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A journey with milestones
The past three decades have witnessed remarkable progress in Vietnam-US relations, from enmity to normalized ties in 1995 to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. It was a long process of healing and trust-building between the two nations, gradually developing mutual trust and cooperation.
“30 years of normalization of Vietnam-US relations is a meaningful milestone which is rare in international relations. For Vietnam, this is the result of a consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and extensive and deep international integration for peace and development. Vietnam and the US have built trust, shared strategic interests, and committed to substantive cooperation,” said Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung.
Over the past 30 years, Vietnam and the US have forged a unique relationship by moving beyond the past and looking toward the future. Notable cooperation results are seen across all fields of politics, economics, war legacy issues such as dioxin cleanup, mine clearance, support for Agent Orange victims, MIA searches, education and training, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
“Through dialogue and forging connections, we build trust and mutual respect by addressing the legacies of war, taking bold steps forward for growing trade and investment, deepening health cooperation and expanding educational exchanges to bring our two peoples closer together. We are now writing the next chapter of our partnership and addressing global challenges like climate and health security and together we are driving innovation through technology and education,” said US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper.
Vietnam and the US have strengthened multilateral cooperation at regional and global forums, shared views on global challenges, and contributed to overall peace and stability.
Heading toward future opportunities
In a fast-changing global landscape, Vietnam and the US have maintained firm and positive relations. Their recent settlement of tariff-related challenges highlights the complementary, adaptable nature of this relationship which can bring practical benefits to both sides.
“In the coming time, Vietnam and the US could prioritize cooperation in several key areas. First is economic and trade investment with a focus on high-tech industries, supply chains, agri-tech, and digital transformation. Vietnam hopes to become a trusted partner of the US in the global supply chain,” said Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung.
“Cooperation in science, technology, and innovation is also an emerging priority, especially in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and healthcare. High-quality workforce training, defense-security, people-to-people exchanges, and war legacy remediation will remain important pillars. These areas were clearly identified by the two countries' leaders when relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023,” he noted.
Looking to the future, close coordination between the two governments through frequent policy consultations and trade dialogues will help build an increasingly open and robust economic cooperation ecosystem.
Ted Osius, Chairman of the US-ASEAN Business Council, said that Vietnam is a trusted partner of US companies and of the United States. Leading US companies come to Vietnam because there's a lot of excitement about Vietnam. “They're here because they're positive, they're bullish, they're hopeful about Vietnam, but they're always looking for an even more positive business environment."
In term of energy, Osius said, "Liquefied natural gas is an important part of Vietnam's energy mix. We're a big supplier of liquefied natural gas. We're providing equipment for some of the energy developments that are taking place in Vietnam. But it's not limited to energy. Aviation is also a really big and important sector. And then let's not forget agricultural goods. I see a lot of opportunities in the agricultural field for more export.”
The continuous in-depth development of Vietnam-US relations over the past 30 years shows that the two nations have set the past aside, overcome differences, promoted shared values, and oriented themselves toward a better future.