Remarks by Ambassador Michael W. Marine

Ambassador Michael W. Marine

Webchat - VietnamNet

February 5, 2007

 

Question:  The first question is from a man 77 years old.  The question is, Dear Mr. Ambassador, please tell us Vietnam’s position in the strategy of the U.S. in the Asia Pacific region.

Ambassador Marine:  The United States seeks friendly relations with all nations and the degree of depth to the relationship will depend on what both sides want.  What we’ve seen over the past 11 years, and particularly over the past three years, is an increasing convergence of interests between Vietnam and the United States making our relationship far more strategic than it was five or six years ago.

Question:  Mr. Duong Minh Hung in Hue asks, Mr. Ambassador, do you think that Vietnam-U.S. relations can be elevated to a strategic level?

Ambassador Marine:  Yes, I believe that they can.  I think as I answered to the previous question, we are seeing a broadening and a deepening of our relationship as time passes.  We now have interaction in many, many fields.  I see no reason to believe that that is not going to continue, going far beyond our economic and commercial interests which have created a good framework for our relationship, but now the relationship has many other aspects.

Question:  Do you think Congress will support the U.S. government to have strategic relations with Vietnam or not?

Ambassador Marine:  There are Members of Congress who have particular interest regarding the relationship with Vietnam.  It can be sometimes on commercial matters, sometimes on human rights, religious freedom, the legacy of war issues, many different aspects.  But in general I have found that Congress fully supports a deepening of the relationship between our two countries.  That interest is only growing both in Congress and throughout the U.S. government in seeing the relationship grow stronger.

Question:  I would like to ask you which industrial fields the U.S. will invest in Vietnam in the short term and long term.

Ambassador Marine:  That’s an excellent question and if I had the ability to see the future perhaps I could make a lot of money.  But basically the decisions that will be made by U.S. companies will be driven by many, many factors, such as market conditions here, the level of education and skills of the work force, and the business arrangements that are available for investors.

 I think, speculating, that one area we are going to see growth in will be in IT, in the desire of more U.S. firms to move into the IT field in Vietnam following the lead of Intel which has made a major investment, as you know, in the Ho Chi Minh City area.

 There are many other areas.  I think it’s important to realize that U.S. investors are not going to limit themselves to the manufacturing sector.  They bring much in the service area, financial institutions, insurance, the gaming industry.  These are all areas where U.S. companies are world leaders and they are interested in exploring their options and expanding their presence in Vietnam.

Question:  Mr. Duong Tin, Ho Chi Minh City asks, “In the post WTO era young people like us should do what, or should equip ourselves with what so that we can be equal players with international friends and U.S. friends?

Ambassador Marine:  I think this is a very important question and one that I have discussed with many officials in Vietnam.

 I believe, and this is why I and many others believe that improvements in Vietnam’s education system are so vital.  So just to name two areas where I think there’s a need for strengthening the education system and providing more resources for young people to acquire the skills they’ll need in the post WTO world,  I would point to computer skills and English language skills. 

 I also believe that a trend that we are seeing in policy discussions to expand opportunities in education for the private sector will be very important.  This will give American academic institutions reason to consider coming to Vietnam and setting up facilities or working with Vietnamese universities and colleges to expand educational opportunities for Vietnamese young people.

Question:  I would like to ask what you think Vietnam, what Vietnam should do to attract international education institutions and top universities from the U.S. to Vietnam?

Ambassador Marine:  That is of course a subject that is under debate currently in Vietnam, and I believe that there are many things that can be done by the government both at the national and local level to attract these kinds of institutions.  They are risking money if they come here.  They need business conditions and access to land, et cetera, to make this worth their while.  So there are ways that packages can be put together that are attractive, but there also is a need for intellectual freedom.  The professor who teaches a course needs to be able to teach the course the way that he or she wants, not subject to outside influence or control.  That’s an important question for Vietnam to examine how to do that.

Question:  Mr. Dang Hung Tinh from a private company,he says with just an e-mail address.  He asks Mr. Ambassador, what is your assessment on the democracy and human right and religious freedom situations in Vietnam?

Ambassador Marine:  There have been significant improvements in this area in the past 18 months, particularly in the area of religious freedom and the space that has been made available for religious believers to practice their beliefs.

 I also noticed that in 2006 there were a number of individuals and groups who spoke out with their ideas about what should happen, how Vietnam should develop politically.  I believe that the government’s response to these voices was measured, by and large allowing these ideas to be shared without any visible interference.

 Right around the time of the APEC meeting there clearly were steps taken to restrict the activities of some of these people which is regrettable.  I don’t see these people as a threat to Vietnam in any way. In fact I think their ideas and consideration of their ideas is healthy for Vietnam.

 So my government and other governments are watching these developments carefully.  Vietnam has announced that it wishes to join the UN Security Council next year.  That would be a major achievement for Vietnam.  But I think as any country takes on that kind of responsibility it has to realize that there’s a need for it to work toward a high standard on issues concerning human rights.  I hope that the signs of progress that we have seen will continue and perhaps expand and accelerate in the months ahead.

 Two steps we would like to see very soon would be the elimination of the Degree 31 about administrative detention which the National Assembly has already said will be eliminated.  The second would be passage of the legislation on associations to create a framework for civil society, for the operations of civil society.

Question:  So you think the U.S. and Vietnam relationship (on these issues) now is more positive?

Ambassador Marine:  Certainly in the area of religious freedom and this is why the United States government made the decision to remove Vietnam from the list of countries of particular concern for religious freedom.  This is an area that we continue to monitor, but I am very optimistic that the progress that we’ve seen will continue.  However in areas like freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, I’m not ready to say there’s been significant improvement.  There have been some signs in both directions.

Question:  Mr. Nguyen in Quang Ninh Province asks this question.  Dear Mr. Ambassador, in the past several years relations between Vietnam and the United States have seen fine developments from reconciliation to business doing.  It’s obvious that both governments have overcome difficult relations to look forward to the future.  However it seems that the Vietnamese communities in the U.S. have not been able to do so, so that they can reintegrate to the country and Vietnamese people.

 So as the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam what comments do you have on this issue?  And if you can give advice to the Vietnamese government as well as to the Vietnamese community in the U.S., what advice do you have so that the community there has a more positive look at Vietnam and contributes to the development and construction of Vietnam?

Ambassador Marine:  Those are excellent questions.  I believe that the picture is mixed.  The Vietnamese-American community is not a single community with only one viewpoint.  There are in fact many viewpoints on the relationship between our two countries in that community.  And I think that more and more people are very positive about the developments that are underway, and are finding ways to contribute themselves to the positive growth of the relationship.

 The proof of this is in the growing numbers of Viet Kieu who are returning from the United States to Vietnam to work or to study or to contribute in charitable activities of NGOs that are often based in their own communities in the United States.

 Whenever possible when I return to the United States, I seek an opportunity to meet with groups of Vietnamese-Americans to hear their views and to tell them my impressions of Vietnam.  I have found these meetings very beneficial for me and hopefully I’ve helped them understand better the Vietnam of today which of course is far, far different than the Vietnam of 35 years ago.

 One of my basic messages is they need to come back to Vietnam and see it for themselves.  They can’t rely on other people’s descriptions or on their memories.

 In the second part of your question you asked what the government of Vietnam could do to further the reconciliation between the Viet Kieu in the United States and their homeland.  I think there is more that can be done in this regard.

 Some of this effort has already been done, with outreach by government officials in the United States to interact with the Viet Kieu community there.  But I think more can and should be done in that regard.

 Secondly, I think there is a need to continue to assess the laws and regulations that affect Viet Kieu when they return to Vietnam.  Property issues, employment issues, taxation - all these questions need to be looked at.

 I think the Viet Kieu community around the world - not just in the United States - is a tremendous resource that Vietnam needs as it moves to become a mid-income country and then become an industrialized country by 2020.  Creating conditions, favorable conditions for the Viet Kieu to come and contribute to that work is very important.

Question:  I would like to ask if Vietnam and the U.S. have committed to mutual cooperation to prevent terrorism which can be defined as a violent event on an innocent public.  As far as we know there are no Vietnam citizens trying to overthrow the U.S. government or bomb the American embassy or buildings in New York and other places in the U.S.  But there are some U.S. citizens who openly advocate overthrow of the Vietnamese government and try to bomb Vietnamese embassies and public places in Ho Chi Minh City.  Why has your government not taken legal action about these individuals?

Ambassador Marine:  I think I would have some issues with the basic premise of your question.  There are allegations that certain individuals have engaged in violent acts against Vietnamese interests both outside of Vietnam and inside Vietnam.  We take those allegations very seriously if they involve anyone who is a U.S. citizen or residing in the United States.  But allegations must be investigated and evidence must be gathered before legal action can be taken.

 So we are in dialogue, our two governments, about this issue and we will continue to explore ways where we can share information to see whether or not there is enough evidence to move from allegation to indictment in any of these particular cases.

Question:  There are some people, some U.S. citizens who have come to Vietnam and they have tried to bomb in crowded places, public places, and now Vietnam investigates those cases.  So what do you think about that?

Ambassador Marine:  I don’t know the particular case you’re talking about.  Are these individuals still in jail?  Where are they now?

Question:  No, they leave the country, back to U.S. already.

Ambassador Marine:  Again, without more details I really can’t comment about this particular case.  I can say that we stand ready to work with the government of Vietnam to explore whether or not investigations are warranted, and to conduct investigations into the activities of individuals.  But it would not be appropriate for me to discuss the details of any particular investigation.

Question:  Mr. Tran Du Quan, 53, in Hanoi, asks Mr. Ambassador, have you ever witnessed or seen a victim of Agent Orange directly with your eyes?  If so, what can you say to the U.S. government in order to help lessen the pain of the Agent Orange victims?

Ambassador Marine:  During the past two and a half years while I have lived in Vietnam, and in fact back in the late 1980s when I came to Vietnam representing my government in discussions with the government of Vietnam officials I have often met with groups of disabled people.  No one questions the fact that there are many disabled in Vietnam who deserve and need our help.  I’m proud of the fact that the United States has been a leading donor in providing that kind of assistance and that private American citizens have also contributed tremendously to try to help.

 But honestly, I cannot say whether or not I have myself seen a victim of Agent Orange.  The reason for that is that we still lack good scientific definitions of the causes of disabilities, of many disabilities that have occurred in Vietnam.  That does not mean that I am confident or even in any way sure that those disabled that I have met, none of them were affected by Dioxin.  We just don’t have the scientific evidence to make that statement with certainty.

 I would make two points.  One would be that birth defects are due to many factors including malnutrition, inherited disorders, the age of the parents, the environmental and occupational exposures.  There is a need for more research, credible research that meets international standards to try and define the causes of birth defects and other disabilities that affect so many people in Vietnam.

 At the same time as President Bush and President Triet made clear in their joint statement that was issued when the met on November 17th, they agreed that further joint efforts to address the environmental contamination near former Dioxin storage sites would make a valuable contribution to the continued development of the bilateral relationship.  Those joint efforts are underway right now.  In fact we are working with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Defense, the Ford Foundation and others on a project at Danang Airfield to develop a plan for cleaning up that site and exploring the possibility of providing social services to affected populations within that area.

 I hope that the data generated from that project and the lessons that we learn from doing that will assist us in planning for remediation at other sites in Vietnam.

 At the same time the United States government will continue to provide assistance to disabled people in Vietnam, regardless of the cause of their disability.

Question:  The second part of question from the same man; the U.S. is now Vietnam’s friend so what proposals or what suggestions can you give to the U.S. government so that our friendship can become better?

Ambassador Marine:  Like any Ambassador I have ideas, many of them generated by my staff, about various programs that would be beneficial to strengthening our relationship.  But just having an idea does not automatically lead to a program.  The funding has to be identified.  First of all various policymakers in Washington have to agree with the idea, but then you need to ultimately seek funding from Congress.  This is why having visits to Vietnam by congressional leaders, both officials and staff members, is so important, so they can have first-hand knowledge of Vietnam.  We’ve been doing quite well at successfully encouraging these people to visit Vietnam over the past 18 months.  So I think there’s a much better understanding now of what’s happening in Vietnam.

 Since the story is such a good one it is creating more momentum in this direction of creating new programs, but it’s too early for me to talk about specific programs.

Question:  Mr. Minh Duong, 28 years old in Hanoi.  The U.S. is now the most influential country in the world and in international forums, but do you think this position can be challenged or threatened by any opponents?

Ambassador Marine:  I think there will be changes as various partnerships grow or fail to grow.  Clearly the increasing economic might of China in this part of the world is affecting relationships in some ways, but the United States does not in any way see that as threatening to its interests. What we want to do is to ensure that we have strong positive relationships with all countries and that all countries are contributing to the universal desire to see greater prosperity, security, and peace.  Not only in this region but around the world.

 Just in my lifetime the degree to which the world has become far more interconnected, where issues affecting one country also affect many other countries, is incredible.  If you look at some of the problems that we now face that are transnational -- terrorism, illicit drugs, trafficking in persons, certain communicable diseases like Avian Influenza and HIV/AIDS -- you see there is a real need for the world community to work together, not just to build a marketplace but also to resolves these kinds of issues as well.

 These kinds of issues, transnational issues of this type, are a factor in the desire of the United States and of the American people to have a better relationship with Vietnam.  We would like to cooperate more effectively in countering these global threats through our bilateral relationship.

Question:  The same man asks this question.  In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit for the U.S. in its relations with Vietnam?

Ambassador Marine:  I think it’s very difficult because the relationship is now so broad and multi-faceted, it’s difficult to point to one thing and say this is the most important element of our relationship.

 The joint efforts on the transnational problems that I just described is very important.  The economic and commercial relationship that we have is also very important.  But fundamentally the United States sees the prosperity and stability and progress of Vietnam as in its interest because that serves as an anchor for this part of the world.  Vietnam is a very important country with 84 million people in it.  What affects Vietnam ultimately affects the United States.  Therefore we want to work on many, many aspects of the relationship to ensure its health and its growth.

Question:  I would like to know your attitude about a poll some days ago.  We hear on survey about the President of the U.S., only 28 percent of approval.  If you can comment about that and why.

Ambassador Marine:  We have done opinion polling in the United States for many years.  The rating of individuals or different policies goes up and down depending on what’s happening around the world.

 Clearly there is a debate going on in the United States about our policy toward Iraq, but governments cannot govern on the basis of opinion polls. The responsibility for making decisions, the big picture decisions of that type ultimately rest with the President in our system.  And it is the job of the administration, all the people who work in the executive branch like myself, to take our direction from the President and carry out his orders.

 So while opinion polls are an indicator of whether or not your decisions are popular, they don’t really affect in any direct way what leaders do.

Question:  Vietnam can learn a lot of things from the U.S., Vietnam has learned very much.  But in the relationship between Vietnam and the U.S., what can the U.S. learn from Vietnam?

Ambassador Marine:  When people ask me what my most important task is, I usually say it is increasing mutual understanding between our two countries.  The reason for that is that I think there is much that America and Americans can learn from Vietnam.  I greatly admire the pragmatism and industrious nature of the Vietnamese people. They have a tremendous capacity for hard work.  I think it is good for Americans, particularly young Americans, to understand how the Vietnamese people live, what struggles they are facing, and what steps they are taking to improve themselves.  That’s a good lesson for the American people, one that I have made an effort to make sure that my two young daughters are aware of.

Question:  There is an interesting question from a nickname some Sun Flower, and she is from the National Political Academy.  The question from her is, Vietnam is a socialist country, so what position does Vietnam have in the U.S. policy.  And in the 21st Century if Vietnam continues with the socialist path, so what do you think about this?

Ambassador Marine:  I think it’s questionable now to say that Vietnam is a socialist country.  Market forces are increasingly playing a major role in people’s lives in Vietnam and clearly there is an opportunity for people through hard work to gain material benefit from employment and that is acceptable now in this society.

 At the same time it’s clear that the communist party of Vietnam and the government of Vietnam consider one of their highest objectives is to ensure the well-being of all Vietnamese citizens and to avoid a situation where the majority of citizens of Vietnam are not progressing economically while some progress very quickly.

 The United States is based on economic freedom, political freedom, democracy.  We’re convinced, and I think there’s good evidence, that this is the best system to allow the talents of people to flourish.  So we would encourage the growth of these kinds of developments within Vietnam.  At the same time I recognize, having experienced Vietnam, that there is a need to find ways to bring along people in the rural sector or in the border areas where economic conditions are not as rich, through focused programs provided by the government.

 So the idea that it will be a market economy with socialist characteristics I think describes what is happening in Vietnam currently.  This is why education is so important.  If you give young people everywhere in Vietnam access to good education, then those with talent will find opportunities opening up to them which will help them personally, but will also help the country in a tremendous way.

Question:  There are a lot of questions.  I will choose some interesting and challenging questions.

Ambassador Marine:  Please.

Question:  Mr. Tran Han Luc asks, what do you think about changes in the leadership of Vietnam in recent time.

Ambassador Marine:  I have been impressed by the new leadership.  That’s not to say that I feel that the previous leadership was lacking in any way, but I have seen Prime Minister Dung take charge of many issues, move quickly to put policies in place to address new problems, whether it be corruption or traffic in Hanoi.  That’s important.  That’s what leaders need to do.
 
 To give another example, I’ve been very impressed with the new Minister of Education, Minister Nhan who is tackling a very tough set of issues but in a way that I think will be very beneficial for Vietnam.

 During President Bush’s visit to Vietnam, he spent a lot of time with President Triet and came away very impressed with your President’s grasp of the issues and his approach to problem solving.  So all these are good signs of how the new leadership is going to operate in the future.

Question:  I am 19 years old.  I am a Vietnamese citizen and I am very happy to have a chance to talk on-line with you, U.S. Ambassador.  So I would like to ask you some questions about your life.

 First, what school did you study in, what was your first job and what is your secret to become a successful man?

Ambassador Marine:  I don’t think I’m a very typical person.  I come from a very large family.  I have 12 brothers and sisters, nine of whom are still alive so there was not a whole lot of money in our household.  I had to pay for school myself as a result, for university, and because I was not quite sure what I wanted to do, my motivation was not very strong.  So in the middle of my studies I joined the Marine Corps, a branch of our military service.

 I did not serve in Vietnam, although that was the time of conflict between our two countries. But after my service I returned to school and got a degree in Chinese history to prepare for, which ultimately led me to join our diplomatic service.

 You asked what I consider to be the key to success, and I think it’s a capacity for hard work.  Whatever job you have, whatever task you have, you must do your absolute best.  If you do that every day success will come your way.

 My first job, by the way, was while I was still in secondary school in the summer and it was picking lemons which is very hard work, but again it made me value education so I applied myself a bit harder in school to ensure that I wasn’t going to be doing that kind of work all my life.

Question:  Mr. Le Duc, 30 years old in Hanoi asks, you visited many provinces and cities in Vietnam, so what do you find interesting in those trips?

Ambassador Marine:  There are many things that I find interesting.  I think if you truly want to understand a country it’s very important to travel and see the various parts of that country.  Of course Vietnam, while not a huge country geographically is a very diverse country.  The differences between the Mekong Delta and the Northwest Highlands or the Central Coast are very, very important to understand fully.

 What I’ve enjoyed the most are meeting people, both leaders and average people, and seeing the beauty of Vietnam.

Question:  What is your assessment regarding competition between different provinces and cities in attracting investment?

Ambassador Marine:  Competition is natural.  It’s what we humans do.  We like to compete.  And clearly those provinces that have through good leadership and hard work been able to establish the right legislative and other conditions are going to do best in attracting investment.

 In some ways, though, this competition is not fair.  There are certain areas of the country that have distinct geographic advantages.  Their access to ports, their access to other infrastructure and to other development within their geographic area such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

 What that means, I believe, is that every province must realistically examine its circumstances and its conditions.  It’s not possible for every province to try to attract an Intel or that type of investment, but there are other investors that they can target whether they be domestic or Viet Kieu or perhaps within the region where they can be competitive.  But you have to understand your conditions, your strengths and your weaknesses as you go through this process.

 One more factor that I think there should be more attention paid to this, and that is that I believe there are geographic groupings in Vietnam, provinces that should work together more effectively to attract investment and to solve the issues that are affecting them, whether it be in the deep Delta or in the uplands area north of Hanoi.  These provinces should be less rivals and more partners in working on partnerships.

Question:  The same person asks another question.  What is your prediction about the role of local governments in the coming time?

Ambassador Marine:  I believe local government is very important.  I think local leaders understand the conditions in their geographic locale better than any national leader can, and this gets back to my issue about strengths and weaknesses.  I think they need to emphasize their strengths and find ways to overcome their weaknesses.

 I have a personal view that it would be beneficial to have movement between the central government or highly developed provinces and other provinces so the talents and experiences of people can be shared.

 There’s been some of this in the past in the Vietnamese political system, but not that much.

 One other trend I see on the horizon that I hope will be expanded and accelerated is the introduction of democracy at the grass roots, to allow people to select their own leaders.  This needs, of course, to start at the village level, but then the commune and the district are obvious next candidates.  The same process can be applied in municipalities at the ward level.  This will give more accountability by the officials and more commitment by the people in deciding how they are governed.

Question:  Hoang Dinh Quan, 21, in Ho Chi Minh City.  I am very much interested in relations between the two countries.  Recently on the internet there are many slogans against Vietnam and it appears that these individuals are backed by foreign forces including American forces.  What do you think about this fact?

Ambassador Marine:  I don’t think it’s a fact.  There would be no reason or interest in the United States in supporting those kinds of activities.  On the other hand, we do support free speech and the internet is a tremendous medium for that, for people to put their views out in full view of anyone who wants to visit their particular web site.

 So I don’t know the particular material you’re talking about but I can assure you it is not supported in any way by the United States government.

 The real value of allowing different ideas to be placed into consideration, whether it be on the web or in the media, other forms of media, is that it allows people to decide for themselves whether they support that idea or they don’t.  The more power that can be given to individuals, the stronger a society is.

 The gentleman who wrote this questions rejects the ideas that he saw, and that’s his right, and I think it’s a right that everyone should have.

Question:  A man, 23 years old in Quang Ngai.  You have stayed in Vietnam for three years, so what comments can you say about Vietnamese young people and what are the differences between young Vietnamese people and young American people?

Ambassador Marine:  I think there are less differences than we imagine.  I think all people desire the same fundamental things and what is different is our experiences.  The environment in which we grow up, the kind of education we receive, et cetera.  Those are important.  They also shape the way we think.

 I believe that the young people of Vietnam are vital for Vietnam’s future.  They ultimately will be the leaders of this country.  They have not experience the hardships of the past like some of their elders, so they have not been shaped by those circumstances.  They are enjoying greater prosperity in their life than their parents did.  But they also have an obligation to continue to apply themselves and to work hard for themselves, for their family and for their country.

 I come back to what I said earlier in response to a previous question.  Education, the quality of education, the ability of all young people to gain access to education is going to be, I believe, the most important single factor in Vietnam’s success over the next 10 to 20 years.

 Of course education doesn’t stop when you leave school.  Now education is a lifelong element, if you’re truly to be successful.

Question:  Mr. [inaudible], 27, in [inaudible] Province, [inaudible] City.

 What is the most impressive thing you have seen in the three years in Vietnam?  And do you expect great changes, great outbreak in 2007 in relations between the two countries?

Ambassador Marine:  The most impressive single thing that I saw was the way that Vietnam handled the APEC, each year as host of APEC. There were many questions about how successful Vietnam would be in that role, but in the final analysis Vietnam and Hanoi were very successful, totally successful in hosting the event.  Not only in terms of logistics, but also in terms of substance.

 There’s actually a second equally impressive achievement that I have witnessed, and that is the way Vietnam handled the end game negotiations for joining the World Trade Organization.  Again, it was done with high professionalism and complete dedication.  The end result was very good for Vietnam and for its trading partners who were already in the WTO including the United States.

 As far as the relationship with the United States and what 2007 will bring, I expect a continued positive trend in the relationship, in all aspects of the relationship from our cooperation on health matters to our work together on developing stronger ties between our two militaries.  I expect a jump in U.S. investment into Vietnam and continued high growth in our two-way trade between our two countries.

 President Triet has accepted the invitation that President Bush conveyed for him to visit, and we are looking forward to arranging that visit during 2007.

Question:  When?

Ambassador Marine:  Not yet decided.

Question:  TDA of the U.S. government has selected Vietnam as a Country of the Year.  What does that mean in practical terms?

Ambassador Marine:  It’s a recognition of the level of cooperation that has been achieved and the level of activity that’s been achieved between Vietnam and TDA.  And it is the Trade Development Agency recognizing what a good trading partner and investment partner Vietnam is.  Its significance is that it sets the stage for continued growth in both those areas and for further support from TDA to support U.S. business interests as they work toward new deals here in Vietnam.

Question:  What you think about the future of relations between Vietnam and U.S.?

Ambassador Marine:  I’m very optimistic.  I see that the United States and Vietnam share interest in many many issues.  We’ve developed a real capacity for engaging each other on all issues, even those that we don’t see eye to eye on.  Because we have ties from the past, we have a history, there is considerable momentum toward bringing us together.

Question:  What can you tell friends in Washington, D.C. about your assignment in Vietnam?

Ambassador Marine:  I will tell them that I was a very lucky person to have the opportunity to represent the United States at an exciting time in the relationship.  I would also say to them that the future is even brighter for Vietnam and it’s important for the United States to seek opportunities to be part of that future in as many fields as possible.

Question:  About education, the U.S. will support Vietnamese scholars to study in the U.S.?  The U.S. will support that?  Not only education in Vietnam.

Ambassador Marine:  I think there is room for further discussion of how we could work together in the field of education.  As far as U.S. government sponsorship of students, we already do quite a bit through VEF and Fulbright, as you pointed out, but there are other areas where more can be done and this is why learning English is so important for young Vietnamese students.  I think they can compete for scholarships offered by universities in the United States if they can strengthen their English at an early age.

 But it’s not enough for the government to make a policy that English will be taught from 4th grade on.  It also has to find a way to provide the resources that teachers need to provide that education.  One program we are exploring would be the creation of a Peace Corps program, with Peace Corps volunteers, young Americans who would come here and work perhaps initially in the education field to strengthen English language training.  I’m very hopeful that we will succeed in coming to agreement on establishing such a program.

Question:  Last question.  Between the U.S. and Iran, you don’t have [inaudible] West and Iran?

Ambassador Marine:  I’m not an expert on our relationship with Iran.  I think it’s important that the Iranian authorities pay attention to the world community’s views on the steps they have been taking to develop their nuclear capability, but I think there is much work to be done on that relationship and I certainly would not contemplate military action.

Question:  Will you come back at the end of the term here to say goodbye to our audience?

Ambassador Marine:  Is your question am I willing to do that?

Question:  Yes.

Ambassador Marine:  The answer is yes, I would be willing to do that if we can arrange an agreeable time.

Question:  I hope at the time you will bring a lot of good news and say many good things.

Ambassador Marine:  [Laughter].  So you’ve given me my working orders for the next six to eight months.

Question:  Thank you so much.  Thank you for coming and answering a lot of questions, interesting questions from our audience.

Ambassador Marine:  Yes, they were.  Thank you.

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