U.S.-Vietnamese Cooperation Will Continue to Strengthen

 

As I look back on the past year on the occasion of the U.S. Independence Day, I am struck by how much has been accomplished to deepen ties between the peoples of our two nations over that time. Our collaboration has never been more productive or more significant in the lives of our peoples. The importance and breadth of our deepening relationship was both reflected in, and spurred by, President George W. Bush’s visit to Vietnam last Fall and President Nguyen Minh Triet’s visit to the United States last month. 

 

The vision of our leaders expressed in these visits and over past years created a foundation for our present accomplishments. At Vietnam’s request, the United States engaged in intense and sustained efforts to help Vietnam implement the 2001 Bilateral Trade Agreement, and then prepare for accession to the World Trade Organization. Changes made to the Vietnamese economy have triggered an explosion in two-way trade now totaling over US$10 billion per year. The United States is now Vietnam’s biggest export market, and as the Vietnamese people become more prosperous, they will buy more and more American goods and services. Our trade is generating many new jobs and better lives for both the Vietnamese and the American peoples.

 

The United States is also involved literally scores of important on-going activities in many areas perhaps less visible to the typical Vietnamese than the high-level visits or the growing trade figures. U.S. government assistance to Vietnam totaled almost $90 million in the past year. These funds have financed innovative and flexible programs enabling American and Vietnamese doctors and health practitioners to work together to prevent avian influenza and HIV/AIDS pandemics. We have funded programs that provide assistance to women, disadvantaged groups, and children, including to help combat the terrible crime of trafficking in persons. And we are implementing educational programs that help hundreds of Vietnamese study and visit the United States to advance their professional careers and help Vietnam modernize and grow. Several thousand well-qualified Vietnamese now study in American universities and research institutions, and those numbers are growing rapidly. In addition, our two countries have cooperated on other transnational issues in ways that benefit Vietnam, including the global efforts against terrorism, international crime and narcotics. Indeed, we share a strong interest in maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world, and look forward to deepening this collaboration should Vietnam be elected to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council this fall.

 

Our two nations have been brought much closer together over recent years by the constant flow of people between the two countries. Cultural exchange programs enable hundreds of Vietnamese to visit the United States each year to meet their professional American colleagues and to learn more about the United States. And tens of thousands of American businesspeople and tourists now visit Vietnam every year, engaging in interactions that increase cross-cultural understanding between the Vietnamese and American peoples. As we interact, we learn more about each other. We have certain difference of views and opinion, and even values. These we should not minimize or ignore, but we are learning to discuss these differences more openly. It is in the interest of our two peoples to succeed in that area as well.

 

In sum, as I look back on the past year, I am proud of what we have accomplished together. As I look forward, I expect that continued and expanded U.S.-Vietnamese cooperation will continue to strengthen the already close relationship between our two nations and peoples.