The Vietnamese leader spoke highly of USTDA’s role in promoting economic, trade and investment ties between Viet Nam and the U.S., particularly through project preparation, feasibility studies, technical assistance and connections between U.S. businesses and infrastructure projects in Viet Nam.
    |
 |
|
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President To Lam meets with Thomas R. Hardy, Acting Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), in New York on September 21 (local time). |
He affirmed that Viet Nam attaches great importance to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the U.S., expressing his hope that economic, trade, investment and science-technology cooperation will continue to serve as an important driver of substantive, effective and sustainable development of bilateral ties.
Highly valuing USTDA’s long-term cooperation with Viet Nam in energy, power grids, aviation, smart cities and digital infrastructure, General Secretary and President To Lam said these programs have helped Viet Nam access U.S. technologies, management expertise and advanced solutions.
He said that Viet Nam is entering a new phase of development, with major demand for strategic infrastructure, energy, transport, logistics, digital transformation and high technology, he noted, adding that these are areas in which the U.S. has considerable strengths and USTDA has relevant experience and support tools.
Hardy hailed Viet Nam’s socio-economic development achievements and bilateral relations. He affirmed that USTDA regards Viet Nam as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific and values its cooperation with Vietnamese agencies and businesses over the years.
USTDA wishes to continue working with Viet Nam to prepare and develop high-quality projects that meet the country’s development priorities while creating greater opportunities for U.S. technologies, equipment, services and businesses to further participate in the Vietnamese market, Hardy said.
The agency stands ready to deploy such tools as feasibility studies, technical assistance, pilot projects and trade missions, supporting projects from the preparation stage through to their readiness to attract financing and move into implementation, he added.
|
|
 |
|
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President To Lam (right) and Thomas R. Hardy, Acting Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, at their meeting in New York on September 21 |
Regarding future cooperation, General Secretary and President To Lam called on USTDA to strengthen coordination with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and businesses to identify a number of strategic, high-impact projects for targeted support, particularly in energy and power grids, digital infrastructure and data centers, aviation, seaports, logistics and modern transport.
He urged the agency to further play its “pathfinder” role from the project preparation stage, helping Viet Nam gain early access to U.S. standards, technologies, management expertise and resources.
The top Vietnamese leader also called on USTDA to pay greater attention to emerging, technology-intensive and high-value-added areas such as artificial intelligence, secure digital infrastructure, smart grids, energy security and solutions supporting the green transition, while strengthening links between leading U.S. technology, finance and infrastructure companies and Vietnamese partners.
Hardy agreed with the orientations outlined by General Secretary and President To Lam, affirming that USTDA stands ready to work closely with Vietnamese agencies to identify suitable projects and mobilize its project-preparation support tools.
He said Viet Nam’s substantial infrastructure development needs, combined with U.S. strengths in technology, governance and high-quality solutions, offer significant opportunities for new cooperation.
USTDA will strengthen coordination with Vietnamese agencies and businesses, focusing on concrete, feasible projects with strong spillover effects, while connecting Viet Nam’s development needs with U.S. technologies, resources and businesses, Hardy affirmed.
Such efforts will contribute to deepening economic, trade and investment cooperation and adding further substantive content to the Viet Nam-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, he added.
Source: VNA