Addressing the event in Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasised that the normalisation of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations was an important decision of the countries’ leaders, which closed a period full of difficulties and heralded a promising era.
The Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership has been developing extensively and substantively, from politics-diplomacy, economy-trade and defence-security to science-technology, health care and education. Bilateral trade has increased 170-fold since 1995 to approximate US$80 billion. Meanwhile, people-to-people exchange is increasingly vibrant, according to him.
The official described cooperation in different fields as an important bridge for building and consolidating trust, goodwill and durable friendship between the two countries.
He highlighted Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and diversification and mulilateralisation of diplomatic relations, noting that the country considers the US a partner of leading importance in its foreign policy.
This year, when Vietnam is serving as the ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, the two sides have coordinated closely in issues of common concern at regional and international forums, Dam said, adding that they have also been working with the international community to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging global challenges.
On this occasion, he also appreciated contributions by generations of leaders, politicians, organisations and individuals of Vietnam and the US to bilateral connections.
He stressed that Vietnam will keep joining the US in expanding and intensifying their bilateral comprehensive partnership, thereby making effective and practical contributions to the countries’ development as well as regional and global peace, stability and development.
At the ceremony, US Ambassador Daniel J. Kritenbrink described his country’s relations with Vietnam as impressive, noting that they have been cooperating closely with each other in all aspects, from security, trade, education and post-war issues to energy and healthcare.
Besides, the rapidly growing trade ties and US businesses’ increasing investment in Vietnam have generated numerous economic achievements for both sides. The US remains one of the biggest export destinations of Vietnam, which in turn is among the markets with fastest growth of imports from the US, he said.
The diplomat held that both countries have the responsibility of continuing to develop their relations based on mutual trust and friendship, expressing his wish that bilateral ties will keep flourishing in the time to come.
