The Head of State made the point on August 7 in Ha Noi while meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry who is on an official visit to Viet Nam.

Mr. Sang said that Viet Nam attaches importance to the relations with the U.S. - one of Viet Nam’s leading partners.

He added that Viet Nam is willing and takes positive steps to negotiate for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and hopes that remaining issues will be fundamentally addressed at the upcoming meeting of TPP ministers at the end of this month.

State President Sang proposed the U.S. provide preferential treatment for Vietnamese garment and textile products like the country had reached with the EU and the Republic of Korea.

He also praised the U.S. for partially removing its ban on weapons sales to Viet Nam and hoped that the country would early end the ban.

The host leader also proposed the U.S. continue supporting Viet Nam to clean up dioxin contamination hotpots at Bien Hoa and Da Nang airports.

Regarding the East Sea issue, State President Sang welcomed the attitude and stance of the U.S. and the G7 on peaceful solutions to disputes in favor of maintenance of peace, stability, security, safety of navigation and aviation at the East Sea.

For his part, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held that Viet Nam and the US experienced a long journey from war to normalization of relations, faithful friends and partners, becoming a very special story.

The two countries attained numerous progresses not only in economics, science-technology, but also security-national defense.

According to the guest leader, the partly lift on arms sales ban represents the initial step for bilateral cooperation of national defense between the two sides towards the entire removal.

Mr. John Kerry pledged to support the establishment of Fulbright University in Viet Nam and hoped for an early conclusion of TPP negotiation./.