Since diplomatic relations between the US and modern Vietnam establishedin July 1995, a very short time, US-Vietnam relations are moreimpressive, both the depth of the relationship and the outlook forcontinued deepening, a US newspaper reported.
The Hill, a UScongressional daily on its July 14 issue reviewed historicalmilestones in bilateral relations. Since February 14, 1994 whenPresident Bill Clinton lifted the trade embargo, the United States hasbecome Vietnam’s biggest market. Economic reformshave lifted millions out of poverty in what is one of the world’soutstanding records on poverty reduction.
“Not only have our twocountries signed a historic bilateral trade agreement," saidUndersecretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural AffairsRobert Hormats, "but this agreement has increased trade more than 700percent from just over 2 billion USD in 2001 to nearly 16 billion USD in2009.”
According to "The Hill", Vietnam has moved ahead on avariety of other fronts, becoming a leader in the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations, serving a successful stint at the UnitedNations Security Council and working hard on broadening its relationshipwith the US beyond trade.
Vietnam has cooperated with theUS on accounting for the many missing US servicemen from the war.Vietnam has always taken the MIA issue as a humanitarian problem,not a military or diplomatic one. National Security Adviser Gen. JamesJones recognized that the relationship "... started with the greatamount of help and compassion that the Vietnamese government showed inall our efforts to recover those who were missing in action.”
Thepaper wrote:
“The Political, Security and Defensedialogue, among others, has become an annual event that helps fortifythe framework for bilateral relations. Military cooperation todayaddressed multiple arenas, including peacekeeping, humanitarianassistance, disaster response, maritime security, counterterrorism andcounternarcotics cooperation, border security, nonproliferation, andexchanges of high-level visits.
“Last month, the bilateralrelationship took another important step forward when the two countriesinked a nuclear cooperation agreement. Given American proliferationfears, such agreements are not easy to reach. US Ambassador MichaelMichalak expressed his hope that “ Vietnam builds on its achievementsand implements all relevant international non-proliferation agreements,so that it can become a model for countries seeking to develop civiliannuclear power.” All this indicates that the US has concluded thatVietnam is now a reliable partner in nuclear security andnon-proliferation, noted Vietnam expert Carlyle Thayer, who teaches atthe Australian Defense Force Academy .”
“The Hill” cited Undersecretary Hormats as writing on a State Departmentblog: “Our relationship with Vietnam is a pillar of the US ’spresence in Asia . “We don’t agree on everything... But we want towork out our disagreements in a constructive manner.”
NationalSecurity Adviser Jones emphasised the need to keep working in the areasof agreement. "Security in the 21st century is far more about how wehandle our climate, energy and trade and that kind of scientificcooperation, education, these are things we should be worried about incommon. If we able to do that we all prosper and benefit. That is why Ithink that the future of specifically [the] US and Vietnam[relationship] is very bright."/.
The Hill, a UScongressional daily on its July 14 issue reviewed historicalmilestones in bilateral relations. Since February 14, 1994 whenPresident Bill Clinton lifted the trade embargo, the United States hasbecome Vietnam’s biggest market. Economic reformshave lifted millions out of poverty in what is one of the world’soutstanding records on poverty reduction.
“Not only have our twocountries signed a historic bilateral trade agreement," saidUndersecretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural AffairsRobert Hormats, "but this agreement has increased trade more than 700percent from just over 2 billion USD in 2001 to nearly 16 billion USD in2009.”
According to "The Hill", Vietnam has moved ahead on avariety of other fronts, becoming a leader in the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations, serving a successful stint at the UnitedNations Security Council and working hard on broadening its relationshipwith the US beyond trade.
Vietnam has cooperated with theUS on accounting for the many missing US servicemen from the war.Vietnam has always taken the MIA issue as a humanitarian problem,not a military or diplomatic one. National Security Adviser Gen. JamesJones recognized that the relationship "... started with the greatamount of help and compassion that the Vietnamese government showed inall our efforts to recover those who were missing in action.”
Thepaper wrote:
“The Political, Security and Defensedialogue, among others, has become an annual event that helps fortifythe framework for bilateral relations. Military cooperation todayaddressed multiple arenas, including peacekeeping, humanitarianassistance, disaster response, maritime security, counterterrorism andcounternarcotics cooperation, border security, nonproliferation, andexchanges of high-level visits.
“Last month, the bilateralrelationship took another important step forward when the two countriesinked a nuclear cooperation agreement. Given American proliferationfears, such agreements are not easy to reach. US Ambassador MichaelMichalak expressed his hope that “ Vietnam builds on its achievementsand implements all relevant international non-proliferation agreements,so that it can become a model for countries seeking to develop civiliannuclear power.” All this indicates that the US has concluded thatVietnam is now a reliable partner in nuclear security andnon-proliferation, noted Vietnam expert Carlyle Thayer, who teaches atthe Australian Defense Force Academy .”
“The Hill” cited Undersecretary Hormats as writing on a State Departmentblog: “Our relationship with Vietnam is a pillar of the US ’spresence in Asia . “We don’t agree on everything... But we want towork out our disagreements in a constructive manner.”
NationalSecurity Adviser Jones emphasised the need to keep working in the areasof agreement. "Security in the 21st century is far more about how wehandle our climate, energy and trade and that kind of scientificcooperation, education, these are things we should be worried about incommon. If we able to do that we all prosper and benefit. That is why Ithink that the future of specifically [the] US and Vietnam[relationship] is very bright."/.
