HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has told former US secretary of state John Kerry to convey a message to US President Donald Trump that there is no confrontation on trade between Việt Nam and the United States.

Viet Nam signed contracts to buy US equipment and services and hoped the US market will be opened for Vietnamese exports, he said at a reception in Hà Nội on Tuesday for Kerry.

Lauding Kerry’s efforts to promote Việt Nam-US relations, Prime Minister Phúc spoke highly of the Fulbright University Việt Nam project’s important role in training high-quality human resources for the country, stating that the Vietnamese government is interested in the project and supports it. He noted that cooperation contracts signed between the two countries during his official visit to the US last month are encouraging achievements in bilateral collaboration ties. 

Phúc expressed hope that the United States would provide further support for Việt Nam to respond to climate change as the phenomenon has severely impacted the country, especially the southern region. 

For his part, Kerry highlighted that the Vietnamese prime minister’s visit to the United States will make substantial contribution to strengthening sustainable relations between the two nations. 

He thanked the PM for endorsing the Fulbright project, saying it will play an important role in Việt Nam’s socio-economic development. He expressed hoped that the Fulbright University will help speed up co-operative programmes between the two sides. Việt Nam could be an example for other countries in terms of using renewable energy, Kerry said, underlining that he supports the country in calling for financial support from international organisations for the sector. Welcoming the former secretary of state’s opinion on the matter, PM Phúc expected that owing to his reputation, Kerry will be able to boost bilateral ties to reap more practical results. — VNS