.S. upgraded their relationship to comprehensive partnership in 2013.

The two countries' bilateral trade reached over $123.86 billion last year, up 11 percent year on year, according to news site VnExpress. 

The U.S. is Vietnam’s largest buyer, spending over $109 billion on imports from the latter in 2022. 

Besides, the U.S. is Vietnam’s second-largest trade partner, and ranks 11th among 40 nations and territories investing in the Southeast Asian country.

U.S. investors have got involved in more than 1,200 projects in Vietnam, with total pledged capital of over VND258 trillion ($11 billion).

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