According to VNA, within the framework of the working trip to attend the high-level joint discussion session of the 81st United Nations General Assembly and bilateral activities in the US, on September 21, in New York City, General Secretary and President To Lam received the group of US House Representatives led by Congressman Gregory Meeks - Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives.
General Secretary and President To Lam highly appreciated the attention and support of the US Congress, including Congressman Gregory Meeks, for Vietnam and Vietnam-US relations; affirmed that Vietnam considers the US as one of the most strategically important partners and wishes to bring the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership relationship to become increasingly in-depth, stable, substantive and effective.
Emphasizing the role of the two countries' National Assemblies in consolidating the political foundation, strengthening understanding and building trust, General Secretary and President To Lam requested Congressman Gregory Meeks and the US Congress to continue to support the relationship between the two countries, strengthen delegation exchanges and exchanges between specialized committees, friendship parliamentary groups and parliamentary assistants.
Congressman Gregory Meeks highly appreciated the positive developments of Vietnam-US relations, affirmed the importance of relations with Vietnam and the role of parliamentary cooperation; expressed his desire to continue to promote exchanges between the two countries' National Assemblies, thereby contributing to the development of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Exchanging views on economic and trade cooperation, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that this is an important pillar and driving force of the two countries' relations; requested the two sides to promote free, fair, balanced and sustainable trade, and soon complete negotiations for a reciprocal, fair and balanced trade agreement. Vietnam also wishes to strengthen cooperation with the US in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and high-tech industries.
General Secretary and President To Lam requested the US Congress to continue to pay attention to and support cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war, national defense and security, local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges; and at the same time create conditions for the Vietnamese community in the US to develop, make positive contributions to the locality and become a bridge of friendship between the two countries.
Congressman Gregory Meeks agreed with the proposals of General Secretary and President To Lam, supporting maintaining the positive development momentum of Vietnam-US relations and promoting the role of the National Assembly in promoting bilateral cooperation. The Congressman affirmed that he will continue to contribute to strengthening understanding, trust, and bringing the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to develop stably, substantively and effectively.
The US side thanked and highly appreciated Vietnam's active and responsible support in the search, repatriation and identification of remains of American soldiers missing in the war (MIA); affirmed its commitment to continue supporting Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of the war, including handling bombs and mines, explosives left over from the war, treating dioxin pollution, supporting people with disabilities, and accompanying Vietnam in deploying the 500-day and-night campaign to search, repatriate, and identify Vietnamese martyrs who have lost information and are missing in the war.
On the same day, General Secretary and President To Lam received Ms. Sarah A. Soule, Principal of the Stanford Business School, Stanford University and had a meeting with American friends in New York in the early morning of September 22 (Vietnam time).
