President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc meets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. VNA/VNS Photos

NEW YORK — President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc met with foreign leaders as part of his working trip to New York on September 23, discussing trade, investment, cooperation and COVID-19 vaccine donations.

On the morning of September 23, the Vietnamese State leader had working sessions with representatives from countries that are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Meeting with the Chinese delegation, Phúc said a stable and healthy relationship between Việt Nam and China was an important factor to the development of each country, and contributed to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

As neighbours, Việt Nam and China should tighten their cooperation to ensure water resources security, cope with climate change and promote green development, he suggested.

Meeting with Russian representatives, Phúc emphasised that Russia was a leading and important partner of Việt Nam, adding that he had affirmed this fact during his online talks with President Vladimir Putin last week.

He said leaders of the two countries would soon hold in-person meetings to enhance the bilateral strategic partnership.

At a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President Phúc extended his thanks to the US – one of the biggest donors of COVID-19 vaccines via the COVAX Facility. Through the mechanism, Việt Nam had received 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the US so far.

Blinken reaffirmed President Joe Biden’s latest commitment to donating 500 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to other countries at the Global COVID-19 Summit which President Phúc attended on September 22.

The Vietnamese State leader said Việt Nam always considered the US a leading and important partner, with economic, trade and investment cooperation the main pillar of the bilateral relations.

He suggested the two countries continue with the exchange of high-level delegations, create more favourable conditions for major US groups, especially high-tech ones, to increase their presence in Việt Nam, while ensuring stable development of trade towards balanced trade ties.

The same day, the President spoke over the phone with Senator Patrick Leahy, who is President pro tempore of the Senate of the US.

He lauded Leahy and the US Congress for their efforts in urging the US administration to help Việt Nam with vaccines and medical supplies, and suggested the Senator further promote cooperation between the two countries in this regard.

Phúc also thanked the Senator for his contributions to the settlement of war consequences, notably the projects on dioxin remediation at Đà Nẵng and Biên Hòa airports, and invited him to visit Việt Nam when possible.

For his part, Leahy pledged that he would continue to support Việt Nam in the settlement of war consequences, including assistance for war and Agent Orange/dioxin victims.

He also stressed the US’ commitments to regional and global issues like climate change, COVID-19 and maritime security, saying the US would further cooperate and support countries, including Việt Nam, to deal with these challenges.

On September 22, the President had a meeting with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who is the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), during which he thanked the Queen for her support for Việt Nam, particularly in promoting inclusive finance.

The meeting between President Phúc and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

They also shared their delight at the strong growth of the Việt Nam-Netherlands relations over years. The Netherlands is now Việt Nam’s second-largest trade partner and biggest investor in the EU.

They agreed that both sides needed to maintain high-level meetings and exchanges between ministries and local administrations so as to better tap the two countries’ potential and remain each other’s top partner in Southeast Asia and the EU.

Phúc highly appreciated the Netherlands’ active contribution to the COVID-19 vaccine-sharing COVAX Facility as well as its donation of medical supplies to Việt Nam.

Meeting with his counterpart from Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, the Vietnamese leader suggested the two countries increase bilateral meetings and exchanges both in person and via video teleconference.

Each side should nominate an honorary consul who will act as a bridge to beef up multi-faceted ties between the two nations since they are yet to open an embassy in each other’s capital city, Phúc proposed, adding that the two countries should provide a legal framework for bolstering bilateral cooperation by soon concluding talks on and signing of several agreements regarding investment protection and facilitation, and avoidance of double taxation.

President Phúc further said that Việt Nam stood ready to share experience and step up cooperation with Sierra Leone in agriculture as proposed by President Julius Maada Bio.

In the meeting with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheik Hasina, President Phúc spoke highly of the development of the two countries’ long-standing and multifaceted partnership, saying he wanted the bilateral relations to thrive further in the future.

President Phúc meets Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheik Hasina.

Both leaders felt pleased to see the growing trade between Việt Nam and Bangladesh despite the impacts of COVID-19 and agreed the two sides should maintain their existing cooperation mechanisms, such as the Việt Nam-Bangladesh Joint Commission and their Joint Committee on Trade, to soon lift two-way trade to US$2 billion.

Việt Nam wanted to invest in Bangladesh in the fields of agriculture and fisheries, industry and handicraft, culture, education and training, tourism, and textile and garment, the Vietnamese president said, asking the Bangladeshi side to provide Vietnamese investors with broader access to these areas.

At a meeting with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, the Vietnamese President spoke highly of the IMF’s cooperation with Việt Nam in socio-economic development and international integration.

He also thanked the fund for helping Việt Nam in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

President Phúc appreciated that the IMF had collaborated with the World Bank, the World Health Organisation and the World Trade Organisation to set up a special task force on COVID-19 vaccines, in an effort to promote the delivery of vaccines and medical equipment for developing countries.

He voiced a hope that the IMF would support Việt Nam in vaccine access and continue to stand side by side with the country in its development towards the goal to become a developing nation with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030; and a developed nation with high income by 2045, as targeted in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

For her part, the IMF Managing Director congratulated Việt Nam over its economic achievements in the recent past and highly valued policies by the Vietnamese Government in stabilising the macro-economy and renewing growth models.

She affirmed that the IMF would help Việt Nam surmount the difficulties triggered by the ongoing pandemic and support the country’s development. VNS