Since diplomatic relations between the US and modern Vietnam established in July 1995, a very short time, US-Vietnam relations are more impressive, both the depth of the relationship and the outlook for continued deepening, local newspaper reported.
The Hill, a US congressional daily on its July 14 issue reviewed historical milestones in bilateral relations. Since February 14, 1994 when President Bill Clinton lifted the trade embargo, the United States has become Vietnam’s biggest market. Economic reforms have lifted millions out of poverty in what is one of the world’s outstanding records on poverty reduction.
"Not only have our two countries signed a historic bilateral trade agreement," said Undersecretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs Robert Hormats, "but this agreement has increased trade more than 700 percent from just over 2 billion USD in 2001 to nearly 16 billion USD in 2009."
According to "The Hill", Vietnam has moved ahead on a variety of other fronts, becoming a leader in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, serving a successful stint at the United Nations Security Council and working hard on broadening its relationship with the US beyond trade.
Vietnam has cooperated with the US 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. James Jones recognized that the relationship "... started with the great amount of help and compassion that the Vietnamese government showed in all our efforts to recover those who were missing in action."
The paper wrote:
"The Political, Security and Defense dialogue, among others, has become an annual event that helps fortify the framework for bilateral relations. Military cooperation today addressed multiple arenas, including peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, maritime security, counterterrorism and counternarcotics cooperation, border security, nonproliferation, and exchanges of high-level visits.
"Last month, the bilateral relationship took another important step forward when the two countries inked a nuclear cooperation agreement. Given American proliferation fears, such agreements are not easy to reach. US Ambassador Michael Michalak expressed his hope that " Vietnam builds on its achievements and implements all relevant international non-proliferation agreements, so that it can become a model for countries seeking to develop civilian nuclear power." All this indicates that the US has concluded that Vietnam is now a reliable partner in nuclear security and non-proliferation, noted Vietnam expert Carlyle Thayer, who teaches at the Australian Defense Force Academy ."
"The Hill" cited Undersecretary Hormats as writing on a State Department blog: “Our relationship with Vietnam is a pillar of the US ’s presence in Asia . “We don’t agree on everything... But we want to work out our disagreements in a constructive manner."
National Security Adviser Jones emphasised the need to keep working in the areas of agreement. "Security in the 21st century is far more about how we handle our climate, energy and trade and that kind of scientific cooperation, education, these are things we should be worried about in common. If we able to do that we all prosper and benefit. That is why I think that the future of specifically [the] US and Vietnam [relationship] is very bright."/.
The Hill, a US congressional daily on its July 14 issue reviewed historical milestones in bilateral relations. Since February 14, 1994 when President Bill Clinton lifted the trade embargo, the United States has become Vietnam’s biggest market. Economic reforms have lifted millions out of poverty in what is one of the world’s outstanding records on poverty reduction.
"Not only have our two countries signed a historic bilateral trade agreement," said Undersecretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs Robert Hormats, "but this agreement has increased trade more than 700 percent from just over 2 billion USD in 2001 to nearly 16 billion USD in 2009."
According to "The Hill", Vietnam has moved ahead on a variety of other fronts, becoming a leader in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, serving a successful stint at the United Nations Security Council and working hard on broadening its relationship with the US beyond trade.
Vietnam has cooperated with the US 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. James Jones recognized that the relationship "... started with the great amount of help and compassion that the Vietnamese government showed in all our efforts to recover those who were missing in action."
The paper wrote:
"The Political, Security and Defense dialogue, among others, has become an annual event that helps fortify the framework for bilateral relations. Military cooperation today addressed multiple arenas, including peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, maritime security, counterterrorism and counternarcotics cooperation, border security, nonproliferation, and exchanges of high-level visits.
"Last month, the bilateral relationship took another important step forward when the two countries inked a nuclear cooperation agreement. Given American proliferation fears, such agreements are not easy to reach. US Ambassador Michael Michalak expressed his hope that " Vietnam builds on its achievements and implements all relevant international non-proliferation agreements, so that it can become a model for countries seeking to develop civilian nuclear power." All this indicates that the US has concluded that Vietnam is now a reliable partner in nuclear security and non-proliferation, noted Vietnam expert Carlyle Thayer, who teaches at the Australian Defense Force Academy ."
"The Hill" cited Undersecretary Hormats as writing on a State Department blog: “Our relationship with Vietnam is a pillar of the US ’s presence in Asia . “We don’t agree on everything... But we want to work out our disagreements in a constructive manner."
National Security Adviser Jones emphasised the need to keep working in the areas of agreement. "Security in the 21st century is far more about how we handle our climate, energy and trade and that kind of scientific cooperation, education, these are things we should be worried about in common. If we able to do that we all prosper and benefit. That is why I think that the future of specifically [the] US and Vietnam [relationship] is very bright."/.
