Prime Minister Welcomes US Deputy Secretary of State

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Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Sept. 11 received US Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte who is on a four-day working visit to Vietnam until Sept. 14.

PM Dung applauded the outcome of Negroponte’s earlier working sessions with Vietnam ’s relevant agencies to boost bilateral cooperation in various areas, particularly trade, investment, education and training, environment, as well as in response to climate change and rising sea level.

The government leader appreciated concerted efforts of Vietnamese and US concerned agencies to deploy agreements between senior leaders of the two countries, focusing on four cooperation pillars of investment, trade, education and environmental protection. Both host and guest were delighted at the fine development of Vietnam-US friendship and multifaceted cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. Negroponte asserted that the US is willing to help Vietnam fulfill the target of training 10,000 doctoral candidates by 2020. He said the two countries should work closely to discuss concrete cooperation for the years to come.

Earlier, the US Deputy Secretary of State worked with leaders of Vietnam ’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education and Training, Defence, and Public Security. At these meetings, the two sides optimised the prospect for bilateral relations that have developed positively in recent years, bringing benefits to people of both countries.

The Vietnamese side praised efforts of the US Government and

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DPM Nguyen Thien Nhan and DSS John Negroponte at the Ministry of Education and Training.

Department of State in beefing up cooperative ties in various fields, noting that bilateral relations should be further strengthened as defined in the high-level joint statements. Vietnam acclaimed the US’s sending of high-ranking delegations to deploy agreements signed during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the US in late June, focusing on economy, trade, education and training, science and technology.

The host officials thanked the US Government and people for their support regarding humanitarian activities, and urged the US to increase cooperation with Vietnam in surmounting the war aftermaths. Negroponte affirmed that the US wants to cooperate with Vietnam in many areas, including bomb and mine sweeping, provision of information about Vietnamese missing in the war, and solving Agent Orange consequences. He thanked Vietnam for its effective cooperation in searching the US missing in action (MIA).

The US diplomat spoke highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic development as well as its positive role in the region and the international arena, adding that the US Government will continue to expand relations with Vietnam . Other bilateral matters as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern were also tabled for discussion at the meetings between Negroponte and local officials. The two sides agreed to discuss measures in order to facilitate foreign affairs of each country and increase dialogues to build mutual trust and deal with issues in which Vietnam and the US still have differences.

VNA