US Consul General in HCM City Mary Tarnowka (left), US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink and Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Thanh Liem (right) join a a ceremony to celebrate the 242nd Independence Day (July 4) of the US in HCM City. (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – Relations between Ho Chi Minh City and the United States will bear more fruit to contribute to the two countries’ bilateral ties, said Le Thanh Liem, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee on June 14.
Liem made the statement while joining US Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink in a ceremony hosted by the US Consulate General in HCM City to celebrate the 242nd Independence Day (July 4) of the US in the city.
He said through the ups and downs of history, Vietnam-US relations have come a long way to mark an important milestone with the establishment of the two countries’ Comprehensive Partnership during President Truong Tan Sang’s official visit to the US in July 2013. The visit of President Donald Trump to Vietnam in November last year demonstrated the US’s commitment to deepening ties with the Southeast Asian nation, he added.
As Vietnam’s economic, cultural, scientific and technological hub, HCM City has been fostering cooperation with partners from the US, reaping encouraging results in trade, investment, education, healthcare and more, the city’s official stressed.
The trust and goodwill of both sides have removed many obstacles for Vietnam-US relations which have seen remarkable progress since the normalisation of ties, he said. He expressed his belief that the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership and US ties with HCM City will grow further.
Kritenbrink, for his part, said the celebration of Independence Day is an opportunity for people to get closer to honour friendship. This ceremony is also a chance to together look back at the two countries’ growing partnership and the long way they have come together, he added.
The ambassador moved on to say that the US has great interest in the Indo-Pacific region and is enthusiastic about Vietnam’s success. The US wants to see a strong, prosperous and independent Vietnam, he said.
Two sitting US Presidents have visited Vietnam over the past two years while bilateral relations in trade, investment and security have expanded alongside more opportunities for cultural and educational exchanges between Vietnamese and American people, the diplomat stated. All these showed a strong relationship that will continue to develop.-VNA
VNA
