Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phú Trong of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam

General Secretary General Trong. Mr. President, welcome to Vietnam, for the state visit and for APEC. We hold in high regards Mr. President's visit to Vietnam, and I believe the presence of the President of the United States is of great significance to Vietnam in these days.

It's not only for the development of the comprehensive partnership and friendship between our two countries, but your presence also represents great contribution to the success of APEC Economic Leaders' Week. And I strongly believe that following Mr. President's visit to Vietnam the relationship between our two countries will see great progress.

President Trump. Well, thank you very much. You're a man of great honor and respect, and it's an honor to be with you. And thank you for having us. And we want to thank Vietnam and the Vietnamese people. They have been so terrific. They've greeted us with such respect and, really, such affection. I mean, the relationship is so healed. And to think where we were and where we've come, it's a tribute to both countries.

We have a—we have so many things in common. We have been discussing at great length, today and yesterday, trade—and trade, in particular, with Vietnam. And we're opening up, and you're opening up, and it's going to even out. And we're both going to do very well for our people. And trade has become a very important element of our relationship, and it will continue onward.

And again, I want to thank you very much for this. It is a true honor to be with you. Thank you.

General Secretary Trong. Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind remarks about the Vietnamese people for their friendliness to the leaders of the world coming to Vietnam, equally himself, Mr. President.