Vietnam PM Urges US Ambassador to Strengthen 'Bridge' Role in Bilateral Ties

Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung met with the new US Ambassador to Vietnam, Jennifer Wicks, urging her to strengthen her role as a 'bridge' for bilateral relations and materialize substantive cooperation. The meeting, held on a certain date in July, saw the Prime Minister express his expectations for Ambassador Wicks to leverage her extensive experience in the US government and her understanding of the region to significantly contribute to the stable, substantive, and effective development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the US. Prime Minister Hung affirmed that Vietnam consistently views the US as one of its top partners and supports its active role in regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity. He conveyed Vietnam's desire to elevate bilateral relations to new heights. The Prime Minister requested Ambassador Wicks and the US Embassy to foster high-level exchanges and work with Vietnamese ministries and localities to concretize areas of substantive cooperation. He also called for frank discussions on differing issues in a spirit of mutual respect, ensuring that any challenges do not impede the overall development momentum of the relationship. Regarding economic and trade cooperation, the two sides need to promote it in a harmonious, sustainable, and mutually beneficial direction. The Prime Minister emphasized the urgency of resolving existing bottlenecks and completing negotiations for a fair and balanced reciprocal trade agreement to create a stable framework for businesses from both countries to expand investment, production, and operations. He also stated that Vietnam is accelerating administrative reform and perfecting its legal system towards transparency and modernization, thereby creating greater convenience for American businesses and expressing readiness to listen to and address their legitimate concerns. In defense and security, the Prime Minister proposed advancing cooperation in law enforcement, humanitarian assistance, cybersecurity, and combating transnational crime. He also thanked the US for its support in war aftermath resolution and requested continued assistance in dioxin remediation, bomb and mine clearance, support for persons with disabilities, and the sharing of archival records, materials, and DNA identification technology to aid in the search and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers. He reiterated Vietnam's commitment to searching for US service members missing in action. Furthermore, the Prime Minister suggested expanding cooperation in science-technology, innovation, human resource development, digital transformation, education-training, and people-to-people exchanges. Ambassador Wicks stated that her term's priorities would align with those of US President Donald Trump and reflect the shared interests of both nations. She highlighted economic and trade cooperation as a continued top priority and noted significant potential for collaboration in maritime security and addressing transnational security challenges. The Ambassador also emphasized the importance of promoting people-to-people exchanges, expressing a desire to expand cooperation in education, science-technology, and innovation to support Vietnam's development goals, in line with Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW. She also aimed to strengthen connections between US and Vietnamese universities and assist in enhancing the quality of English language teaching in Vietnam. Ambassador Wicks pledged to be a proactive partner throughout her tenure, contributing to the further development of Vietnam-US relations. She also committed to promoting bilateral cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual concern, acknowledging Vietnam's role and expressing a desire for close coordination within the framework of the Peace Council regarding Gaza. Ambassador Wicks and her family arrived in Hanoi on July 1st and presented her credentials to General Secretary and President To Lam on July 6th, officially commencing her term in Vietnam.