Vietnam’s Party chief To Lam meets US President Donald Trump at White House

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, on the sidelines of the opening session of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington, D.C.

The two leaders held wide-ranging talks in a warm and candid atmosphere, covering bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The Vietnamese top leader congratulated the United States and President Trump on hosting the Gaza Board of Peace's opening session successfully, noting that Vietnam was one of the first countries to accept the invitation to join the Gaza Board of Peace and is ready to cooperate with the United States and other members of the Gaza Board of Peace to implement the peace plan.

He reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to advancing its comprehensive strategic partnership with the United States in a stable, substantive and effective manner.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive cooperation results in political and diplomatic aspects, economic and trade areas, post-war recovery, science-technology, education-training, and people-to-people exchanges.

Party chief To Lam called for increased high-level exchanges and stressed that economic and trade cooperation remained a central pillar of the relationship. He urged both sides to continue frank and practical dialogue to address outstanding issues in a balanced manner that safeguards the legitimate interests of businesses and citizens in both countries.

President Trump congratulated To Lam on his re-election as Party General Secretary and said he was pleased to welcome him to the White House.

Trump expressed his affection for the Vietnamese people and To Lam personally. He reiterated the United States' commitment to supporting a "strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous" Vietnam.

The U.S. president welcomed Vietnam’s decision to join the Gaza Board of Peace and praised Party chief To Lam’s personal attendance at the opening session, saying it underscored Vietnam’s growing international role and its commitment to peace, stability and global cooperation.

Trump also commended Vietnam’s efforts to narrow the bilateral trade imbalance and the value of commercial agreements signed during the visit, responding positively to proposals on economic and science-technology cooperation.

He said he would instruct relevant agencies to move toward removing Vietnam from U.S. strategic export control categories D1-D3.

The president reaffirmed that Washington views Vietnam as an important partner in the region and highly values Vietnam's growing role and voice in regional and multilateral forums.

General Secretary To Lam invited President Trump and the first lady to visit Vietnam again, an invitation Trump accepted, saying he looked forward to returning to the country soon.

Talks on a balanced and fair reciprocal trade agreement between Vietnam and the United States have made significant progress and are entering a decisive stage, said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Greer made the remarks during a meeting with Vietnam’s Party chief To Lam on February 19 in Washington D.C., held on the sidelines of the opening session of the Gaza Board of Peace which is scheduled for February 18-20.