US President Donald Trump and leaders or senior government representatives from 19 countries and territories, namely Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates and Mongolia, signed the charter establishing the Peace Council.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, Deputy PM Son held discussions with several members of President Trump’s administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Jared Kushner, a member of the council’s executive body.

He said Vietnam welcomed President Trump’s efforts to promote peace, cooperation and prosperity globally, and confirmed that Vietnam is prepared to participate in the Peace Council as a founding member.

He added that Vietnam looks forward to coordinating with other council members in implementing the Gaza Peace Plan endorsed by the United Nations Security Council under Resolution 2803 on November 17, 2025, in line with Vietnam’s consistent position on the Palestinian issue, international law and the United Nations Charter.

The Deputy Prime Minister also conveyed greetings from Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, thanking President Trump for his continued support for stronger Vietnam–US relations and for backing a “strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous Vietnam.” He reiterated an invitation from Vietnam’s top leadership for President Trump and the First Lady to visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient time.

US officials said Washington attaches importance to the Vietnam–US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and agreed to work toward deepening practical cooperation, including efforts to reach an early agreement on reciprocal tariff negotiations. They welcomed Vietnam’s role as a founding member of the Peace Council and said President Trump would arrange a visit to Vietnam when conditions permit.

Separately, Deputy PM Bui Thanh Son also met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who sent his regards to Party leader To Lam and congratulated Vietnam on the upcoming 14th National Party Congress. Aliyev expressed interest in visiting Vietnam in 2026 to advance the two countries’ strategic partnership and follow up on agreements reached during Party leader To Lam’s visit to Azerbaijan in May 2025, particularly in energy and technology.

Aliyev also welcomed Vietnam’s decision to help establish the Peace Council and said closer cooperation between the two countries could contribute meaningfully to post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Gaza and beyond.

During the visit, Deputy PM Bui Thanh Son also met foreign ministers from Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, as well as Nickolay Mladenov, a senior representative of the Peace Council and former UN Special Envoy for the Middle East. Foreign officials welcomed Vietnam’s participation, citing the country’s diplomatic approach, history of post-war reconstruction and development experience as valuable contributions to peace efforts in the region.

Vietnam accepts invitation to join Gaza Peace Council

Party General Secretary To Lam has accepted the invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the Gaza Peace Council and affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to participate as a founding member state of the council.