Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc shakes hands with US President Donald Trump (Photo: VGP)

Impressive achievements

Vietnam and the US have put the past aside and worked together toward the future. Their comprehensive partnership was established on the basis of respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political system. These are overarching principles in bilateral cooperation.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink said Vietnam-US cooperation has reached a level that no one could have imagined 25 years ago. Remarkable results have been recorded in all fields from political and diplomatic relations to global cooperation. Economic-trade-investment cooperation has become an important driving force. Trade turnover increased 170 fold, from 450 million USD in 1995 to 77.6 billion USD in 2019.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink (C) speaks at a press conference on July 2, 2020   (Photo: cand.com.vn)

Ambassador Kritenbrink said: “I think perhaps the most meaningful is that we have been able to overcome our past history and now again we build the partnership and friendship that allow us to cooperate in every way possible. So I’m very proud of the work that we are doing together. I think the US-Vietnam partnership is stronger than it has never been.”         

The Vietnam-US relationship also contributes to the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation and respect for laws in the Indo-Pacific region and the wider world. The two countries have actively coordinated to handle major issues like the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), the Korean Peninsula, ASEAN forums, the Asia-Pacific International Cooperation Forum (APEC), and the United Nations.

Momentum for the next 25 years

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam and the US are expanding their cooperation in disease prevention, medical equipment supply, and stable and efficient supply chain formation. As Chair of ASEAN for 2020, Vietnam has promoted health cooperation between the US and ASEAN, including exchange of information and experience and COVID-19 protection.

Today, one of the top priorities is to make sure the economic-trade-investment cooperation is on the right track to aid the two countries’ economic recovery. Global supply chain shifts as a result of the pandemic are creating opportunities for Vietnam and the US to strengthen their investment cooperation. The Vietnamese Government is committed to further improving Vietnam’s investment environment so that the US will soon become the leading investor in Vietnam.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc said: “Trust building has made great progress in 25 years, creating a basis for the two countries to instigate new cooperative ideas in both bilateral and multilateral framework. The two countries need to continue working together to address regional and global uncertainties, maintain peace, stability, security and respect for international laws, and resolve peacefully disputes in the East Sea and Asia-Pacific region and pending issues in bilateral ties. I am optimistic and confident that the two countries will capitalize on the achievements of the past 25 years, overcome challenges, and elevate Vietnam-US relations to a new level.”