Blinken to Visit Vietnam to Boost Bilateral Ties 

 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Vietnam and Japan this week.

Blinken’s first trip to Vietnam as the top U.S. diplomat comes as the two countries look ahead with an eye toward their current leaders’ first formal visits to each other’s capitals, possibly this year, said analysts.

After Vietnam, Blinken heads to Japan, where foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations will gather in the town of Karuizawa, in the Nagano prefecture, to discuss pressing security issues.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership. The two countries have been discussing how to advance ties to the next level — a strategic partnership.

“The Secretary will meet with senior Vietnamese officials to discuss our shared vision of a connected, prosperous, peaceful, and resilient Indo-Pacific region,” said the State Department on Monday.

Blinken’s meetings with senior Vietnamese officials in Hanoi follow a call between U.S. President Joe Biden and the chief of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong on March 29, when the two leaders agreed to expand the bilateral relationship.

“Part of these discussions include mutual visits by leaders on both sides to each other’s capitals. It’s to be determined when exactly those will take place but based on the call between President Biden and General Secretary Trong, there’s certainly a lot of mutual interest in making that happen at some point this year,” Andreyka Natalegawa, an associate fellow for the Southeast Asia Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA.

Vietnam maintains a three-tier diplomatic relationship with other countries: the Comprehensive Partnership, Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Strategic partnership. The United States is Vietnam’s top export market but is currently ranked as a third-tier partner for Hanoi. China and Russia are among the countries that maintain top tier ties with Vietnam.

“Vietnamese officials often note that the partnership’s orderly stance is essentially strategic in everything but name,” Natalegawa added. “Current signals that we’re seeing right now demonstrate that Vietnam might be ready to take that step.”

Blinken’s G-7 meetings will discuss issues including Russia’s continued war against Ukraine, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, food and energy security, and advancing an affirmative vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, said the State Department.
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