Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Hanoi. (Source: Reuters)

At a reception for US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Hanoi on Sunday, Mr Trong praised Mr Pompeo’s visit, saying it will further the implementation of bilateral agreements. He said he believes the Vietnam-US relationship will continue to grow for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Mr Pompeo hailed Vietnam’s contributions to regional issues and said the US will continue helping Vietnam in its efforts to overcome war consequences. He told his host that the US backs ASEAN’s central role in the Indo-Pacific region, and supports freedom of navigation and peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in line with international law.

During talks the same day, Secretary Pompeo and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh agreed to give priority to delegation exchanges, especially high-level visits and contacts, while continuing to view trade and investment as the driving force of the relationship.

Mr Minh, who is also Foreign Minister, praised the efforts made to achieve peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. He said Vietnam backs all constructive efforts through dialogues to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, pledging to be an active and responsible member of the international community in this process.

Mr Pompeo said the US values friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam and expects Vietnam to be a strong, independent, and prosperous country that plays an increasingly important role in the region.

The two officials discussed the East Sea situation, and expressed concern about recent developments in the region. They re-affirmed their support for the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as for the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea toward finalizing an effective and binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea.