Hanoi(VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh has had a working visitto Florida and Arkansas States of the US to boost partnerships between thelocalities and Vietnam, especially in economy, trade, investment and education.

In Florida, AmbassadorVinh had a meeting with Congressman Ted Yoho, Chairman of the Asia-PacificSubcommittee of the US House of Representatives and visited a number oflocalities and trade and research agencies of the state.

The official alsoworked with some local businesses, leaders of the Biotechnology Research Centreof the University of Florida, and had a talk with lecturers and students of theNaval Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Ted Yoho showed his delightat the growth of the Vietnam-US relations over the past years, especially in2017 with the fruitful visit of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the US inMay 2017 and a Vietnam tour of US President Donald Trump in November 2017.

At the meetings, Vinhintroduced the potential and strengths of Vietnam, pledging that Vietnameserepresentative office in the US will work to connect Florida businesses withVietnamese peers. Vietnam is now Florida’s ninth largest trade partner withtwo-way trade of nearly 2 billion USD.

Florida’s firms spokehighly of Vietnam’s economic development and hoped that Florida will become oneof Vietnam’s leading economic-trade partners in the US.

During his stay inArkansas, Ambassador Vinh had a meeting with Governor Asa Hutchinson and aroundtable with local businesses as well as visited the Murphy Oil company andVinh Long-Arkansas company, a Vietnamese firm in the state.

Hutchinson lauded theVietnam-US comprehensive partnership, expressing his hope that cooperationbetween Arkansas and Vietnam will be strengthened, especially in investment andbusiness. He also vowed to support Vietnamese firms operating in the locality.

Vinh affirmed thatVietnam will continue promoting ties with the US, while working with Arkansasto seek new collaboration opportunities for mutual benefit.

The diplomat asked Arkansasto create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses as well as Vietnamesecommunity in the locality.

At the meeting withlocal firms, Vinh briefed them on cooperation potential between the two sides,while answering their questions on investment opportunities and environment inVietnam.

Arkansas businesseswere interested in Vietnam, especially in retail, production, health careservices, agriculture, and clean energy.

On February 2, theVietnamese Embassy in the US held a celebration of the upcoming traditional LunarNew Year (Tet) with the participation of about 300 overseas Vietnamese peoplein Washington and surrounding localities.-VNA