'President Biden's visit will open a new chapter in Vietnam-US relations'

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung assessed that President Joe Biden's visit will help open a new chapter in bilateral relations with many areas of enhanced cooperation.

"Since the two countries normalized relations in 1995, incumbent US Presidents have visited Vietnam. President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to Vietnam continues this fine 'tradition'," Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung said in an interview released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said that the state visit to Vietnam on September 10-11 by US President Joe Biden is a "particularly meaningful" event, taking place in the context of the two countries celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership. The visit will create more framework and momentum to bring the bilateral relationship to a new height, in the spirit that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Biden agreed upon during their phone call on March 29.

During the visit, President Biden will hold talks and meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and senior Vietnamese leaders, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said. The two countries will review their comprehensive partnership and set out directions for the future.

"This will open a new chapter in Vietnam-US relations, while creating more favorable objective conditions for Vietnam to gradually assert its higher position in the regional and global value chain," Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said. The two sides are also expected to meet with technology businesses and sign many important economic agreements and contracts that could be worth billions of dollars.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung. Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in the US

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung assessed that Vietnam-US cooperation is increasingly developing in areas related to green economy, digital economy and high technology. The two sides have signed many memorandums of understanding and maintained dialogue channels on digital economy, energy, science and technology.

The US and several other countries have signed the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), which is expected to mobilize $15.5 billion from various sources to support Vietnam's transition to green energy and economic development.

According to the Ambassador, President Biden's visit will further promote bilateral cooperation in these areas in three major directions. First, the two sides will more clearly define cooperation priorities in high technology, artificial intelligence, telecommunications networks, etc. Second, the two countries plan to launch a number of specific cooperation initiatives and mechanisms on semiconductors and high-tech human resource training.

Third, during the visit, agencies and businesses of both sides will sign a number of memorandums of understanding and agreements, creating a foundation to help promote Vietnam's stronger development in green economy, digital economy and high technology.

In addition to political and economic cooperation, the Ambassador assessed that overcoming the consequences of war is one of the bright spots in bilateral relations. Since 2018, the US has invested financially and technically to complete the dioxin cleanup at Da Nang airport, and committed to devoting more resources to speed up the cleanup at Bien Hoa airport. At the same time, the US also committed to devoting more resources to join Vietnam in searching for soldiers missing in action during the war and handling remaining bombs and mines.

Regarding people-to-people exchanges, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said that there are currently about 25,000 Vietnamese students studying in the US. This year, Vietnam has risen to 5th place in the world and continues to affirm its leading position in ASEAN in the number of students studying in the US.

During President Biden's visit, the two countries will also launch many initiatives on human resource training and provide scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in the US.

10 years of Vietnam - US Comprehensive Partnership. Click to see details

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung said that the most important factor creating the positive development of Vietnam-US relations is that this relationship reflects and meets the common interests of the two countries as well as the region. This is also the result of the vision, determination and contributions of many generations of leaders and people of the two countries.

After nearly 40 years of renovation, Vietnam has become a middle-sized country with the 36th largest economy in the world, participating in 16 regional and global Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), entering the group of 30 economies with the largest export value in the world, playing an increasingly active role in many regional and international multilateral institutions.

"The country's rising economy, market of 100 million people and growing position are important factors that make partners, including the US, value and want to develop relations with Vietnam," the Ambassador said.

Another factor is the consistent and effective implementation of the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community, which has brought about strong development in relations between Vietnam and other countries in general and the US in particular.

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung expressed optimism about the future of Vietnam-US relations, based on the progress and achievements the two countries have made, the potential and aspirations of the people of the two countries, and the new frameworks that the leaders of the two countries will create during President Biden 's visit.

"History has proven that when Vietnam-US relations develop positively and stably, it not only serves the practical interests of the people of the two countries, but also conforms to the trend of peace, cooperation and development, contributing positively to the development of relations between the US and ASEAN, as well as maintaining stability and common prosperity in the entire region and the world," the Ambassador emphasized.

Vnexpress.net