Hanoi (VNA) – On behalf of Vietnamese Party and State leaders, President To Lam hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 27 for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who came to Vietnam to offer condolences and pay tꦦribute to late General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

At the reception, Secretary Blinken conveyed US President Joe Biden’s letter of condolences on the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to President To Lam. In the letter, President Biden reminisced about his first meeting with General Secretary Trong in Washington D.C. in 2015. He expressed his pride in having stood side by side with the General Secretary during his visit to Hanoi in 2023 where they together opened up a new era of cooperation between the two countries. President Biden called this event a testament to the two countries' shared desire for peace and prosperity for all and that it also reflected General Secretary Trong's determination to elevate the bilateral relations to the highest level, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The US President affirmed that the US will never forget his leadership and fully supports a strong, resilient, and independent Vietnam to which General Secretary Trong dedicated his life. Secretary Blinken personally expressed his sorrow over the loss of a visionary leader and valued General Secretary Trong's contributions to strengthening and fostering Vietnam-US relations and the friendship between the two countries' people. President Lam conveyed his heartfelt thanks to President Biden for his kind sentiments and deep condolences over the passing of General Secretary Trong, as well as to Secretary Blinken for travelling to Vietnam to offer condolences to the General Secretary’s family during this sorrowful time. President To Lam shared that during his lifetime, General Secretary Trong highly valued developing relations with the US and often spoke fondly of President Biden. The historic visit to the US in 2015 by General Secretary Trong provided a strong impetus for the two countries to develop vigorously and become Comprehensive Strategic Partners as they are today. Secretary Blinken affirmed that the US values its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and looks forward to further deepening this important bilateral relationship. He expressed confidence that both sides will continue to uphold and nurture the Vietnam-US relations, strengthening the friendship between the two people according to General Secretary Trong’s wishes. The US Secretary of State noted that the passing of General Secretary Trong is a great loss for the bilateral relations, and he affirmed that the US government and people would always remember and honour General Secretary Trong’s legacy, particularly his efforts to promote reconciliation and build a future of peace, stability, and prosperity for the region and the world On this occasion, President Lam and Secretary Blinken expressed their pleasure at the positive development in the bilateral relations in recent times across various fields, including politics-diplomacy, economy-trade-investment, security-defense, and war legacy remediation. President Lam reaffirmed that Vietnam considers the US a top strategic partner and welcomes the US’s continued commitment to supporting a “strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous” Vietnam. He expressed the desire to closely coordinate in fulfilling the commitments of General Secretary Trong and President Biden to deepen and stabilise the new framework of relations. Secretary Blinken thanked President Lam for his support of the good Vietnam-US partnership and stressed that the US regards Vietnam as a top partner in the region. He affirmed the US’s commitment to working with Vietnam to further strengthen the bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in regional and international forums on shared concerns, contributing to promoting dialogue, peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, including frameworks such as the Mekong-US Partnership, ASEAN, APEC, and the United Nations, for the common peace, stability, and prosperity of the region and the world./.