Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receiveda delegation of officials and businesses from the US state of California led byMayor of Oakland city Sheng Thao in Hanoi on August 1.

The Government leader affirmed that Vietnam always views the US as one of theleading partners and wishes to continue promoting bilateral relations in asubstantive and effective manner for the sake of the two peoples and for peace,stability, cooperation, and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

PM Chinh applauded the sound relations between Vietnam andCalifornia, including Oakland city, especially economic, trade and seaportcooperation.

California is one of the leading locality partners of Vietnam asnearly 100 businesses from the state have invested in the Southeast Asiannation, which in turn has carried out more than 70 investment projects inCalifornia, he went on.

The two sides boast huge potential for partnerships in economy,trade, investment, science - technology, energy transition, hi-tech, innovation,education, training, and startup, he noted, calling for cooperation tobe maintained and fostered.

The host leader asked the Oakland Mayor and other Californiaofficials to continue helping develop relations with Vietnam, particularly ineconomy, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges, and act as a bridgelinking the US and Vietnam as well as their businesses, thus contributing tothe two countries’ connections.

He expressed his hope that Oakland will keep facilitating delegationexchanges and information sharing so as to enhance the mutual understandingbetween its communities and Vietnamese localities. He also called on the US city's authoritiesto support Vietnamese people to integrate into the local society.

At the meeting, Mayor Thao spoke highly of the recent progress in theVietnam - US relations.

She said Oakland will further step up the friendship and result-orientedcooperation with Vietnam in the fields that the city and California are strongat, especially transportation, logistics, high technology, digital economy andinnovation, thereby helping with the relations between California and Vietnam./.