Washington DC (VNA)– Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc paid a working visit to Utah onJuly 13-14 to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between this state andVietnamese partners and seek support in COVID-19 vaccine supply.

During the trip, Ngoc metwith Utah officials, local businesses, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints, along with representatives of the Brigham Young Universityand Vietnamese students there, and local media.

At the meetings, he affirmed thatVietnam treasures the cooperation with the US, highlighting the all-roundstrides in the two countries’ comprehensive partnership.

He noted the mutualassistance in the COVID-19 combat and thanked the US for providing ventilatorsand, most recently - on July 10, two million doses of the Moderna vaccine forthe Southeast Asian nation.

Vietnam attaches importanceto relations with Utah and other US states and considers this one of the ninepillars in the comprehensive partnership, the ambassador emphasised.

He expressed his hope thatUtah will keep seeking and optimising new and creative forms of cooperation inthe areas it has potential for such as aviation, medicine - pharmacy,automation, high technology, and renewable energy so as to bring its relationswith Vietnam to a new height.

For their part, Utah leaders,enterprises, associations, and organisations welcomed Ngoc’s visit, whichcoincided with the 26th anniversary of the countries’ diplomaticties (July 12), noting that this was the first trip by an international partnerto this state in 18 months since COVID-19 broke out in the US.

Lieutenant Governor of Utah DeidreHenderson and other representatives of the state’s administration spokehighly of Vietnam’s development achievements, noting that Utah pays attentionto developing its relations with the country, a gateway linking it with Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia.

She asked both sides to soonresume exchange and trade promotion, firstly via online, and consider tourismand aviation cooperation such as opening a direct air route between Vietnam andSalt Lake City International Airport.

Highly valuing Vietnam’sdevelopment potential, some Utah businesses voiced their hope for partneringwith the country in restoring marine ecosystems, installing detection and earlywarning systems for vessels at sea and in large rivers, and opening “businessincubators” to connect financial and technological companies of Utah withVietnam.

Meanwhile, the Brigham YoungUniversity (BYU) shared the encouraging outcomes in the educational cooperationwith Vietnamese partners, including a memorandum of understanding with the VietnameseGovernment’s Committee for Religious Affairs, adding that it is ready towelcome more students from Vietnam.

Leaders of the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints thanked the Vietnamese Government for facilitating its activities in the country, affirmingthat its followers have complied with the religious doctrine as well as theConstitution and law of Vietnam and contributed to the society.

They added that they willwork to help seek vaccine supply for Vietnam.

In an interview granted to theBYU Radio in Provo city, Ambassador Ngoc underlined efforts to turn Vietnam andthe US from former foes into friends and partners, affirming that Vietnamalways wants peace, independence, self-reliance, territorial integrity,self-determination and is also ready to share its reconciliation experiencewith other countries./.