The second round of bilateral talks on the Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the United States commenced on the morning of May 19, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
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As per the agreed schedule, the second round of negotiations for the bilateral Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the United States took place from May 19 to May 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Head of the Government Negotiation Delegation, along with other delegation members and representatives from relevant ministries and sectors, including Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Construction, Interior, Agriculture and Rural Development, Science and Technology, Justice, and the State Bank.
On May 19, 2025 (local time) – the first day of the negotiations, the Vietnamese and American delegations engaged in discussions on a comprehensive approach to address fundamental issues of mutual interest and accelerate the negotiation process.
Both sides exchanged views in an open, frank, and constructive manner on a range of topics of shared concern. The discussions focused on clarifying the agreement’s wording, sharing information on each other’s current policies, and laying the groundwork for subsequent tasks.
Minister Nguyen Hong Dien, Head of the Government Negotiation Delegation, chaired a meeting with delegation members and relevant departments before and after the first day of negotiations. |
Energy cooperation contributes to balancing bilateral trade
On the same day, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien met with Westinghouse, a leading global nuclear energy company.
During the meeting, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien shared Vietnam’s plan to restart its nuclear power program to ensure energy security amid rising electricity demand and the instability of renewable energy sources. He emphasized that Vietnam will adopt a cautious, modern, and practical approach.
The Minister also mentioned that Vietnam has several potential sites for nuclear power development, providing a foundation for collaboration with international partners like Westinghouse, including large-scale and small modular reactor (SMR) projects. He affirmed that energy cooperation will serve as a crucial driver in balancing bilateral trade.
Margaret Cosentino, Vice President of Westinghouse, expressed strong support for Vietnam’s plans and highlighted the importance of long-term energy collaboration. The two sides agreed to share information and work towards signing an MOU between Westinghouse and Vietnam’s National Energy and Industry Group (Petrovietnam) in the field of nuclear energy development. They will continue to foster cooperation in key areas such as developing energy infrastructure investment models (PPP, BOT), technology transfer, and training human resources for the nuclear power sector.
