Deepening Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam was speaking at a ceremony held in Hanoi on October 7 by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties.

He said 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 nearly US$80 billion last year. People-to-people exchange is increasingly vibrant with millions of people travelling to and visiting each other every year.

“Cooperation in all fields serves as an important bridge to the process of building and fostering trust, goodwill and lasting friendship between the two countries,” he said. “Vietnam always pursues its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, persification and multilateralism of foreign relations, and therefore it considers the US a partner of leading importance in its overall foreign policy.”

According to the Vietnamese Deputy PM, when Vietnam assumes the role as the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, the two countries have worked closely to address issues of common concern at regional and international forums. Both sides have also collaborated with the international community to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging global challenges.

He also appreciated contributions by generations of leaders, politicians, organisations and inpiduals of Vietnam and the US to bilateral connections.

Vietnam will work together with the US to deepen their bilateral comprehensive partnership, making an effective and practical contribution to the two countries’ development as well as to regional and global peace, stability and development, Dam stressed.

For his part, ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink expressed his impression about the rapid development of the US-Vietnam relations, saying both sides have been cooperating closely with each other in all aspects, from security, trade, education and post-war issues to energy and health care.

The rapidly growing trade ties as well as the US’ increased investment in Vietnam have brought about numerous economic achievements for both sides, he said, noting the US remains Vietnam’s biggest importer, while Vietnam is one of the markets with fastest growth of imports from the US.