NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai (R) and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly ViceChairman Nguyen Duc Hai has affirmed that Vietnam always considers the US oneof its top important partners.
During a reception in Hanoi on February 15 forUS Trade Representative Katherine Tai in Hanoi on February 15, Hai hailed theUS’s support for a strong, independent and prosperous Vietnam.
Vietnam wishes to promote its comprehensive partnershipwith the US in a more practical and stable manner on the basis of respectingindependence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political regimes of eachother, toward lifting bilateral relationship to a greater height, he said.
He added that Vietnam also welcomes the US’sstrengthening of comprehensive and responsible cooperation with the Asia-Pacificand Indian Ocean. Vietnam stays ready to partner with the US in regional andglobal issues of shared concern, making contributions to peace, stability,cooperation and an order based on international law in the region,including maintaining freedom, safety, and security of navigation andoverflight in the East Sea in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Lawof the Sea (UNCLOS).
Hai stressed that Vietnam always valuescomprehensive partnership with the US, with economic-trade-investment-financialcooperation as a focus and important driving force.
Two-way trade between Vietnam and the US rose by 11% annuallylast year to over 123 billion USD. The US remains Vietnam’s biggest importerwhile Vietnam is the US's ninth largest trade partner globally and biggest partnerin ASEAN.
Vietnam will continue to maintainmacroeconomic stability, ensure major balances of the economy, make comprehensive and synchronous economic reforms, improve the business environment to facilitate the expansion of foreign enterprises. Vietnam considers the area with foreigninvestment as an important component of the economy and encourages foreign firmsto invest more in Vietnam, especially in fields where Vietnam has demand andbusinesses have strengths, he said.
He proposed the US continues holdingdialogues with Vietnam on market economy issues (MES), while considering theapplication of market economy principles on a sectoral basis, and organising thenext dialogue on this issue in the near future.
The host said Vietnam values the Indo - Pacific EconomicFramework for Prosperity (IPEF), stays ready to discuss with the US and otherrelevant countries towards building an open, comprehensive, balanced, flexible,and rules-based economic cooperation framework that meets legitimate andrightful interests of all parties concerned.
Congratulating the US’s hosting of APEC 2023, Haisaid Vietnam supports the theme and priorities of APEC Year 2023and agrees to enhance cooperation to accelerate economic recovery,comprehensive linkage and connectivity and sustainable growth, and maintain therole of APEC as the leading forum in the region for economic cooperation andconnectivity. Vietnam also commits to close collaboration toward the success ofAPEC Year 2023.
He wished both sides would continuesharing opinions on issues of shared concern such as promoting a free, open andtransparent trade environment, enhancing the empowerment of women; coping withclimate change, developing the digital economy and training human resources.
Tai, for her part, affirmed that the US always considers Vietnaman important partner in the region.
She informed the host about priorities and plans for APEC Year2023, the potential and prospects of IPEF for promoting high-qualityinvestment, building resilient regional supply chains, inclusive andsustainable economic growth, addressing common regional challenges and seizingnew development opportunities.
The guest stressed that Vietnam’s participation inthe IPEF plays an important role in its success.
ꦕ She also wished that both sides would continue stepping upbilateral economic and trade ties, and enhancing discussions on labour,environment, digital trade, agriculture and intellectual property./.
