Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Vietnamese President To Lam Before Their Meeting

PRESIDENT LAM:  (Via interpreter) Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, on behalf of the (inaudible) party and people of Vietnam for coming, for offering incense, and for the condolences to the family of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and to the people of Vietnam.  I would kindly ask Mr. Secretary to convey our best regards and our gratitude to President Joe Biden for the message of condolences expressed to our people and to the family of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong right after he passed away.  I also would like to express my gratitude to President Biden on the message of congratulations on my assumption of the new capacity.

You may know that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong highly valued and attached great importance to the development of the relationship with United States, and when in office he recalled fondly the memories and actions of the United States administration leaders, partners, and he always wanted to elevate the relationship with the United States.

At this difficult time for our country, my gratitude goes to you, Mr. Secretary, for coming over and offering on behalf of the President the condolences to the general secretary’s family and to our people.  Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, and glad to hear from you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Mr. President, on behalf of President Biden and the United States, we do offer our deepest condolences on the passing of General Secretary Trong.  He was truly a visionary leader, someone who built a lasting bridge between our two countries.  And I think his vision sends a powerful message to the world, because in helping our countries overcome the past, he had a conviction that we can build a better future together.

Just a year ago, thanks to his leadership and that of President Biden, we elevated our relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.  The American people know that that would not have happened without the general secretary, without his leadership, and he will always be remembered for that.

I want to thank you for receiving us, especially at this late hour, and I know how much President Biden looks forward to working with you and continuing to build the legacy that the general secretary helped establish.