Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn. — Photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

SAN FRANCISCO — All members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have highly valued Việt Nam's practical and constructive contributions to the forum over the last more than two decades while attending the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2023, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn.

Talking to the press following President Võ Văn Thưởng’s trip to the US to attend the week from November 14 to 17 in San Francisco, Sơn said the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2023 held special significance as it marked 25 years since Việt Nam became a member of APEC. President Thưởng and the high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam attended activities of the week and made important contributions to its success.

First, the Vietnamese leader raised ideas and proposals aimed at responding to urgent issues of the world economy, particularly the requirement for a new mindset that is inclusive, harmonious, and humane.

President Thưởng also gave concrete suggestions about the mission and tasks of APEC in the new period to make adaptation and continue to gain success. They included maintaining and consolidating the important achievements in trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation in Asia-Pacific and the world, cooperating to build a resilient region and resilient economies ready to respond to challenges, and creating a cooperation framework to assist member economies to capitalise on development opportunities and boost growth impetuses.

Those ideas and proposals were highly valued by other leaders and the business community and shown in the meeting’s document, thereby opening up new directions for APEC cooperation, the diplomat noted.

Second, member economies voiced their support for Việt Nam's proposal to host APEC in 2027. Amid complex developments in the world and the region, this proposal affirmed Việt Nam's commitment to multilateralism, the Asia-Pacific region in general, and the APEC forum in particular. It also reflected the country’s determination to implement the policy of proactive, active, comprehensive, and intensive integration into the world, and being a friend, a trustworthy partner, and a responsible member of the international community, helping to successfully carry out the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

All APEC members appreciated Việt Nam's highly practical and constructive contributions to APEC over the last more than two decades, and affirmed their trust in its APEC chairmanship in 2027, the foreign minister went on.

Third, he added, representatives of Vietnamese ministries and sectors actively took part in and coordinated with host, the US, and other members during the preparation for and discussions during the week to generate the best possible results for all members.

On this occasion, President Thưởng engaged in many meetings with leaders of other APEC economies and guests. At those events, APEC leaders and guests spoke highly of Việt Nam's stature and role and agreed to increase mutual visits, step up cooperation in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, science-technology, education-training, locality-to-locality ties, and people-to-people exchanges, and support each other at regional and international forums.

APEC economies' leaders at the high-level meeting in San Francisco, the United States. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Regarding bilateral activities with the US, President Thưởng met with his US counterpart Joe Biden, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles Erin Bromaghim. He received some leading enterprises of the US, such as Boeing and Apple, delivered a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, attended and addressed a roundtable on high technology connecting Vietnamese localities and US enterprises, and visited Stanford University’s hospital. He also visited a family of Vietnamese expatriates and met officials of Việt Nam’s representative diplomatic bodies in the US.

The President’s speech about the world situation, Việt Nam's foreign policy, and the Việt Nam-US relations at the Council on Foreign Relations received high evaluation from the US side, according to Minister Sơn.

At the activities, both sides agreed to make efforts to continue implementing the agreements reached between the two countries’ leaders during the recent State visit to Việt Nam by US President Biden at the invitation of Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and the joint statement on the elevation of bilateral relations to the comprehensive strategic partnership. They agreed to focus on economy, trade and investment, with the US soon granting the market economy status to Việt Nam; consider science-technology and innovation as breakthrough cooperation fields; press on with cooperation in education-training, including the training of high-quality human resources; and work together in climate change response.

US enterprises continued to show their high interest in the Vietnamese market and pledged to keep expanding investment and business activities in Việt Nam, especially in the fields of high technology, infrastructure, and energy. They also expressed their readiness to help the country with manpower training to create a skillful workforce to serve digital transformation and green transition, the official noted.

Minister Sơn remarked that the trip by President Thưởng and the high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and bilateral activities in the US was successful and a practical move to carry out the foreign policy devised at the 13th National Party Congress.

Via the State leader’s remarks and activities, Việt Nam conveyed important messages about its viewpoint on and approach to the challenges facing the world and the region, along with the implementation of its foreign policy.

Meanwhile, the hosting of APEC for the third time, in 2027, will once again demonstrate the country’s strategic vision on the Asia-Pacific and also be a vivid illustration of APEC members and the international community’s trust in Việt Nam’s role and stature in the international arena, Minister Sơn added. — VNS