HCMC – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in San Francisco on the afternoon of September 17 (local time) after a 13-hour flight from Vietnam, embarking on a six-day diplomatic mission in the U.S.
The Prime Minister received an official welcome at San Francisco International Airport, where representatives of San Francisco and Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Nguyen Quoc Dung were present.
His U.S. visit will also take in Washington, D.C., and New York, culminating in his participation in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly and the pursuit of bilateral engagements in the U.S.
In San Francisco, he is scheduled to interact with overseas Vietnamese business communities and participate in the Vietnam-U.S. Business Forum, with an emphasis on technology and innovation cooperation. His itinerary also includes visits to San Francisco State University and NVIDIA, a semiconductor firm.
In Washington, D.C., he will deliver a speech at Georgetown University, meet with U.S. Congressional leaders, and hold discussions with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and representatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This portion of the trip commemorates Vietnam’s National Day and underscores the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.
In New York, he will confer with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, present the Friendship Medal to Aurélia Nguyen, chief programme officer of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and participate in high-level climate and pandemic response conferences.
Aurélia Nguyen formerly served as managing director of the Office of the COVAX Facility, beginning in October 2020. In this role, she led the coordination of procurement and delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to 146 countries through COVAX, including Vietnam. COVAX is the only global initiative that was working with governments and manufacturers to ensure Covid-19 vaccines were available worldwide to both high-income and lower-income countries.
Additionally, PM Chinh is set to take part in a series of events, including meetings with leaders of major corporations such as Microsoft and Boeing. He will engage in activities commemorating the 46th anniversary of Vietnam’s membership in the United Nations, including ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock exchange.
