This was Pompeo’s first visit to a Southeast Asian country since taking office.

During a meeting with Party leader Trong after arriving in Hanoi on July 8 afternoon, Pompeo praised Vietnam’s contributions to helping resolve regional issues.

He welcomed the fruitful and diverse cooperation in various sectors between the two countries, saying the US wants to strengthen its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam.

Pompeo said the US will continue helping Vietnam in its efforts to overcome the war consequences.

He told the host that the US backed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to play a central role in the Indo-Pacific region, while voicing his support for freedom of navigation and peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in line with international law.

The US will also continue accelerating the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula based on recent high-level agreements, he added.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong highly appreciated the US Secretary of State’s visit, saying it will help promote the implementation of bilateral agreements.

A closer Vietnam-US engagement will build deeper trust and understanding between the two countries, he said.

He expressed his belief that the Vietnam-US relations will continue growing for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Source: vov.vn