He told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Washington DC ahead of the Vietnam visit by President Joe Biden on September 10-11 that the two countries’ diplomatic relations have recorded strong developments, alongside with fruitful cooperation in other important areas such as trade and security.
One of the most important achievements is the student exchange programmes as they are related to the future, he noted.
Regarding President Biden's visit, Hagel assessed that it is important for strengthening and promoting bilateral ties.
The visit shows that the US President and his country wish for a closer and stronger relationship and want to understand more about the Vietnamese people as well as the areas where the two countries can cooperate.
The two countries are looking for areas of cooperation for a better world for all, he said, adding the US and Vietnam normalised diplomatic relations and then built a new chapter in bilateral relations.