Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong holds high-level phone talks with US President Joe Biden on March 29, 2023. (Photo: VNA)

Party leader Trong suggested the two sides continue to expand and put economic, scientific and technological cooperation at the center of their relationship; implement defense-security cooperation agreements, pay attention to harmonious and sustainable trade, cooperate in supply chains, infrastructure and new fields such as logistics, digital economy, green transformation, and healthcare. He added the two sides need to boost cooperation in overcoming war aftermath, UN peacekeeping, information exchange, crime prevention and other fields.

Vietnam is ready to cooperate with international partners in strengthening friendship and dialogue, consolidating peace, promoting development, upholding international law and responding to shared challenges, the Party chief said.

Vietnam welcomes the US’s support for ASEAN centrality and working with ASEAN countries to advance the ASEAN Vision for the Indo-Pacific, he said, adding that Vietnam applauds the US for joining other partners in negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in an open, inclusive, balanced, and mutually beneficial manner, taking into account the conditions of developing countries such as Vietnam.

Mr. Trong said Vietnam continues to coordinate with the US and other partners to promote peace, cooperation and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region, and work with the US to successfully organize the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) 2023.

The Party General Secretary affirmed that responding to climate change is one of the major undertakings in Vietnam's development policy, and hoped that the US would continue to support Vietnam's efforts.

President Biden said Vietnam is an important partner and voiced his support for an independent, self-reliant and prosperous Vietnam. He reaffirmed respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political regime of Vietnam. President Biden emphasized trade cooperation, clean energy, energy transition, climate as potential areas.

The US commits to promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, looks forward to the cooperation of Vietnam and other countries in negotiating the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, and supports and promotes cooperation for the peaceful and sustainable development of the Mekong region, he said and stressed the importance of ASEAN's centrality.

The two leaders agreed on maintaining peace, stability and cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, not using or threatening force in international relations, implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon signing an efficient and effective Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).