Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (left) meet US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington DC yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất.

WASHINGTON DC — The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson yesterday hosted a banquet for Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc before he left to meet with US President Donald Trump early this morning (Viet Nam time).

PM Phúc earlier had a telephone call with prominent Democratic and Republican senators on his last day in the United States.

The PM talked with Senate President pro tempore Orrin Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker and Sheldon Whitehouse, member of the Senate Budget Committee. Ted Yoho, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific also joined the call.

During the talk, Phúc expressed his pleasure at strengthened ties between the two countries’ congresses, lauding the role of the US Congress in promoting Việt Nam-US co-operation.

The PM also said that he wants to develop the countries’ partnership based on mutual respect for each other’s political institutions.

He said that Việt Nam is willing to work with the US in order to maintain peace, stability, and development in Asia-Pacific.

He also hoped that the US Congress would continue its support to sustain peace and freedom of air and navigation in the East Sea (South China Sea) and to solve East Sea conflicts peacefully and in line with international law.

The US congressmen stressed the importance of Phuc’s visit to the US for the sake of Việt Nam-US ties. They also affirmed the significance of Southeast Asia and the strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, saying that they backed strengthening ties with the region.

PM meets UN chief

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc met with United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York on Tuesday (local time), during which the Vietnamese leader highlighted ties with the intergovernmental organisation.

Việt Nam considers ties with the UN as a top priority in its foreign policy, the PM stressed, affirming as a responsible member of the UN, the country has made contributions to the UN’s common work, including Viet Nam’s fulfillment of its term as a member of the Human Right Council, becoming a member of the Economic and Social Council and UNESCO executive board and running for non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council for 2020-21.

He proposed UN increase its support for Việt Nam in implementing the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, Paris agreement on climate change and Sendai framework on disaster risk reduction.

Việt Nam wants to be among 10 leading countries carrying out the UN initiative on El Nino and La Nina response, he said.

Secretary General Guterres praised Viet Nam’s recent socio-economic achievements, especially millennium goals, hoping the Southeast Asian nation would succeed in hitting the sustainable development goals.

He acknowledged Việt Nam’s contributions to UN mechanisms and participation in UN peacekeeping forces, while affirming the UN will work with Việt Nam through the implementation of the one strategic plan for 2017-21.

Discussing regional and international issues, PM Phuc briefed Secretary General Guterres on recent development in the East Sea and asked the UN chief to support the settlement of disputes in the waters by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, respect for diplomatic and legal process and finalisation of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

The UN chief noted his proposals and emphasised the role of preventive diplomacy, settlement of disputes via peaceful measures based on international law.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Việt Nam-UN ties, Prime Minister Phúc invited Secretary General Guterres to visit Việt Nam this year. The UN chief thanked him and hoped he could visit the country at an appropriate time.

The same day, the PM attended the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of Việt Nam’s UN membership in the presence of UN Secretary General Guterres, President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson, UN senior officials, and ambassadors and head of missions to the UN.

Addressing the event, the PM recalled when the Vietnamese flag was first raised at the UN headquarters 40 years ago, marking the international community’s recognition of a Việt Nam of independence, freedom and unification.

The Vietnamese people remember the support of the UN and the international community in post-war national reconstruction and development.

Việt Nam attaches importance to co-operation with the UN, he affirmed, saying that it is necessary to promote the UN’s role, especially in the maintenance of peace and security and settlement of conflicts and disputes on the basis of respecting the UN Charter and international law.

He said Việt Nam will increase its participation in peacekeeping operations and its efforts to realise the UN initiative on one plan in Việt Nam to a new stage of development.

The PM took the opportunity to call for countries’ support for Việt Nam’s bid for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2020-21. — VNS