Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and US President Donald Trump at a meeting in White House on May 31. (Photo: VNA)Following is the full text of the joint statement.
The President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump hosted the PrimeMinister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the WhiteHouse today to chart an agenda for United States-Vietnam relations, building onthe positive momentum of the Comprehensive Partnership between the twocountries.
As aPacific power with widespread interests and commitments throughout the AsiaPacific, the United States shares many important interests with Vietnam. The two leaders emphasized that many opportunitieslie ahead for United States-Vietnam relations, including increasingly enhancedpolitical, diplomatic, economic and trade ties, and ever-growing cooperation inthe areas of science and technology, national defense and security, education,people-to-people exchange, humanitarian and war legacy issues, as well asregional and international issues of mutual concern. The two leaders are committed to pursuingthese opportunities under an enhanced Comprehensive Partnership, grounded inrespect for the United Nations Charter and international law, each other’sindependence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and respective politicalsystems.
Thetwo sides pledged to continue high-level contacts and exchanges of delegations,including through regular dialogue between the U.S. Secretary of State andVietnam’s Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss measures to enhance thebilateral Comprehensive Partnership. They also committed to strengthenexisting dialogue mechanisms, including party-to-party ties. President Trump expressed his support forVietnam in successfully hosting APEC 2017 and noted that he looks forward tovisiting Vietnam and attending the APEC Leaders’ meeting in November.
The twoleaders pledged to actively promote mutually beneficial and ever-growingeconomic ties to bring greater prosperity to both countries. They underscored support for continueddevelopment cooperation. Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam would pursue a consistent policy ofeconomic reform and international integration, creating favorable conditionsfor foreign companies, including those of the United States, to do business andinvest in Vietnam; protecting and enforcing intellectual property; and bringingits labor laws in line with Vietnam’s international commitments. The two countries affirmed the importance ofpromoting bilateral trade and creating favorable conditions for the businessesof both sides, particularly through the effective use of the Trade andInvestment Framework Agreement to address issues in United States-Vietnamrelations in a constructive manner. Thetwo leaders welcomed the resolution of several priority trade issues, includingmobile phone roaming services and veterinary drugs, and they pledged tocontinue to work together constructively to seek resolution of other priorityissues of each country, including those related to intellectual property,advertising and financial services, information-security products, white offal,distiller’s dried grains, siluriformes, shrimp, mangos, and other issues. The United States noted Vietnam’s interest inachieving a market economy status, and the two sides pledged to continue toconsult in a cooperative and comprehensive manner via the bilateral workinggroup. Both sides welcomed the announcementof more than $8billion in new commercial deals.
The twoleaders pledged to strengthen bilateral defense ties under the 2011 Memorandumof Understanding (MOU) on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation and the 2015Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations. The two leaders discussed the U.S. Government’s recent transfer of aHamilton-class Coast Guard cutter to help improve Vietnam’s law enforcementcapabilities, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed interest inacquiring more defense equipment from the United States, including additionalCoast Guard cutters. The two leadersalso discussed measures to expand cooperation in such prioritized areas ashumanitarian cooperation, war legacies, and maritime security. They also looked into the possibility of avisit to a Vietnamese port by a United States aircraft carrier and discussedsteps to further cooperation between the naval forces of the two countries. Thetwo leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishmentof the working group on the Cooperative Humanitarian Assistance and MedicalStorage Initiative, and pledged to implement the arrangement expeditiously.
The twoleaders pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security andintelligence. The United States andVietnam pledged to work together to combat terrorism as well as transnationaland cyber-enabled crimes. Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his appreciation and looked forward to the UnitedStates’ cooperation and assistance to Vietnam in the area of United Nationspeacekeeping operations, including the provision of equipment and support forVietnamese officers’ participation in United Nations peacekeeping.
The twoleaders pledged to continue cooperation in the fields of science, technology,space, and innovation. The two leadersexpressed their support for a Framework Agreement on Cooperation in thePeaceful Uses of Outer Space, as well as for bilateral discussions and forumson science, technology, and innovation.
The twoleaders welcomed the growth of people-to-people ties, especially throughacademic and professional exchange programs. They recognized the important contributions of the Vietnamese–Americancommunity and the nearly 4,000 exchange alumni to United States-Vietnamrelations. They also noted that, withover 21,000 Vietnamese students currently in higher education programs in theUnited States, academic ties between the two countries are strong and will bestrengthened even further through Vietnam’s support for the launch of theFulbright University in Ho Chi Minh City. The United States welcomed more Vietnamese students to study in theUnited States and remains committed to processing visas, including forstudents, in an expeditious manner in accordance with United States law. The two sides also welcomed the establishmentof the Peace Corps program to advance English language learning in Vietnam.
The twosides committed to work together to address war legacy issues, includingthrough such joint efforts as dioxin remediation, taking note of the progressthat has been made at Da Nang Airport and intent to discuss continued collaborationat Bien Hoa Airport, and the removal of unexploded ordnances. President Trumpexpressed appreciation for Vietnam’s continuing cooperation in the humanitarianmission of accounting for United States personnel still missing from the war,and pledged to cooperate with Vietnam in its efforts to locate its missing soldiers.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed thatVietnam will work actively with the United States to expeditiously returnVietnamese nationals subject to final orders of removal, using the 2008 UnitedStates-Vietnam Agreement on the Acceptance of the Return of Vietnamese Citizensas a basis. The two leaders pledged to set up a working group to discuss thisissue.
The twosides pledged to work actively together to finalize agreement on an appropriaterepresentational site and land tenure arrangement for a new U.S. Embassy inHanoi. The United States pledged tosupport Vietnam in acquiring new facilities for its representative offices inthe United States.
PresidentTrump and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the results of frank andconstructive dialogue on human rights, including during the 21st round of the UnitedStates-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue in May 2017, to narrow differences andcontinue to build mutual trust. The twoleaders recognized the importance of protecting and promoting human rights, andthe interconnection between human rights and the security and sustainabledevelopment of each country. They encouraged further cooperation to ensure thateveryone, including members of vulnerable groups, regardless of their gender,race, religion, or sexual orientation, and including persons with disabilities,fully enjoy their human rights. The United States welcomed Vietnam’s ongoingefforts to refine its legal system to better protect and promote human rightsfor everyone.
Onregional issues, the two leaders expressed their concern for the Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests, which violate multipleUnited Nations Security Council resolutions and escalate tensions in theregion. Both sides reaffirmed theirsupport for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and urged all partiesconcerned to strictly implement all relevant United Nations Security Councilresolutions.
PresidentTrump and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that the South China Sea isa waterway of strategic significance to the international community. The twoleaders underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight andother lawful uses of the seas, and noted with concern the destabilizing impactsthat unlawful restrictions to the freedom of the seas have on peace andprosperity in the Asia–Pacific region. The two sides also affirmed full support for the peaceful resolution ofdisputes without the threat or use of force or coercion, in accordance withinternational law, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes,and called upon all parties concerned to implement their international legalobligations in good faith in any resolution to these disputes. They highlightedthe importance that parties refrain from actions that would escalate tensions,such as the militarization of disputed features. President Trump stressed that the United States will continue to fly,sail, and operate anywhere international law allows.
The twosides affirmed their continued implementation of the principles decided upon bythe leaders of ASEAN and the United States in the 2016 Sunnylands Declaration, and their promotion of activities to commemorate the 50thanniversary of ASEAN’s founding and the 40th anniversary of United States-ASEAN relations. The United Statesaffirmed its commitment to the United States-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, andto supporting common efforts to develop a rules-based ASEAN Community and ASEANcentrality in the evolving regional architecture.
The twocountries pledged to continue to work together to address global challenges,including environmental protection, global health, global health security, andtrafficking in persons and wildlife. TheUnited States expressed support for Vietnam in its development of a national referencelaboratory to enhance the Vietnam’s ability to detect emerging disease threatsin the region, and the two countries affirmed their strong support for theGlobal Health Security Agenda to prevent, detect, and respond to infectiousdisease threats. The two countries also affirmed their longstanding partnershipunder the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief. As a development partnerof the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and a founding member of the Lower MekongInitiative (LMI), the United States reaffirmed its support for cooperationamong MRC members, as well as between MRC members and other regional mechanisms,in using, managing, and developing trans-boundary water sources in an effectiveand sustainable manner. The United States also affirmed its assistance toVietnam in combating climate change via concrete mitigation and adaptationmeasures.
The twoleaders heralded the bright future for the enhanced United States-VietnamComprehensive Partnership and are committed to making it deeper, moresubstantive, and more effective to better serve the interests of the twopeoples, and to better contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, anddevelopment in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.-VNA
VNA
