The U.S. backs a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Vietnam and treats the Southeast Asian country as a leading partner in the region, U.S. President Joe Biden has told Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam.

Biden made the statement at a meeting with Lam in New York on Wednesday (local time) as part of the latter’s U.S. trip for the UN Summit of the Future and the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79).

This was the first meeting between the two leaders since Party General Secretary and State President Lam took on his new positions recently, and marked one year of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

President Biden extended condolences to Vietnam over the damage caused by recent typhoon Yagi and affirmed that the U.S. government stands ready to support Vietnam to overcome the aftermath of the natural disaster.

Once again congratulating Lam on his new positions, Biden recalled his Vietnam trip in September last year, when he received a warm welcome from the Vietnamese leaders and people and joined then-Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong in announcing the elevation of the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. 

“One year ago, in Hanoi, we began a new era of relations with Vietnam and the U.S., and we elevated our partnership to the highest level possible. Since then, we’ve been – I’ve been very proud of the progress we’ve made,” according to remarks posted on the website of the White House.

Biden told Lam that the U.S. considers Vietnam a leading partner in the region, and supports a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Vietnam.  

He pledged to continue strengthening the bilateral partnership on the basis of respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institution, making the ties a model for healing and cooperation for future construction.

Biden also affirmed the U.S.’s commitment to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, while emphasizing the central role of ASEAN. 

Supporting Vietnam’s increasingly important role in regional and international issues, President Biden said the U.S. wishes to work closely with Vietnam on maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation in the region; defending international law; ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Vietnam Sea; responding to climate change; and addressing common regional and global challenges.

Party General Secretary and State President Lam expressed his sincere thanks to President Biden for his deep condolences on the recent passing of Party chief Trong, while thanking the U.S. for its timely support for typhoon Yagi relief efforts in Vietnam.

Highly valuing Biden’s sentiments for and great contributions to Vietnam and the Vietnam-U.S. relations, Lam underscored that Trong’s historic trip to the U.S. in 2015 and Biden’s visit to Vietnam in September 2023 have created important momentum to take the relationship to the highest level of comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two mutual visits “were historic milestones and have significantly advanced the growth of the Vietnam-U.S. relations, resulting in a higher level of the relations that we enjoy today,” the White House cited Lam.

Lam praised Biden for highlighting the shared lessons between the two countries in healing the wounds of war and building their post-war relationship during his address at the opening session of the UNGA 79.

The Vietnamese leader agreed that Vietnam and the U.S. share a common vision of building a better future for all humanity.

He asserted that the key lesson learned is to promote healing, respect, and mutual understanding, founded on respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, and political systems.

Lam emphasized that after transitioning from former enemies to partners with the normalization of diplomatic ties 29 years ago, the two countries have now entered a new chapter in their relationship.

He noted that Vietnam and the U.S. have become a true model in international relations, demonstrating the power of healing and post-war reconciliation.

Hanoi sees Washington as a partner of strategic importance and hopes that their partnership will continue to develop fruitfully for the interest of the two countries and peoples. 

Reiterating Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization of external relations, Lam affirmed his country is a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community.

Expressing their delight at the achievements gained after one year of implementing the comprehensive strategic partnership, the two leaders vowed to keep effectively implementing the Vietnam-U.S. Joint Statement in 2023 to further bring into play the new partnership, toward celebrating 30 years of diplomatic ties in 2025. 

They agreed to further expand cooperation in trade, investment, high technology, semiconductors, and high-quality human resource training to create key breakthroughs in their partnership.  

The two sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperation at regional and international forums, including the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, and the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, contributing to promoting dialogue, peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

After normalizing their diplomatic relations in July 1995, Vietnam and the U.S. set up a comprehensive partnership in July 2013. 

Over ten years later, the two sides lifted their ties directly to a comprehensive strategic partnership on September 10, 2023, skipping the strategic partnership level, during President Biden’s official visit to Vietnam.

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