US Ambassador highlights Obama’s fruitful visit to Vietnam

Washington D.C. (VNA) – US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius described the recent historical visit to Vietnam by President Barack Obama a great success during a discussion at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington D.C on June 9.

The event drew hundreds international experts and academicians.

Ambassador Osius said President Obama was very touched by the warm reception of Vietnamese people.

He reviewed significant achievements gained during the President’s trip, including the Vietnam – US Joint Statement, which demonstrates the bilateral relationship is quickly broadening and deepening based on their comprehensive partnership.

He shared his earlier ambition of pursuing 12 different joint cooperation agreements with Vietnam and only hoped to get seven or eight reached during the President’s visit.

However, in fact, the two countries reached up to 20 agreements, which illustrates their willingness to collaborate in wide-ranging fields, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in economics-trade, navigation security and safety, climate change adaptation, education, and science-technology as well as in addressing war consequences, preventing the illegal trade in wildlife, and promoting people-to-people exchanges, the diplomat said.

This creates a solid foundation for the two countries’ relations in the next 50 and 60 years, he added.

Regarding the bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the Ambassador said they signed a number of commercial agreements, including the sale of a hundred Boeing airplanes to Vietjet Air, which is equivalent of 61,000 jobs in the US.

He said the US will support Vietnam to fully implement commitments under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – the world’s largest free trade pact.

He extolled Vietnam’s engagement in TPP to propel its economy and encourage continuous reform, thus offering excellent opportunities for US businesses, he noted.

People-to-people exchange and education are also highlights in the Vietnam-US relations, demonstrated by Vietnam ’s granting of a license to open Fulbright University – the first independent not-for-profit American-style university in Ho Chi Minh City , as well as the US volunteers’ arrival in Vietnam to teach English, and the expansion of visa for US citizens to one year.

As regards security cooperation, the Ambassador underlined the US President’s full removal of the lethal arms embargo against Vietnam as a historical move to eliminate a big obstacle in the two countries’ normalisation process.

The US pledged to boost security cooperation with Vietnam, especially navigation security, he confirmed.

The bilateral collaboration in climate change adaptation is also a success, he said, noting that during the President’s visit, the two sides agreed to work alongside to cope with environmental changes in the Red River Delta and Mekong Delta in Vietnam .

The US promised to help Vietnam struggle with the recent drought in the Mekong Delta, he said.

Vietnam and the US are exerting every effort to address war consequences, especially searching for soldiers missing in action during wartime. The US spent 92 million USD over the past decade on cleaning up unexploded ordnance in Vietnam, he said.

He affirmed that the US will continue to support Vietnam to decontaminate Agent Orange/Dioxin in central Da Nang city and Bien Hoa ​airbase in southern Dong Nai province. The US will also assist AO/dioxin victims in the 10 hardest hit provinces.

Answering experts’ questions on the East Sea issue, Ambassador Ted Osius said the US called on the involved parties to respect international law, avoid use or threat to use forces and militarisation in the East Sea.

About the US’s approach to Cam Ranh Bay, the diplomat said the US does not intend to put military bases in Vietnam.

The Ambassador said the US President’s visit to Vietnam creates a firm foundation for the two countries to enhance their relations in the coming time, especially when the US will have a new cabinet in 2017.-VNA