While meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties at the US House of Representatives, Mr Triet affirmed that Vietnam considers the US an important partner and wants to continue to build a friendly partnership and multifaceted cooperation in the common interests of the two countries and people.

Mr Triet said that bilateral relations have been developing well in recent times, focusing on practical interests. Differences still exist between the two countries on ways to ensure human rights due to different historical circumstances, development levels, cultural tradition and customs. Mr Triet noted that these differences are small compared to the common interest and great potential for bilateral cooperation and these differences should not hinder their development.

“The two countries should continue to cooperate closely to effectively resolve these differences in order to bring bilateral relations to a new height,” said Mr Triet.

Mr Triet thanked Mrs Pelosi and other Congressmen for their approval of the permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status with Vietnam last year and praised the US Congress’s recent approval of US$3 million in aid for the environmental clean up and healthcare services for people exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin during the war.

Mrs Pelosi noted that the first official visit to the US by Mr Triet is a landmark in bilateral relations. She praised Vietnam’s tremendous achievements over the past 20 years of implementing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process and congratulated the country on its successful organisation of the 12^th National Assembly election.

She shared Mr Triet’s view that the US and Vietnam should increase dialogue, particularly on issues of difference, to promote mutual understanding. She voiced the house’s support for strengthening relations between the two countries’ governments and people.

Meeting with Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, Republican leader McConnell and other senators in support of the Vietnam-US relationship in the Senate, Mr Triet praised its contributions to the process of normalising and fostering relations between the two countries. He stressed that Vietnam would continue to cooperate with the US in the search for US personnel missing in action (MIA) during the war, including those missing at sea, considering this as Vietnam’s goodwill in strengthening ties with the US.

US senators praised Vietnam’s efforts in this regard and expressed their hope that Vietnam, with its increasing role and position in the international arena, will make further contributions to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

At a reception for the group of US religious leaders, Mr Triet affirmed that the Vietnamese State respects its people’s right to freedom of religious belief and creates favourable conditions for all religions to operate and live in harmony within the nation. He quoted the Vietnamese law as saying that it is illegal to use politically-motivated religious discrimination to sabotage social stability.

The Vietnamese President said that recently Vietnam has cooperated with the US on this issue by conducting regular dialogue to promote mutual understanding and discuss issues of mutual concern. He welcomed the US Department of State’s decision to pull Vietnam out of the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” regarding religious freedom last year, considering Vietnam-US cooperation in the field a model for other countries.

In the evening, Mr Triet addressed a ceremony marking 40 years of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 30 years of the ASEAN-US Dialogue. He said over the past four decades, ASEAN has become an important political-economic entity in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region and an indispensable partner in the policy of powerful regional and global economic centres.    

He noted that the US is ASEAN’s long term economic and trade partner, and plays an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the region. All ASEAN member countries want to develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the US, and in turn they want the US to foster multifaceted cooperation with them for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia.

Mr Triet said that the ASEAN-US partnership will develop comprehensively and substantially as the friendship and cooperation between each ASEAN member country and the US develops. He expressed his belief that with its increasing role in the region and good relations with the US, Vietnam will make greater contributions to promoting the ASEAN-US dialogue in the coming period.