Office of the Government
Hanoi, Vietnam

11:59 A.M. ICT

PRIME MINISTER CHÍNH: (As interpreted.)  (In progress) …and will benefit peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Mr. President, today is the 11th of September.  And on behalf of the leaders of the party, state, and people of Vietnam, I would like to once again extend my deepest condolences to you for the tremendous losses incurred upon the American people following the terrorist attack on the 11th of September, 2001. 

Vietnam’s position is to resolutely oppose terrorism under all means.  And the international cooperation against terrorism

is very much important.  And this, of course, entail cooperation with the United States in combating terrorism.

And now I wish to hear from you, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your sentiments and concern for those we lost on 9/11. 

I’ll be going from here to Alaska to speak to several thousand of our troops in Alaska because I’m not going to be able to get back to the site where it occurred.  Every year, I’m usually at one of the sites where that act — where the terrorist act occurred.  But you were generous to think of us. 

We last saw each other at the G7.  And you emphasized that we have to stand together and we have to stand strong and shoulder to shoulder.  You know, that was — our new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — that’s what it’s all about because we’re both Pacific powers and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific is overwhelmingly in our interest, as well as, quite frankly, in the interests of the whole world.  It’s in the interest of the whole world.

And strengthening our economic security, climate security, health security together; driving technological innovation in both our countries — a step toward this goal today — we’re signing a memorandum of cooperation — to help to strengthen our semiconductor industries.  And it’s only just the beginning of that.  We’re just beginning.

And so, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you again for having me here.  It’s been a wonderful visit thus far, and I’m looking forward to working with you personally and with all the people of Vietnam. 

I’m looking forward to having a few moments from — with some of the many Vietnamese and American industry leaders.  I guess when we break, we’re going to get to see them, and I’m looking forward to that as well.

So, thank you for having me.

You know, I — I know most places at home, when they — the worst sentence in the English language is, “The President is coming.”  It means a lot of work for everybody.  (Laughter.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  And I want to thank your staff for all the work they did to make this summit work so well.

Thank you.

12:02 P.M. ICT