@Phó Thủ tướng Lê Minh Khái meets with US Ambassador Marc E. KnapperDeputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai said this year is also the first year that the two countries are implementing the agreement of the high-level leaders, bringing the bilateral relationship to a deeper, comprehensive, stable, and sustainable development. The US is an important strategic partner for Vietnam.
The Vietnamese government highly appreciates the consistent message of the US in supporting a “strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous” Vietnam; emphasizes its readiness to work with the US to implement the detailed plans in the high-level agreement, the joint statement concerning the comprehensive partnership relationship.
Welcome the US’s strengthened responsible cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region through the Indo-Pacific Strategy and regional initiatives. Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai hopes that the US will continue to support ASEAN’s central role, the ASEAN-US comprehensive strategic partnership, the Mekong-US partnership, and continue to make positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, as well as the interests of both countries.
Discussing the recognition of Vietnam’s market economy, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai emphasized: This is a matter of great concern to the high-level leadership of the two countries, requesting the Ambassador to continue to have a strong voice, contribute to promoting the US’s early recognition of this regime, hoping that this process will be completed as soon as possible in 2024. Regarding Vietnam, the relevant authorities will prepare full dossiers as requested for the US to review soon.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai and US Ambassador Marc E. Knapper also discussed matters related to strategic trade control, high technology to facilitate enhanced cooperation, especially in the new context where the two countries have a comprehensive strategic partnership relationship.
During the meeting, US Ambassador Marc E. Knapper informed that 2023 is the most important year in the bilateral relations with high-level visits, the most prominent of which is the visit of the US President to Vietnam.
In this visit, high-level leaders of the two countries have agreed to upgrade the comprehensive strategic partnership. He also affirmed that the US is always ready and eager to cooperate with Vietnam.
In 2024, both sides have the responsibility to implement the agreed documents. The US plans to materialize the signed documents, including the joint statement and action plan, memoranda of understanding in the semiconductor field, to avoid freezing and neglecting these documents. These documents must be fully implemented.
The US wishes to closely cooperate with Vietnam to fulfill the commitments to the citizens of both countries, to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, the comprehensive strategic partnership relationship, and both levels.
Ambassador Marc E. Knapper provided information on some of the work that the US side has deployed in fulfilling the commitment to help Vietnam develop the semiconductor industry; emphasized that to do this, there must be an ecosystem.
US companies want to invest in Vietnam but they need a legal environment, easy access to clean and reliable energy sources, reliable information technology infrastructure provided by reliable providers, and high-tech labor force. These issues need to be addressed within the next 12 – 18 months.
Discussing the issue of recognizing Vietnam’s market economy, Ambassador Marc E. Knapper said that the US Department of Commerce is carefully reviewing and expediting, hoping to be able to do this by June 2024.
