Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnammaintains consistent policy of attaching much importance to the relations withthe US, while standing ready to work with the new administration to promoteachievements in bilateral ties and make it further thrive, said Deputy ForeignMinister Ha Kim Ngoc.

From former enemies, Vietnam and the US has formed cooperationrelationship since 1995 and became comprehensive partnership since 2013 in thespirit of putting aside the past, overcoming differences, promotingsimilarities and heading to the future, he told reporters.

On the basis of external policiesof independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification,Vietnam wishes to further promote achievements obtained in bilateral ties withthe US over the past eight years, while standing ready to cooperate with thenew administration to promote the relationship based on the foundation ofrespecting each other’s political institution, growth path, independence,sovereignty, territorial integrity and not interfering into each other’sinternal affairs.

The spirit was also shown in thecongratulatory message of Vietnamese leaders to President-elect Donald Trumpand the telephone talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the new USPresident in December last year.

Ngoc also stressed the need for Vietnam tobecome more active in expanding partnership in nine major pillars, includingpolitics-diplomacy, economics, trade, investment, science-technology, education-training,defence-security, war aftermath overcoming, and culture, tourism.

He said that over the past years,the two sides have built a firm foundation of win-win cooperation with specificcollaboration mechanisms in bilateral, regional and international aspects.

He expressed his belief that theties will continue to thrive to match the two countries’ potential thanks topolitical determination of both sides.

Vietnam will continue implementingexisting cooperation mechanisms, delegation exchanges, while consideringeconomic, trade and investment cooperation as a focus and motivation for the bilateralpartnership, stated Ngoc.

He added that Vietnam should work harder to improve investmentenvironment to attract more investors from the US, and increase two-way trade.

The Vietnamese and US economiesare supplementary with high growth potential, he said, adding that cooperationin dealing with war aftermath should be one of priorities in bilateralcooperation.

In the regional and internationalaspects, he said Vietnam andthe USshould maintain partnership in anti-terrorism, and fighting the popularisationof mass destruction weapon, as well as climate change, energy, food, watersecurity, thus contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development inthe region and the world.

Vietnam and partners, includingthe US, share a common desire of maintaining peace, stability, cooperation anddevelopment in the Asia-Pacific region in line with international law, as wellas the maintenance of multipolar trend and democracy in the region and thecentral role of ASEAN in regional institutions, and keeping a strong and unitedASEAN with balance relations with world powers and external partners, heaffirmed.-VNA