US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has released a statement welcoming the official visit to the United States by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and highlighting a remarkable advancement in the relationship between the two countries.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (L) and US Senator John McCain (Photo: VNA)

“I warmly welcome Viet Nam’s General Secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, on his historic trip to the United States—the first ever by a Vietnamese General Secretary. This visit demonstrates the growing strength of the US-Viet Nam partnership as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of relations between our countries,” he wrote in the statement released on July 7 (Washington time).

He said “Viet Nam is an important emerging partner with which the United States shares strategic and economic interests, including strengthening an open regional trading order, maintaining a favorable balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region, and upholding long-standing principles of world order, such as freedom of the seas and peaceful resolution of international disputes.”

In conclusion he wrote “The past twenty years have witnessed a remarkable advancement in our relationship greater than anyone could have hoped for. I look forward to meeting General Secretary Trong this week as our two countries seek to continue to build a relationship built on a shared vision for a peaceful and prosperous Asia-Pacific region.”

 (Source: VNA)