Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (left) held a brief meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN–US Summit

 KUALA LUMPUR — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính held a brief meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN–US Summit during his attendance at the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday.

During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development between Việt Nam and the United States in a deeper, more substantive and effective manner.

Both sides expressed a shared commitment to soon conclude a Reciprocal Trade Agreement, ensuring fairness and equality while encouraging greater US investment in Việt Nam.

Following Prime Minister Chính’s proposal, President Trump gave a positive response and took note of Việt Nam’s request for recognition as a market economy, as well as for removal from the US strategic export control lists D1 and D3.

President Trump directed senior American officials present at the summit, including the Treasury Secretary and the US Trade Representative, to promptly provide feedback on these matters.

PM Chính commended President Trump’s role in promoting the peaceful settlement of global conflicts in recent times.

The brief ASEAN–US sidelines meeting demonstrated mutual understanding, respect and a shared resolve to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

On this occasion, PM Chính conveyed an invitation from Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and other senior Vietnamese leaders for President Trump to visit Việt Nam.

President Trump warmly accepted, saying he looked forward to and would make time for a visit to Việt Nam in the near future.

PM Chính also proposed that the United States arrange a visit to Washington by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm under the framework of the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

President Trump welcomed the idea, asking that Việt Nam inform the US side at an appropriate time, and also expressed a desire for PM Chính to visit the United States when convenient for both sides.

13th ASEAN–US Summit

On Sunday afternoon, PM Chính joined ASEAN leaders and US President Donald Trump at the 13th ASEAN–US Summit, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

In his address, Chính congratulated President Trump on the United States’ recent achievements and praised his diplomatic efforts in promoting dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution worldwide.

He particularly acknowledged the President’s cooperation with Malaysia, this year’s ASEAN Chair, and other ASEAN members in facilitating talks between Cambodia and Thailand, leading to the signing of a Joint Declaration of Peace between the two neighbours.

Recognising the US as one of ASEAN’s most comprehensive strategic partners, Chính proposed four major orientations to deepen ASEAN-US cooperation more practically and effectively.

The orientations consist of enhancing economic, trade and investment connectivity towards a balanced, harmonious and sustainable relationship; promoting cooperation in digital transformation, innovation and energy security, including energy infrastructure connectivity and peaceful nuclear energy collaboration; strengthening cybersecurity and the fight against transnational crime, building on US initiatives against online fraud and Việt Nam’s initiative on improving the pursuit of wanted criminals; and maintaining peace, security and stability across the region.

Chính reaffirmed that ASEAN and the US shared common interests and responsibilities in maintaining peace, stability, security and development in the region, including the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).

He reiterated ASEAN’s principled position of resolving disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

For his part, President Trump affirmed that Southeast Asia occupied a central place in the US Indo-Pacific policy, and that the United States remained a steadfast partner and friend to the region.

Washington, he said, would seek to deepen its partnership with ASEAN not only in economics, trade, energy, technology and AI but also in the pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity for all nations and future generations.

The President underscored that the US would be ready to work closely with and support ASEAN in addressing shared challenges, with full respect for ASEAN’s centrality and the legitimate interests of its member states.

At the close of the summit, ASEAN and US leaders adopted the 'Joint Vision Statement on a Stronger, Safer and More Prosperous ASEAN-US Partnership,' setting the strategic direction for the next phase of cooperation.

ASEAN leaders commended the United States for its active and constructive contributions to regional cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms, particularly in promoting dialogue and confidence-building for peace and stability.

They also highly appreciated President Trump’s personal commitment and role in fostering regional dialogue, including his support for negotiations that helped ease tensions and achieve the Peace Declaration between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

The leaders noted that ASEAN-US relations continue to grow robustly, comprehensively and effectively across multiple sectors.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to effectively implementing existing initiatives and to deepening the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, focusing on high-quality trade and investment, finance, infrastructure connectivity, the digital economy, energy and cybersecurity resilience, all aimed at building a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous region. —VNS