A senior US diplomat on Saturday held talks in Vietnam and said that the trust between the two countries was at an “all-time high,” just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Hanoi.
US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink said that his trip was unrelated to Putin’s visit on Thursday.
Vietnam last year elevated the US to its highest diplomatic status, comprehensive strategic partner, putting it at the same level as China and Russia. The elevation of the US ties suggested that Vietnam wanted to hedge its friendships as Western companies look to diversify their supply chains away from China.
Photo: AP
Kritenbrink was speaking at a briefing for selected media in Hanoi.
Putin’s trip to Hanoi had triggered a sharp rebuke from the US embassy in Hanoi, which said that “no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities,” referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kritenbrink echoed those concerns, but said that he made it clear to Vietnamese officials that the “main reason” for his trip was the partnership between the US and Vietnam. He met Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.
“Only Vietnam can decide how best to safeguard its sovereignty and advance its interests,” Kritenbrink said, while stressing the economic relations between Vietnam and its largest export market, the US.
Trade between the two countries was US$111 billion last year — compared with just US$3.6 billion between Vietnam and Russia.
The US and Vietnam discussed ways to develop their strategic partnership, the Vietnamese government said in a statement.
The US reiterated its commitment to supporting a strong and prosperous Vietnam, while Kritenbrink also affirmed that the US welcomes and appreciates Vietnam’s increasingly important role at multilateral and regional forums, it said.
The statement quoted Bui as saying that the US has always been a strategically important partner, and that Vietnam is ready to work together to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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