Socialist Republic of Vietnam

(VNA) Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem held bilateral meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of ASEAN foreign ministers meetings with partners in Bali, Indonesia, on July 22.

FM Khiem and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed their pleasure with positive developments in Vietnam-US cooperation in various fields, including economics, trade, security, science and technology, education and humanitarian activities.

They officials agreed that the two countries will continue to increase efforts to raise bilateral ties to a higher level towards achieving a strategic partnership.

They also discussed cooperation in multilateral and regional forums, including non-proliferation of weapons of destruction, Mekong River water source security and maritime security.

The Vietnamese Deputy PM applauded the active role of the US at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and highly valued its cooperation in the framework of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI).

He affirmed Vietnam ’s support for strengthening the relationship between the US and ASEAN towards the early formation of a strategic partnership.

Meanwhile, Clinton affirmed that the US government would continue its efforts to strengthen relations with ASEAN, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region.

On the same day, Deputy PM and FM Khiem met with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov to exchange views on the two countries’ relationship as well as international and regional issues of common concern.

The two sides spoke highly of recent developments in the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia , especially after a Vietnam visit by President Dmitry Medvedev in November, 2010.

They expressed their pleasure with growing bilateral ties in economics, trade, energy cooperation, oil and gas, telecommunications, science and technology, the upgrading of the Co-chair of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee to Deputy PM level and favourable initial results of credit negotiations for Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant.

The two sides discussed preparations for the upcoming Vietnam visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the fourth round of the strategic dialogue on diplomacy-security-defence between the two countries, as well as measures to strengthen cooperation between the two foreign ministries and speed up the establishment of the Vietnam-Russia University of Technology in Vietnam .

Deputy PM Khiem and FM Sergey Lavrov expressed a wish that concerned parties would solve disputes in the East Sea through peaceful negotiations on the basis of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

They praised the recent ASEAN-China adoption of draft guidelines for the implementation of the DOC.

Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed Russia ’s wish to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN and make active contributions to regional forums such as ARF and EAS./.