US senator concludes trip to Vietnam

(VOV) - President Pro Tempore of the US Senate Patrick Leahy ended his five-day visit to Vietnam on April 20. 

Visiting Hanoi from April 17-18, Leahy paid courtesy calls to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang.

He held talks with National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, met with Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh and joined an exchange with law students from the Hanoi National University.

In his working sessions with Vietnamese leaders, Leahy lauded the rising status and role of Vietnam in the region and the world, voicing the US congress’ desire to further boost all-around cooperation with Vietnam, in particular its legislature on the basis of comprehensive partnership established in last July.

He thanked Vietnam for its goodwill and assistance in the search for US soldiers missing in action during the war and pledged his nation’s efforts to help Vietnam overcome the war aftermath.

Patrick Leahy also reiterated the US’s support for Vietnam in its ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and hailed Vietnam’s new Constitution which, he said, focuses on human and citizen rights, as well as the country’s progress in human rights and religious freedom.

During their stay in Vietnam from Aril 18-20, Leahy and his delegation also toured the central city of Da Nang, where he attended a ceremony launching a dioxin-contamination treatment system at Da Nang airport and presented gifts to local disadvantaged people, including victims of dioxin.

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