Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Government Office in Hà Nội for their official talks on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken had official talks in Hà Nội on Saturday, as part of the official visit of the latter.

During the talks, both sides reviewed the positive developments of the Comprehensive Partnership between Việt Nam and the US, such as the impressive growth in two-way trade which hits US$123 billion in 2022, the positive cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the increasing number of Vietnamese students studying in the US, and the effectiveness of cooperation projects to address consequences of the war in Việt Nam, exemplified by the dioxin remediation project at Biên Hoà airbase.

Minister Sơn said that Việt Nam considers the US one of its leading partners and seeks to continue developing the Comprehensive Partnership on the basis of mutual benefit and mutual respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political systems.

The Vietnamese diplomat lauded the coordination between the two foreign ministries in the past period, especially the role of Secretary Blinken in promoting Việt Nam-US ties, including the high-level telephone call between Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and US President Joe Biden, which has contributed significantly to the strengthening of trust and the opening of a new phase of cooperation between the two countries in the future.

Minister Sơn proposed both sides step up delegation exchange and contacts at all levels, especially at high levels in 2023 when the two sides are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Việt Nam-US Comprehensive Partnership;  continue to develop the bilateral relations in a substantial, practical direction, for the benefit of both countries, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn (right) said that Việt Nam considers the US one of its leading partners and seeks to continue developing the Comprehensive Partnership on the basis of mutual benefit and mutual respect for each other. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

US State Secretary Antony Blinken said that the US values the friendly and comprehensive cooperation with Việt Nam, agreeing with Minister Sơn on the need for both sides to continue to cooperate and promote bilateral ties on the principles agreed upon by the high-level leaders of both sides.

Appreciating Việt Nam's dynamic development, role and stature in the region, Secretary Blinken reiterated the US's commitment to respecting Việt Nam's political system, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, supporting a "strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous" Việt Nam.

Regarding cooperation agenda, Secretary Blinken remarked that the US Government will continue to allocate resources and budget to support Việt Nam in overcoming the aftermath of the war, and to support cooperation between the two countries in important areas such as trade and investment, science and technology, digital transformation, green transformation, and training high-quality human resources to serve Việt Nam's development goals.

Both sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Minister Sơn proposed that the US continue to play an active role in the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, as well as in the world.

Secretary Blinken said that the US backs ASEAN's central role in the region and will continue to advance cooperation within the framework of the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

He also vowed US's support for Mekong-US cooperation, climate change response, and United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The Vietnamese and US diplomats also exchanged views on the South China Sea (East Sea in Việt Nam) issue and agreed on the importance of peace, security, stability, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and working towards an effective, substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). — VNS