Vietnam willing to work with US to take ties to ‘new heights’

“Since President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to Washington in 2013, we have obtained substantive results in all important areas of bilateral relations,” he said Tuesday in a message to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, as cited by a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides have cooperated effectively within the framework of multilateral mechanisms and made efforts to respond to challenges of mutual concern, he said.

The anniversary is an opportunity for them to identify specific steps to achieve a “brighter future.”

He affirmed Vietnam considers the U.S. one of its key partners and stands ready to work with the U.S. towards deepened, more substantive, and elevated ties.

He assured Vietnam’s continued support for the U.S.’s “proactive and responsible” cooperation with ASEAN as well as the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

“A decade may not be a particularly long time in the scheme of our shared history, yet we have traveled a truly remarkable journey together.

“I am eager to see how much further the next 10 years and beyond will take us.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) receives U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Hanoi in April 2023. Photo by baoquocte

Vietnam-U.S. relations were normalized in 1995 and upgraded to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2013.

Bilateral trade was worth more than US$123.86 billion last year after rising by 11% from 2021.

The U.S. is Vietnam’s largest export market and second largest trading partner, while Vietnam is the eighth largest trading partner for the U.S.

U.S. investment in Vietnam has topped US$11 billion, the 11th highest of any country or territory.

Every year some 25,000 Vietnamese students go to study in the U.S.

In a video to celebrate the 10th anniversary earlier this week, Blinken said: “Ten years after the U.S. and Vietnam launched the Comprehensive Partnership, we have built a relationship that is dynamic, consequential and growing stronger every day.”

He recalled his latest visit to Vietnam in April “to expand and deepen the collaboration.”

“Together, we’re promoting inclusive economic opportunities and, through the Indo-Pacific economic framework, leading the race to the top on the issues shaping the 21st century’s economy, like digital connectivity, resilient supply chain, fair trade, infrastructure, and clean energy transition.”