General Secretary To Lam held a phone call with US Senators Steve Daines and Bill Hagerty.

The General Secretary proposed that both sides maintain economic, trade, and investment relations in a stable and sustainable manner, and that the US Congress continue to pay attention to and allocate resources to support Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war.

According to the VNA special correspondent, on February 18 (local time), while attending the opening meeting of the Gaza Peace Council in Washington D.C. (USA) at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Chairman of the Gaza Peace Council, General Secretary To Lam , held telephone conversations with Senator Steve Daines (Republican-Montana), member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Bill Hagerty (Republican-Tennessee), member of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations Committee, of the U.S. Senate.

During a phone call with Senator Steve Daines, General Secretary To Lam thanked the Senator for sending a congratulatory letter on the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam , which set the goal of making Vietnam a developing country with a high-middle income and modern industry by 2030, and a developed country by 2045.

General Secretary To Lam thanked and highly appreciated Senator Steve Daines' efforts in promoting the US Senate's passage of the Resolution "Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the United States and Vietnam," demonstrating bipartisan support from the US, as well as the Senator's personal support, for Vietnam and the Vietnam-US relationship.

General Secretary To Lam held a phone conversation with US Senator Steve Daines. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

Reviewing the positive developments in the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership over the past period, including the important contributions of the US Congress, the General Secretary suggested that both sides should build upon the foundation of the relationship established over the past 30 years, including exchanges of delegations and parliamentary cooperation.

The General Secretary also proposed that both sides maintain stable and sustainable economic, trade, and investment relations, and that the US Congress continue to pay attention to and allocate resources to support Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war, especially the dioxin decontamination project at Bien Hoa airport, bomb and mine clearance, support for people with disabilities/war victims, and intensified support for the search, repatriation, and identification of Vietnamese soldiers missing in action during the war.

The General Secretary affirmed Vietnam's commitment to continue full and responsible cooperation with the United States in the search for US servicemen missing in action during the war.

Congratulating General Secretary To Lam on his re-election as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and recalling fond memories of his visit to Vietnam in March 2025, Senator Steve Daines expressed his admiration for Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements; was pleased to see the United States become Vietnam's second-largest trading partner; and affirmed that Vietnam is an important economic partner of the United States in the region, hoping that the two countries will soon finalize a reciprocal trade agreement.

Affirming the strong support of generations of bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress for the bilateral relationship, Senator Steve Daines expressed his hope that Vietnam would become a strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous nation.

Senator Steve Daines agreed on the importance of maintaining contact and exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially at the high level, and shared the General Secretary's views, stating that he personally would prioritize further promoting cooperation in addressing the consequences of war and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.

During the phone call, the two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. Senator Steve Daines highly appreciated Vietnam's participation in the Peace Council, demonstrating its role as an active, positive, and responsible member of the international community in addressing common regional and international issues.

General Secretary To Lam held a phone conversation with US Senator Bill Hagerty. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

During a phone call with Senator Bill Hagerty, General Secretary To Lam shared that the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam had been successfully held, marking a milestone in Vietnam's development. The General Secretary affirmed Vietnam's consistent pursuit of an independent, self-reliant, and strong foreign policy focused on peace, cooperation, and development, as well as multilateralism and diversification of foreign relations. Vietnam hopes to continue working effectively and substantively with the United States to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Thanking Senator Bill Hagerty for his sentiments and concern for Vietnam, General Secretary To Lam highly appreciated the support of the US Congress in strengthening and developing the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

During the phone call, both sides expressed pleasure that political trust between the two countries continues to strengthen, and economic, trade, and investment cooperation continues to expand. The General Secretary particularly appreciated cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war, considering it a bright spot in the bilateral relationship.

The General Secretary suggested that both sides continue to build on the momentum of cooperation, strengthen exchanges of delegations at all levels, including through parliamentary channels; maintain and promote economic, trade, and investment cooperation in a stable and sustainable manner; and expressed hope that the US Congress would continue to pay attention to and allocate resources to support Vietnam in areas such as overcoming the consequences of war, dealing with unexploded ordnance, detoxifying dioxin, and supporting war victims. He also affirmed Vietnam's continued full and responsible cooperation with the US in searching for missing US servicemen.

Senator Bill Hagerty expressed his appreciation for Vietnam's growing role and position, affirming his desire for the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to be further deepened based on the shared interests of both countries.

Senator Bill Hagerty stated that both sides have made significant progress in negotiating a reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade agreement; he expressed confidence that with an open, frank, and respectful approach, the agreement will soon be finalized. Senator Hagerty affirmed that strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries will contribute to consolidating the comprehensive strategic partnership.

Expressing his appreciation and gratitude to Vietnam for its active and responsible cooperation in the search for missing US servicemen, Senator Bill Hagerty affirmed that the US Congress and Government will continue to work closely with Vietnam in addressing the consequences of war.

Senator Bill Hagerty also agreed with the General Secretary on the importance of maintaining regular contact and dialogue between the two sides, expressing his desire to visit Vietnam again soon to continue direct discussions on measures to promote bilateral relations, and sending New Year greetings to the General Secretary and the people of Vietnam on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-dien-dam-voi-cac-nghi-sy-hoa-ky-steve-daines-va-bill-hagerty-post1094653.vnp