Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long addresses the ceremony in Hanoi on October 9 (Photo: cand.com.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) – The US Embassy in Vietnam held a ceremony in Hanoi on October 9 to celebrate the 244th anniversary of the US’s independence and the 25th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.
On the half of the Vietnamese Government, Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long congratulated the US leaders and people on their major anniversary and appreciated efforts by US government agencies to promote bilateral ties.
He emphasised that with the 25-year relations based on mutually beneficial cooperation and mutual respect, the two countries’ comprehensive partnership has attained positive strides and been expanded and strengthened in all spheres.
He highly valued the strongly growing bilateral trade, which has turned the US into the biggest market of Vietnamese exports and Vietnam into one of the markets with fastest growth of imports from the US.
The US assistance in addressing war consequences in Vietnam, particularly the detoxification of dioxin contamination at Da Nang and Bien Hoa airports and the identification of remains of soldiers missing in action, is an important effort contributing to the trust and cooperation between the nations, according to Long.
The official also lauded the countries’ practical and effective healthcare cooperation, especially in the fight against COVID-19.
For his part, US Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink affirmed that his country supports a strong, independent and prosperous Vietnam and respects Vietnam’s political regime.
He stressed amid the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every aspect in almost all countries around the world, healthcare cooperation has become a bright spot in bilateral relations, noting that the two countries have been provided each other with effective and timely support and increased the sharing of information, experience and resources so as to together respond to the outbreak.
The diplomat also spoke highly of the countries’ cooperation at multilateral forums like ASEAN and the United Nations.
He reiterated the US’s pledge to continue helping Vietnam settle war legacies and promote links in economy-trade, education, healthcare, and science-technology, thereby further intensifying bilateral connections, meeting the two peoples’ aspirations, and contributing to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and development./.
VNA