US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel R. Russel. — Photo vietnamplus.vn

HÀ NỘI — US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel R. Russel, elaborated on US President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Việt Nam, which is slated for later this month, at a press conference in Hà Nội yesterday.

Russel is on a working visit to Việt Nam to make preparations for Obama’s visit, scheduled between May 22 - 25.

He noted that an important component of the US’s policy for Asia-Pacific was strengthening the US-Việt Nam partnership.

Russel delivered his country’s commitment to assisting Việt Nam in effectuating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement given it will benefit both the country and the region at large.

Expanding security cooperation forms another important component of the growing bilateral partnership, covering international peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, disaster relief and maritime security, he told reporters.

He laid stress on people-to-people ties, referring to academic partnerships, the inauguration of Fulbright University in Việt Nam and other English teaching programmes.

How to cope with regional and global challenges is shared by both countries, according to the diplomat.

The two countries have been working together to response to such global matters as climate change, health and infectious diseases, and international terrorism.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides have joined hands to reach an order based on law and common principles, ease tensions in the sea and ensure that all parties concerned and international laws are respected, the diplomat stated. During the visit, both sides will deal with war-era issues, including co-operation in removing unexploded ordnance, locating and returning the remains of US soldiers missing in action during wartime, and decontaminating dioxin in the central city of Đà Nẵng.

The two sides will discuss and work together to expand their collaboration in human rights and legal reforms in Việt Nam in accordance with the country’s 2013 Constitution as well as universal standards, the diplomat said.

While in the country, Russel has had working sessions with representatives from the Vietnamese Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defence, Public Security and Justice, and those from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and the Government’s Office. — VNS