Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Receives New US Ambassador, Calls for Deeper Strategic Cooperation
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly Trần Thanh Mẫn on Thursday received United States Ambassador Jennifer Wicks, who paid a courtesy call at the beginning of her diplomatic mission in Vietnam, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening the Vietnam–US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Welcoming Ambassador Wicks, Chairman Mẫn congratulated her on her appointment and expressed confidence that her extensive diplomatic experience and strong understanding of the region would help further enhance bilateral relations. He described the United States as one of Vietnam’s leading partners and praised the significant progress achieved under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across multiple sectors.
The National Assembly Chairman highlighted the growing cooperation between the legislative bodies of both countries through regular delegation exchanges, meetings, and cooperation among specialised committees, noting that these engagements have strengthened political trust, promoted mutual understanding, and contributed to narrowing differences. He also welcomed the bipartisan support for Vietnam–US relations within the US Congress.
Chairman Mẫn encouraged Ambassador Wicks to work closely with Vietnamese authorities to facilitate high-level visits and establish a regular and substantive dialogue mechanism between the two parliaments. He emphasized that expanding economic cooperation should remain the central pillar of bilateral relations and reaffirmed the Vietnamese National Assembly’s commitment to improving the legal framework and maintaining an open investment environment for American businesses operating in Vietnam.
The Chairman also urged the United States to recognise Vietnam as a market economy and called for enhanced cooperation in strategic sectors, including high technology, semiconductors, digital transformation, innovation, and energy transition.
On issues related to war legacy remediation, Chairman Mẫn described ongoing cooperation as a vital confidence-building measure with significant humanitarian value. He called for continued collaboration in dioxin cleanup, unexploded ordnance clearance, assistance for persons with disabilities, and efforts to locate missing military personnel.
Ambassador Jennifer Wicks said it was an honour to begin her assignment in Vietnam at a time when bilateral relations are experiencing strong momentum. She reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to supporting a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Vietnam and pledged to serve as a bridge for further expanding cooperation between the two countries.
She agreed with the Chairman’s proposals, emphasizing that robust parliamentary cooperation has played an important role in advancing overall bilateral ties. Ambassador Wicks highlighted recent and upcoming congressional exchanges, including the May 2026 visit of Representative Michael Baumgartner and the scheduled August visit of Representative Tim Walberg, while expressing hope for additional exchanges involving Vietnam’s National Assembly.
The ambassador also voiced support for accelerating negotiations on a reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade agreement and stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in emerging sectors such as energy, science and technology, and digital transformation. She reaffirmed the United States’ continued commitment to addressing the legacy of war through humanitarian cooperation and joint remediation efforts.
