The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit and related events in Kuala Lumpur, where Minister Dien was accompanying Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Attending the meeting were representatives from the Multilateral Trade Policy Department, the Department of Foreign Market Development, the Electricity Authority of Viet Nam and Industry and Trade Newspaper.  

During the discussion, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien and Deputy Secretary Helberg exchanged views on bilateral economic and trade cooperation, as well as potential areas for future collaboration. Both sides agreed that despite global challenges, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the United States (US) continues to develop in a positive and substantive manner. 

The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations (1995 - 2025) and two years since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2023 - 2025). This milestone, they noted, reflects the remarkable progress in Vietnam - US relations and ushers in a new phase of deeper, more practical, and strategic cooperation.  

Deputy Secretary Helberg expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), enhancing supply chain resilience, and developing new energy sources.  

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized that AI is not merely a technological tool but a driving force for productivity and national competitiveness. He expressed Vietnam’s wish to pursue meaningful cooperation with the US in this field, focusing on training, standard-setting, and technology transfer.  

The Minister reaffirmed Vietnam’s steadfast commitment to fostering innovation and creativity, emphasizing the country’s desire to learn from and deepen cooperation with advanced partners such as the US. He affirmed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade stands ready to explore concrete joint initiatives to translate this commitment into action.

Regarding supply chain development, Minister Dien emphasized that Vietnam is pursuing a comprehensive set of policies and initiatives to diversify input sources and enhance the resilience of supply chains in key industries.

On energy cooperation, he briefed the US side on Vietnam’s energy development strategy and encouraged continued US support for large-scale renewable and clean energy projects, particularly those linked to green financing and technology transfer.  

Minister Dien also voiced concern over the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s decision not to recognize equivalency for 12 major Vietnamese fisheries, a move that threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers, undermines Vietnam’s seafood industry reputation, and limits choices for US consumers.  

He further called on the US to soon recognize Vietnam’s market economy status and remove the country from the D1 and D3 lists restricting exports of high-tech products. The US side took note of Vietnam’s proposals and affirmed it would give them careful consideration.  

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to assign technical teams to study concrete cooperation opportunities and continue discussions in the near future.  

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien, who leads the Ministry of Industry and Trade delegation accompanying Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the 47th ASEAN Summit, will also hold bilateral meetings with a number of partners on the sidelines of the event.