Reviewing major milestones in Viet Nam – US relations during Ambassador Knapper’s time in Viet Nam, the President highlighted the elevation of their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level of cooperation in Viet Nam’s foreign policy. He highly valued the ambassador’s active contributions to promoting effective, sustainable and deeper cooperation on the basis of respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political systems, as well as mutual benefit.
President Cuong also appreciated the ambassador’s affection for Viet Nam, its people and culture, and thanked the US Government and Embassy for providing more than 2 million USD in assistance for Vietnamese localities affected by natural disasters over the past year.
Regarding cooperation in addressing post-war legacy issues, the host leader described this as a bright spot and an area of special importance in building trust, promoting reconciliation and enhancing mutual understanding. He acknowledged Ambassador Knapper’s persistent efforts and called on both sides to further strengthen cooperation in this field.
He reaffirmed Viet Nam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and being a friend, a reliable partner and an active, responsible member of the international community.
Viet Nam always attaches importance to its relationship with the US and hopes to continue expanding ties in a more substantive and in-depth manner across a wide range of fields, including politics – diplomacy, economy – trade, security – defence, education, people-to-people exchanges, science – technology, humanitarian aid, and post-war legacy issues, in line with the two countries’ potential and the interests of their peoples, the President remarked.
For his part, Ambassador Knapper shared his pride and satisfaction in witnessing and contributing to the increasingly substantive development of bilateral relations.
He expressed confidence that the Viet Nam – US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to grow strongly and serve as a model of reconciliation in international relations, setting aside the past and looking toward the future.
The ambassador affirmed that in whatever position he holds in the future, he will remain a friend of Viet Nam and continue to contribute to bilateral relations in the bilateral, regional and international dimensions.
