PM arrives in US for special ASEAN-US summit

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the Vietnamese high-level delegation arrived at Palm Spring airport in California on February 14 (US time), beginning a visit to attend the special ASEAN-US summit slated for February 15-16.

The PM and his entourage were greeted at the airport by Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh and representatives from the US Department of State. 

With the presence of the PM and the high-level delegation at the summit, Vietnam intends to uphold its active and responsible role in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

The country will also continue with efforts to help deepen the ASEAN-US partnership and marshal the US’s cooperation and support for the ASEAN in general and Vietnam in particular in fields of interest such as economy, science-technology, education-training, people-to-people exchange, coping with trans-national challenges, as well as in building capacity, expanding relations with partners, strengthening the bloc’s central role in the regional structure and maintaining peace and security in the region. 

At the same time, the Vietnamese delegation will also work to promote bilateral relations between Vietnam and the US, especially cooperation in defence-security, science-technology, economic development, foreign investment attraction and the implementation of free trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). 

This ASEAN-US summit is of special significance as it is the first summit between the bloc and a partner country after the official formation of the ASEAN Community on December 31, 2015. 

This is also the first time the ASEAN-US summit has been held in the US, which demonstrate the importance that both sides attach to their strategic partnership.