Working Visit by General Secretary and President To Lam Injects Fresh Momentum into Vietnam–US Relations

Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Dzung spoke with The World and Vietnam Report on the significance of the working visit and recent milestones in bilateral ties.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Dzung. (Source: VNA)

Steering Vietnam–US Relations Toward Substantive, Effective Growth

According to Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dzung, during his attendance at the High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly, General Secretary and President To Lam will undertake critical bilateral programs across the United States.

Specifically, he will hold high-level meetings with US administration and congressional leaders; host working sessions with prominent US enterprises, institutional investors, and leading technology conglomerates; engage with Vietnamese overseas intellectuals, public figures, and American friends; and coordinate with organizations addressing war legacy issues—with a special focus on accelerating cooperation in searching for and identifying Vietnamese fallen soldiers.

Assessing the significance of this working trip—particularly as both nations actively implement their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership—Ambassador Dzung noted that beyond reaffirming Vietnam’s responsible contributions to pressing global challenges, the visit will inject fresh momentum and concrete measures to advance bilateral ties in a practical, results-driven manner.

Amid rapid technological shifts reshaping humanity alongside complex geopolitical, security, and economic developments, deepening substantive cooperation between Vietnam and the United States carries paramount importance. It serves the mutual interests of both countries while contributing to broader peace, stability, and prosperity across the region and the world.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Dzung addresses the discussion “30 Years of Vietnam–US Relations: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships,” co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, the US-ASEAN Center, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), and Arizona State University on June 20. (Source: Embassy of Vietnam in the US)

Cooperation Outlook

Regarding bilateral ties, Ambassador Dzung emphasized that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework establishes comprehensive pillars of cooperation, spanning politics, diplomacy, defense and security, trade and investment, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges.

Looking ahead, these pillars will remain foundational. However, cooperation will increasingly target areas prioritized by Vietnam for its next development phase—sectors where the US possesses distinct comparative strengths and mutual interests in fostering sustainable development, notably high technology, clean energy, and resilient supply chains.

In advanced technologies, both nations can deepen partnerships in semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, advanced digital services, and high-tech human resource development. These priorities align directly with Vietnam’s national roadmap to elevate the digital economy to 30% of GDP by 2030.

In clean energy, Vietnam needs to significantly expand power generation capacity while maintaining robust economic growth and meeting its Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050. This dynamic presents vast opportunities for US firms to provide capital, cutting-edge technology, and technical expertise across renewable energy, liquefied natural gas (LNG), power transmission grids, energy storage systems, and energy efficiency solutions.

Both countries can also collaborate to build diversified, resilient supply chains by expanding trade in advanced tech products, streamlining logistics, and strengthening joint ventures between US investors and Vietnamese enterprises. These represent domains where bilateral interests converge, generating long-term strategic value beyond transactional trade and investment.

Discussing frontier strategic sectors such as science, technology, innovation, AI, semiconductors, and digital transformation, Ambassador Dzung highlighted tremendous prospects driven by the clear synergy between Vietnam’s developmental needs and US capabilities.

Vietnam has identified science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as prime engines to boost national productivity, growth quality, and economic competitiveness. Meanwhile, the US remains a global leader in foundational research, talent training, technology transfer, and innovation ecosystems. These areas align seamlessly with the strategic priorities set out in Vietnam’s revamped foreign direct investment attraction strategy.

These prospects are further reinforced by practical operating conditions. Vietnam plays an indispensable role in global electronics supply chains, leverages an expansive network of free trade agreements (FTAs), and offers an abundant workforce eager to absorb advanced technologies.

These structural advantages help US investors tap existing manufacturing and market ecosystems while unlocking major opportunities across semiconductors, AI, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and enterprise digital solutions.

General Secretary To Lam meets the Vietnamese community in the United States while attending the inaugural Peace Council on Gaza in Washington, D.C. on February 19 (local time), amid the early spring atmosphere of the Year of the Horse 2026. (Source: VNA)

A Vibrant, Deep-Rooted Bridge Between Two Nations

Ambassador Dzung underscored that the Vietnamese community in the United States is diverse, dynamic, and boasts proud achievements across science, technology, healthcare, education, business, culture, the arts, and social advocacy. Carrying Vietnamese heritage while being deeply integrated into American society, the overseas community serves as a vital, enduring bridge between both nations.

General Secretary and President To Lam, his spouse, and delegates sing the National Anthem.

General Secretary and President To Lam speaks at the ceremony.

To fully leverage this potential, conditions must be cultivated so that overseas Vietnamese—especially intellectuals, business leaders, and the younger generation—stay informed of national development priorities and opportunities, enabling them to contribute directly to domestic programs and projects.

Engagement can take diverse forms: advising local governments, domestic enterprises, and universities; leading joint research and academic teaching; facilitating technology and knowledge transfer; supporting technical standardization; training high-skilled talent; mentoring startups; and connecting cross-border investment networks.

Ambassador Dzung noted that making an impact does not necessarily require returning to live permanently in Vietnam. Experts can actively contribute remotely through advisory networks, joint research programs, virtual training initiatives, and industry-specific or regional collaborations.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the United States will continue expanding practical dialogue channels, offering dedicated support to ensure every Vietnamese citizen and expatriate in the US can contribute meaningfully to national development and the growing friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the United States.