The presence of Blinken was anticipated last week by Senator Jeff Merkley, who led a US congressional delegation on a working visit to Vietnam.

According to a State Department memo, Blinken will arrive in Hanoi to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership, and meet with senior Vietnamese officers “to discuss our shared vision of a connected, prosperous, peaceful, and resilient Indo-Pacific region.”

At the end of last March, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, held a telephone conversation with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, regarding the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral Comprehensive Association.

In the dialogue, the Vietnamese officer appreciated that the results of the relationship between the two countries are in line with the desires of both peoples.

These ties are promoted on the basis of respect for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each country, mutual understanding, equitable cooperation, and in the spirit of putting aside the past, overcoming differences, promoting similarities and looking to the future.

Phu Trong stressed that Vietnam persists in the foreign policy of independence, self-determination, multi-lateralization and diversification of relations, international integration, being a reliable friend and partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community.

Biden, in turn, ratified his support for an “independent, self-determined and prosperous” Vietnam and cataloged Vietnam as an important partner. He also reassured consideration for Vietnam’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions, stating that respect is an important foundation of the relationship between the two countries.

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