WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Secretary of State John Kerry invited Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to visit the United States in 2015.
Tanh Nien News reported Kerry confirmed the invitation with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on a phone call commemorating the Vietnamese new year. Tet, as the holiday is known, will be celebrated on February 19.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of re-established diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Vietnam.
Kerry and Minh spoke about concluding negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is essentially free trade agreement among about a dozen countries including the U.S., Mexico, Australia, Japan and Vietnam. The U.S. hopes to finalize negotiations by March, about two months before Congress votes on it.
Vietnam's leaders join China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia in the list of Asian heads of state invited to visit the United States this year.
