Senator John McCain has urged for a boost in the military ties with Vietnam, hailed its rising status on the global diplomatic arena and noted the U.S. administration will pledge to increase bilateral ties, Vietnamese state media said on April 8.
John McCain made his remarks at a press conference in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 7.
During his staying in Hanoi, the U.S. senator had talks with Vietnamese top leaders, the prime minister and the parliament speaker, and students of the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy.
The U.S. senator and Vietnamese leaders discussed issues relating to trade, investment, media, education, AO/dioxin, climate changes and education.
A boost in the defence cooperation between the two countries will help maintain security in the region, John McCain noted.
“I would like to see, among other things, officials of the Vietnamese military attending our defence universities in the U.S., the senator said.
The U.S. senator also backed a peaceful resettlement for disputes over Paracels and Spratlys Archipelagos when speaking about the incident between the USS Impeccable ship and a Chinese vessel.
Once Vietnam has made progress in its labor force, the U.S. will complete a bilateral investment agreement and add Vietnam to a list of countries enjoying the GSP program, he elaborated.
The U.S. wants to discuss a free trade agreement with Vietnam, he added.
The two-way trade has to date increased tenfold since 2001, hitting US$15 billion last year.
The U.S. is listed among Vietnam’s ten biggest FDI investors, the government said. (chinhphu.vn, VNS)
Vietnamese
