Illustrative image (Photo: Internet) Talking to Vietnam NewsAgency correspondents in Washington, Andrew Wells-Dangsaid in the field of post-war recovery which he is now involved in at USIP, heacknowledged that Vietnam and the US have achieved significant milestones inthe past decade. These include completing the dioxin remediation at Da Nang airport,initiating a cleanup of the largest dioxin hotspot at Bien Hoa air base in Dong Nai province, andexpanding the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’s programmes tosupport those with disabilities related to Agent Orange and unexplodedordnance.
In 2021, theVietnamese Defence Ministry and the US Department of Defence launched theVietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative (VWAI), in which the USAID, HarvardUniversity, and USIP contribute information and analysis to aid the searchand identification of those missing in action.
Over the pastdecade, there has also been progress in bilateral political, economic andsecurity relations. In his memoir "Nothing is Impossible," former USAmbassador to Vietnam Ted Osius mentioned Party GeneralSecretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to the White House in 2016. He believed thatthe visit had demonstrated that progress in Vietnam-US relations could beachieved although the two countries have different political systems, contributing to building trust atthe highest political levels. Since then, both the Trump and Bidenadministrations have emphasized their support for a strong, prosperous, andindependent Vietnam. The commitments of leaders from both political parties inthe US could serve as a basis for the increasingly growing partnership between thetwo countries in the coming years, he said.
He described thefoundation of people-to-people diplomacy, including ties between formersoldiers, students, businesspeople, and non-governmental developmentorganisations, as a distinctive feature of the Vietnam-US relationship. Over 2.5million Americans of Vietnamese origin also play an important role as a bridge betweenthe two countries.
Anotherpivotal factor is that families who suffered losses and pain on all sides in the war have now become a pillar of connection between the twocountries. When both sides acknowledge the past and build strong personalrelationships, it can serve as a basis for a shared vision of the future, hesaid.
During therecent trip to the US state of Utah along with Vietnamese Ambassador to the USNguyen Quoc Dung, he found that US companies are very interested intrade and investment in Vietnam. The US primary and higher educationinstitutions also warmly welcome Vietnamese students to the US. After aslight decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Vietnamese students inthe US is now increasing again.
In additionto economy and education, the Vietnam-US comprehensivepartnership also covers other pillars related to maritime security, climate andenvironment, human rights, war legacy, and defence.
The scholar believedthat all these areas will keep growing. According to him, experts at the USIP areparticularly interested in cooperating with Vietnam on peace and securityissues regionally and globally. Vietnam has earned respect from countries onall sides in global conflicts, indicating its potential role as a mediator forpeace.
Wells-Dang spent20 years living in Vietnam, including 8 years in Hanoi and 12 years in Hoi An ancient town in the central province of Quang Nam.He gets married to a Vietnamese woman and returned to the US with his family in 2019.At the USIP, he and a group of experts on Asian affairs regularly build projectsto address war legacy issues in Vietnam and hold thematic workshops on war legacy,aiming to heal war wounds and steer the US-Vietnam relations towards a futureof peace and prosperity./.
Anotherpivotal factor is that families who suffered losses and pain on all sides in the war have now become a pillar of connection between the twocountries. When both sides acknowledge the past and build strong personalrelationships, it can serve as a basis for a shared vision of the future, hesaid.
During therecent trip to the US state of Utah along with Vietnamese Ambassador to the USNguyen Quoc Dung, he found that US companies are very interested intrade and investment in Vietnam. The US primary and higher educationinstitutions also warmly welcome Vietnamese students to the US. After aslight decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Vietnamese students inthe US is now increasing again.
In additionto economy and education, the Vietnam-US comprehensivepartnership also covers other pillars related to maritime security, climate andenvironment, human rights, war legacy, and defence.
The scholar believedthat all these areas will keep growing. According to him, experts at the USIP areparticularly interested in cooperating with Vietnam on peace and securityissues regionally and globally. Vietnam has earned respect from countries onall sides in global conflicts, indicating its potential role as a mediator forpeace.
Wells-Dang spent20 years living in Vietnam, including 8 years in Hanoi and 12 years in Hoi An ancient town in the central province of Quang Nam.He gets married to a Vietnamese woman and returned to the US with his family in 2019.At the USIP, he and a group of experts on Asian affairs regularly build projectsto address war legacy issues in Vietnam and hold thematic workshops on war legacy,aiming to heal war wounds and steer the US-Vietnam relations towards a futureof peace and prosperity./.
VNA
