The Saigon Times

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc greet each other before their meeting on October 30 – PHOTOS: VNA, VGP

HCMC - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Government Office this morning, October 30 as part of his two-day official visit to Vietnam.

Pompeo also held a meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and met Minister of Public Security To Lam.

The visit aims to celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Vietnam comprehensive partnership and their shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Vietnam is one of Pompeo’s stops during his Asia trip. He had previously attended the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi and visited Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Pompeo and Minh earlier spoke via phone on August 6 to discuss the U.S.-Vietnam relationship and regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Minh said in a statement that he believes the U.S.-Vietnam comprehensive partnership will record greater achievements in the time to come. “Our shared resolve and joint action for mutual benefit will surely take us far,” he said.

Pompeo is the fourth foreign minister to visit Vietnam this year, after Foreign Minister of South Korea Kang Kyung Wha, Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Dominic Raab and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Szijjártó Péter.

Pompeo and Phuc during their meeting

The meeting is held at the Government Office

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh receives Pompeo

A meeting between Minh and Pompeo