(Dan Tri) - According to experts, the US and Vietnam upgrading their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership is considered a leap forward and opens a new historical period for bilateral relations.
On the afternoon of September 10, during US President Joe Biden's state visit to Vietnam, the leaders of the two countries agreed to upgrade the Vietnam-US relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Thus, after 10 years, the Vietnam-US relationship has been upgraded from a Comprehensive Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
To date, Vietnam has established Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with five countries: China, Russia, India, South Korea and the United States.
"A leap forward in depth"
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong presided over the official welcoming ceremony for US President Joe Biden on September 10 (Photo: Manh Quan).
Major General Le Van Cuong (former Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Public Security), assessed that the Strategic Partnership has political and security depth. "Two countries having a strategic relationship means having a certain trust in the political and security fields. Only countries that have achieved a certain level of political trust can establish a strategic relationship," Mr. Cuong commented to Dan Tri .
According to Mr. Cuong, the scope of the comprehensive relationship is "face-to-face", meaning it is wider, but thinner, not thick and deep. Therefore, the upgrade of Vietnam and the US from Comprehensive Partnership to Comprehensive Strategy is a change in both quality and quantity. This proves that the Vietnam-US relationship has gone through a comprehensive 10-year journey, reaching a certain level of political trust and the decision to upgrade to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
"Thus, this relationship has the necessary depth and thickness in terms of politics and security, and at the same time it has a very broad spectrum in all fields. This is a development that I believe is a turning point in the Vietnam-US relationship," Major General Le Van Cuong emphasized.
However, according to Mr. Cuong, in international relations, terms such as strategic partnership and comprehensive strategic partnership do not always have a unified understanding. For example, Vietnam has very good relations with a number of countries but only at the level of strategic partnership, not yet a comprehensive strategic partnership.
It may be a matter of perception rather than the nature of the relationship. Different countries may use different terms and concepts.
President Vo Van Thuong received US President Joe Biden at the Presidential Office on September 11 (Photo: Manh Quan).
Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong (former Vietnamese Ambassador to the US, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs) also commented that upgrading the Vietnam-US relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a new and strong development step in the relationship between the two countries.
"Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is the highest level in Vietnam's foreign relations with other countries in the world. Vietnam currently has Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with five countries including China, Russia, India, South Korea and the United States. By upgrading relations with the United States to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, for the first time Vietnam has Strategic Partnerships or Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with all of the top important partners in Vietnam's foreign policy, including all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council," Mr. Cuong told Dan Tri .
Master Hoang Viet (Ho Chi Minh City University of Law) told Dan Tri that comprehensive strategic partnership is understood as the highest level in Vietnam's foreign relations with other countries, showing mutual trust and commitment to each other in the deepest, strongest and most lasting way. This has special significance because Vietnam and the US used to be former enemies and the relationship between the two countries also had many problems, so the fact that the two countries have become Comprehensive Strategic Partners as they are now shows that the level of mutual trust has increased significantly.
Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong commented that the upgrading of Vietnam and the US relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a leap forward in bilateral relations.
"I consider this a leap forward in Vietnam-US relations after 10 years of establishing a Comprehensive Partnership. As General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed at a press conference with President Joe Biden: Since the two countries normalized relations in 1995, especially after establishing a Comprehensive Partnership in 2013, the relationship between the two countries has developed strongly, deeply, substantially and effectively. This is the basis for the leaders of the two countries to decide to elevate Vietnam-US relations this time," said Mr. Cuong.
"This is also in line with the interests of the people of the two countries, in line with the development plans of the two countries in the coming years in the context of the new situation. Even the name of this relationship is Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development, I think that is also suitable, beneficial for peace, cooperation and development of the region as well as the world," Mr. Cuong commented.
According to Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong, this is the "ripe time" for the leaders of the two countries to decide to upgrade the relationship, because the Vietnam - US relationship has undergone a development process, has been tested and especially after 10 years of establishing the Comprehensive Partnership, the two sides have made very strong progress.
"From two former enemies, Vietnam and the US have gradually built trust and after 10 years of establishing the Comprehensive Partnership, that trust has been significantly enhanced and consolidated. This is the basis for the two countries to elevate their relationship," said Mr. Cuong.
"New historical period"
US President Joe Biden met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 11 (Photo: Manh Quan).
Assessing the Vietnam-US relationship, Major General Le Van Cuong said that US President Joe Biden's State visit to Vietnam and the two sides' decision to upgrade the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflected the political trust between the two countries. The two sides have come a long way since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 1973.
During the 10-year journey of Comprehensive Partnership (2013-2023), the achievements of the relationship in the fields of economics, science and technology, human resource training, economics, diplomacy, security... have far surpassed those of 18 years ago, that is, in 1995 when the two countries normalized relations.
According to Mr. Cuong, the past 10 years have created a necessary and solid foundation for Vietnam and the US to enter the current Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and this upcoming relationship will be a new historical period.
"Perhaps the first thing is that in the coming time, the economic, trade and investment fields will be the explosive fields, developing the relationship between Vietnam and the US. The most important field is the field of trade and investment. I believe that there will be more high-tech corporations from the US investing in Vietnam, and the Vietnamese market for goods and services will flock to the US with more diversified products and larger quantities," Mr. Cuong commented.
According to Mr. Cuong, scientific and technological cooperation, along with human resource training and handling of global issues, will also witness strong development. In terms of politics and diplomacy, there will be closer relations on both bilateral and multilateral levels so that Vietnam and the US have a common perception and coordinate to solve current global challenges such as climate change, energy crisis, food crisis, etc.
"Another important thing is that in terms of politics and diplomacy, in the near future there will certainly be many shuttle visits from Washington to Hanoi at high levels, at the summit and ministerial levels, and perhaps expert groups will work more frequently and busier. Those are the prospects that we can imagine for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the US to develop more deeply and broadly in the future," Mr. Cuong predicted.
According to Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong, in the context of the current world situation, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, countries are focusing on economic recovery and development. The Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam clearly states the country's goals, including the goal of striving for Vietnam to become a developing country with an upper middle income by 2030 and a developed country with a high income following a socialist orientation by 2045.
These are very big goals and to achieve that, the 13th Congress also affirmed that Vietnam needs to take advantage of all resources both domestic and foreign to serve development goals.
"Elevating relations with the US is also consistent with the foreign policy outlined by the 13th National Congress, as well as the country's development goals," said Mr. Cuong.
Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong said that through the speeches of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden, both sides also assessed this as a historic visit, opening a new page in the relationship between the two countries, and also affirmed that the cooperation contents in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will inherit the cooperation contents, including 9 priority areas, that the two sides agreed upon when establishing the Comprehensive Partnership 10 years ago. However, those contents will be raised to a new level.
For example, in the field of economic - trade - investment cooperation, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that strongly promoting economic - trade - investment cooperation and inclusive economic growth towards innovation continues to be the core foundation and driving force for the bilateral relationship and the two sides agreed to create breakthroughs in cooperation in science and technology... The two sides also agreed to cooperate in new areas that we had not discussed 10 years ago such as digital transformation, digital economy, green economy, high technology...
At a press conference with President Joe Biden, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also affirmed that the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership is a very important first step. According to Mr. Cuong, in the coming time, relevant ministries and sectors of both countries will start implementing the agreements reached by high-level leaders.
"Opportunities for cooperation are currently expanding to many fields, the issue is the ability to grasp those cooperation opportunities. Not only the relevant ministries, but also each business and the people of the two countries are important factors in realizing the agreements of high-ranking leaders," Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong commented.
Major General Le Van Cuong also noted that although the relationship between Vietnam and the US has been upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, "it is not always rosy or like a car speeding on the highway". Besides the basic advantages, new opportunities and fortunes, the relationship between the two countries still has challenges that hinder development that both sides need to overcome, such as overcoming the consequences of war, strengthening political trust...
He also said that although there are some differences, that does not change the trajectory of the Vietnam-US bilateral relationship and the inevitable trend is that Vietnam plays an important role in designing the US's global strategy. According to Mr. Cuong, while promoting relations with the US, Vietnam also needs to balance other relationships.
"It is necessary to let the world know that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the US is based on the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law, and on serving the interests of the two countries. This relationship not only serves the interests of the two countries, but also contributes to promoting the trend of peace, stability, and cooperation in the region in particular and the world in general. This is Vietnam's clear stance that needs to be emphasized for the international community to support," Major General Le Van Cuong emphasized.
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