On July 27, at the Presidential Palace, President To Lam, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, received US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who came to Vietnam to offer condolences and pay respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
During the meeting, Secretary of State Blinken conveyed a letter of condolence from President Joe Biden to President To Lam on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. In the letter, President Biden recalled the fond memories and profound impressions of his first meeting with the General Secretary in Washington D.C. in 2015 and expressed his pride in standing alongside the General Secretary during his visit to Hanoi the previous year, together ushering in a new era of cooperation between the two countries. President Biden emphasized, “That event is a testament to the shared aspirations of the people of our two countries for peace and prosperity for all. It is also a testament to the General Secretary’s determination to elevate our bilateral relationship to the highest level, a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. America will not forget this leadership of the General Secretary. America fully supports a strong, self-reliant, and independent Vietnam to which the General Secretary dedicated his entire life. As the great poet Nguyen Du wrote: ‘Heaven still allows this day to come, dispelling the mist at the entrance and clearing the clouds in the sky,’ General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong played an indispensable role in dispelling the clouds that once obscured our bilateral relationship over the past 50 years. Let us remember General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong by continuing his legacy and maintaining this important cooperative relationship.”
The US Secretary of State personally expressed his condolences on the passing of a visionary leader and appreciated the General Secretary's contributions to strengthening and fostering Vietnam-US relations and the friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
President To Lam conveyed his sincere gratitude to President Biden for his kind sentiments and profound condolences on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The President thanked Secretary of State Blinken for traveling to Vietnam to offer condolences to the General Secretary's family during this time of sorrow. The President shared that during his lifetime, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong highly valued the development of relations with the United States and often spoke of President Biden with great affection. The General Secretary's historic visit to the US in 2015 provided a strong impetus for the two countries' robust development and their current status as a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Secretary of State Blinken affirmed that the United States values its comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam and hopes for close cooperation between the two sides to further deepen this important bilateral relationship. He also expressed confidence that both sides will continue to promote and cultivate the Vietnam-US relationship, strengthening the friendship between the two peoples, in accordance with the wishes of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The US Secretary of State shared that the passing of the General Secretary is a great loss to the relationship between the two countries, and affirmed that the US Government and people will always remember and honor the legacy of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in the bilateral relationship, especially in promoting healing and building a future for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world.
On this occasion, President To Lam and Secretary of State Blinken expressed their pleasure at the positive progress in bilateral relations over the past period in all fields, from politics and diplomacy, to economics, trade and investment, security and defense, and addressing the consequences of war. President To Lam affirmed that Vietnam considers the United States a top strategic partner and welcomed the US's continued commitment to supporting a "strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous" Vietnam; and expressed his desire to continue to closely coordinate in implementing the commitments of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Biden to deepen, enhance, and stabilize the new framework of relations.
Secretary of State Blinken thanked the President for his continued support of the excellent Vietnam-US partnership and emphasized that the US considers Vietnam a top-priority partner in the region. He affirmed that the US will continue to work with Vietnam to further strengthen bilateral relations, enhance cooperation in regional and international forums on issues of mutual concern, and contribute to promoting dialogue, peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, including frameworks such as the Mekong-US Partnership, ASEAN, APEC, and the United Nations, making positive contributions to the peace, stability, and common prosperity of the region and the world.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/tong-thong-joe-biden-gui-thu-chia-buon-tong-bi-thu-nguyen-phu-trong-tu-tran.html
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