Senior leaders hold receptions for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

At the reception, Secretary Blinken conveyed US President Joe Biden’s letter of condolences on the passing of the Vietnamese Party chief to President To Lam.

In the letter, President Biden reminisced about his first meeting with General Secretary Trong in Washington D.C. in 2015.

He expressed his pride in having stood side by side with the General Secretary during his visit to Hanoi in 2023 where they together opened up a new era of cooperation between the two nations.

President Biden called this event a testament to both countries countries' shared desire for peace and prosperity for all and that it also reflected General Secretary Trong's determination to take the bilateral relations to the highest level, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The US President affirmed that the US will never forget his leadership and fully supports a strong, resilient, and independent Vietnam to which General Secretary Trong dedicated his life.

Secretary Blinken personally showed his sorrow over the loss of a visionary leader and greatly valued General Secretary Trong's contributions to strengthening and  reinforcing Vietnam-US relations and the friendship between the two countries' people.

President Lam conveyed his heartfelt thanks to President Biden for his good sentiments and deep condolences over the passing of General Secretary Trong, as well as to Secretary Blinken for travelling to Vietnam to offer condolences to the General Secretary’s family during this sorrowful time.

The Vietnamese State leader shared that during his lifetime, General Secretary Trong treasured developing relations with the US and often glowingly spoke of President Biden. The historic visit to the US in 2015 by General Secretary Trong gave added impetus to the two countries’ strong development, thus becoming Comprehensive Strategic Partners as they are today.

Secretary Blinken affirmed that his nation values its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and looks forward to further deepening this important bilateral relationship.

He expressed confidence that both sides will continue to uphold and nurture the Vietnam-US relations, fostering the friendship between the two people in line with General Secretary Trong’s wishes.

The US Secretary of State noted that the passing of General Secretary Trong is a great loss for the bilateral relations, and he affirmed that the US government and people would always remember and honour General Secretary Trong’s legacy, particularly his efforts to promote reconciliation and build a future of peace, stability, and prosperity for the region and the world

On this occasion, President Lam and Secretary Blinken showed their elation at the positive development in the bilateral relations in recent times across multiple fields, including politics-diplomacy, economy-trade-investment, security-defence, and war legacy remediation.

President Lam reiterated that Vietnam regards the US as a top strategic partner and welcomes the US’s continued commitment to backing a “strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous” Vietnam.

He expressed a desire to closely coordinate in fulfilling the commitments of General Secretary Trong and President Biden to deepen and stabilise the new framework of relations.

Secretary Blinken thanked President Lam for his support of the sound Vietnam-US partnership and emphasized that the US considers Vietnam a top partner in the region.

He affirmed the US’s commitment to working with Vietnam to further boost the bilateral ties and step up cooperation at regional and international forums of shared concerns as a contribution to promoting dialogue, peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, including frameworks such as the Mekong-US Partnership, ASEAN, APEC, and the United Nations, for the common peace, stability, and prosperity of the region and the world as a whole.

At a reception given by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh the same day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on behalf of President Joe Biden and the US administration, extended profound condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam for this huge loss.

PM Chinh, on behalf of the Government and people of Vietnam, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Secretary Blinken for visiting to pay tribute and for President Biden’s condolences. He also conveyed his sincere thanks to President Biden, through Secretary Blinken, for the message of sympathy.

He highlighted that, thanks to the strategic vision and clear-sighted leadership of both General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Biden, Vietnam-US relations have entered a new and significant phase of development.

Secretary Blinken affirmed the US's commitment to further deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam. He expressed satisfaction with the positive results achieved in nearly a year of carrying out the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, noting that the active performance of the Vietnam-US Joint Declaration and Action Plan in 2023 has yielded beneficial outcomes for both nations, positively contributing to regional and global peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.

Looking ahead to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025, host and guest agreed on the importance of intensifying high-level exchanges and cooperation, particularly in economic, trade, investment, high-tech sectors, and semiconductor collaboration.

They underscored the need to beef up cooperation in training high-quality human resources as a key focus and driving force for bilateral relations.

PM Chinh stressed the necessity of augmenting cooperation in addressing war legacies. Sharing his recent experience of visiting Vietnamese localities and meeting war veterans and their families on War Invalids and Martyrs Day (27/7), he emphasized the enduring impact of war wounds on future generations.

He urged the US to expedite demining, clearing unexploded ordnance, decontaminating dioxin hotspots, and supporting disabled individuals affected by the war.

In response, the Vietnamese Government chief reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to fully and effectively cooperate in the search for US servicemen missing in action (MIA).

Regarding international and regional issues of mutual interest, PM Chinh welcomed the US's comprehensive and responsible engagement in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions and the US's continued support for ASEAN's centrality as well as ASEAN and Vietnam's principled stance on the East Sea issue.

Secretary Blinken reiterated his country’s support for a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Vietnam, its expanded international integration, and its increasingly significant role in ASEAN, the region, and global cooperation in dealing with challenges.