HCMC – Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam and U.S. President Donald Trump have met at the White House in an “open and cordial” atmosphere, exchanging views on a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting took place on the morning of February 20 (local time) on the occasion of the opening meeting of the Board of Peace for Gaza in Washington, D.C.
“In an open and friendly spirit, the two sides discussed various aspects of cooperation between the two countries, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern,” the ministry said.
At the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam congratulated the U.S. and President Donald Trump on the successful organization of the opening session of the Board of Peace for Gaza. He noted that Vietnam was among the first countries to accept the invitation to join the board and stands ready to coordinate with the United States and other members in implementing the peace plan.
He reaffirmed that Vietnam consistently attaches importance to and wishes to advance the Vietnam–U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a stable, substantive and effective manner.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction with positive outcomes in political-diplomatic ties, economic and trade cooperation, war legacy remediation, science and technology, education and training, and people-to-people exchanges.
General Secretary To Lam proposed enhancing exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts. On economic and trade ties, he underscored that this area constitutes a key pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He expressed the hope that both sides would continue frank and substantive dialogue on outstanding issues in a spirit of balanced and harmonious interests, consistent with each side’s legitimate conditions and interests, for the benefit of businesses and people of the two countries.
President Trump congratulated To Lam on his re-election as General Secretary of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and expressed his pleasure at welcoming him to the White House.
Trump conveyed his affection for the Vietnamese people and for General Secretary To Lam personally, reiterating the U.S. commitment to supporting a “strong, independent, resilient and prosperous” Vietnam.
He welcomed and thanked Vietnam for announcing its participation in the Board of Peace and commended General Secretary To Lam for attending the opening session in person. According to Trump, this reflects Vietnam’s rising role and standing on the international stage, as well as its strong commitment to peace, stability and global cooperation.
Regarding bilateral relations, Trump spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts to help balance bilateral trade, as well as the value of contracts signed during Lam’s visit.
The U.S. leader responded positively to Vietnam’s proposals on economic and science-technology cooperation. He said he would direct relevant agencies to soon remove Vietnam from the strategic technology export control list (D1–D3).
He affirmed that the United States continues to regard Vietnam as an important partner in the region and highly appreciates Vietnam’s growing role and voice at regional and multilateral forums.
