US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has issued a statement on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and the United States (1995-2020), according to the US Embassy in Viet Nam.

“July 11 marks the 25^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam,” he said in his statement.

“Over the last quarter century, our two countries have built a partnership and friendship founded on shared interests, mutual respect, and people-to-people ties.  Our everyday interactions are highlighted by increasing trade and investment ties, strategic cooperation, and collaboration on humanitarian and legacy of war issues, including the solemn duty of accounting for our wartime missing.”

In recent years, he said, the two countries have strengthened and expanded the Comprehensive Partnership, based on a shared vision of a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific region, as well as respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems.

The US commends Viet Nam for its outstanding Chairmanship of ASEAN this year, especially in coordinating ASEAN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and issues related to economic recovery, he added.

Pompeo stressed the ties between the American and Vietnamese peoples grow deeper every year. America’s vibrant and engaged Vietnamese-American community makes our country strong and prosperous.

The US values the cross-cultural role played by the nearly 30,000 Vietnamese students studying in the United States and more than 1,200 Americans studying in Viet Nam annually, he said, adding “we look forward to Fulbright University Viet Nam graduating its first class of undergraduates in 2023.”

“We also look forward to the imminent conclusion of an agreement that will bring Peace Corps volunteers to Viet Nam for the first time ever, fostering stronger ties between our peoples,” he said.

The US is committed to making the next 25 years of bilateral ties a model of international cooperation and partnership, the Secretary affirmed.

Source: VNA