10th Anniversary of Normalization

Viet Nam - US relationship growing

06/04/2005 -- 22:22(GMT+7)

Ha Noi (VNA) - The relationship between the United States and Viet Nam is expanding to many areas, including trade and investment, health, education, culture and security.

So said Deputy Chief of the US Embassy in Viet Nam John Boardman at a forum, entitled "Viet Nam - US relations: The Way Ahead", in Ha Noi on June 4. The forum, which was organized by the Viet Nam-US Society and the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation in cooperation with the American non-governmental community in Viet Nam, is part of the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Boardman said that two-way trade has increased dramatically since the Bilateral Trade Agreement took effect in December 2001.

He said the burgeoning economic ties have not only created opportunities for American and Vietnamese manufacturers, investors and consumers, but also promoted the growth of Vietnamese civil society. "This forms a firm basis for a mutually beneficial relationship," he added.

On Viet Nam's bid to join the Trade World Organization (WTO), the American diplomat said that the US actively supports Viet Nam's efforts to become a member of the WTO. He affirmed the US's support for Viet Nam's accession during his recent meetings in Ha Noi with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and other Vietnamese leaders.

Regarding the upcoming visit to the US by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Boardman said he had high hopes of making progress in many specific areas of the relationship between the two countries.

According to Boardman, many important agreements in agriculture, maritime transportation, development assistance, science and technology are being discussed by the two sides and may be signed before the US trip by Prime Minister Khai.

"These agreements will further strengthen the foundation of our increasingly broad-based bilateral relationship," he affirmed.

The American diplomat said the US and Viet Nam are mutually interested in seeing that Asia remains a safe and stable continent; one in which all people are allowed to be free and in which security challenges such as WMD proliferation, terrorism, international crime and drugs and environmental threats can be addressed by strong Asian-Pacific institutions.

Vu Xuan Hong, Chairman of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations affirmed that similarities between the two countries have been responsible for the rapid development of the bilateral relationship in many areas over the past 10 years.

Hong said that at the Viet Nam-US seminar on promoting understanding and looking towards the future held in November 2004, US Ambassador Michael Marine had affirmed that Viet Nam and the US have no differences in strategy. The ambassador had said that the two countries have many of the same interests.

He also said that in the development of the Viet Nam - US ties, apart from the two governments' efforts, there were important contributions by Vietnamese and American organizations and individuals.

During the forum, over 100 representatives of people's, veterans', religious and non-governmental organizations, and scholars, politicians, social activists and businessmen from the two countries reviewed the development of Viet Nam - US relations over the past 10 years and made recommendations for the future of these ties.

Participants said that it is necessary for the two countries to continue developing a stable, long-term and forward-looking framework for the relationship.

In a press release about the forum, the participants proposed measures to strengthen Viet Nam - US relations. The measures include increasing exchanges of high-level delegations and contact between officials, parliamentarians, politicians, social activists, entrepreneurs and scholars of the two countries; expanding and facilitating people-to-people exchanges, especially between veterans, scholars, students, younger generations, religious dignitaries, journalists and artists; and boosting economic co-operation, further creating favorable conditions for trade and investment activities, and increasing tourism co-operation.

Other measures are cooperative efforts to support Viet Nam's accession to the WTO; enhanced cooperation in healthcare, education, culture, information, security and defense, the appropriate use of natural resources and environmental protection; to promote greater understanding through relevant studies of the other's society, culture and political system; further cooperate in addressing war consequences, assisting victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin and other toxic chemicals, landmines/UXO; expand non-governmental organization aid and cooperation in humanitarian issues and development, official development assistance for Viet Nam; develop direct relations between localities of the two countries; encourage more active participation of the Vietnamese community in the US, particularly the young, in activities to enhance bilateral relations; and establish appropriate channels for dialogues to deal with remaining issues.