US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and representatives attended the groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)On the morning of April 15 in Hanoi, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son broke ground on the new US Embassy Complex at the intersection of Cau Giay Park and Pham Van Bach Street (Cau Giay District, Hanoi).
When completed, the new U.S. Embassy in Hanoi will play an active role in expanding diplomatic, security, and trade relations between Vietnam and the United States.
The US Embassy Complex has a total investment budget of 1.2 billion USD, a scale of 39,000 square meters on a land area of 3.2 hectares.
The design of the US Embassy Complex will blend the modern urban landscape with the natural beauty of Hanoi. The materials used for construction will be inspired by Ha Long Bay.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared, "This is a special joy, a day I have been waiting for a long time. I have heard about this project since I was Deputy Secretary of State..."
Secretary Blinken also thanked the Vietnamese government and the staff of the US Embassy for their efforts to "make this historic day a reality."
The Secretary said the event had been years in the making and was the culmination of the dedicated and creative work of many U.S. and Vietnamese diplomats. The new embassy represents a major step forward in strengthening the important partnership between our two countries and peoples.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the event. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that in 1995, his predecessor - Secretary of State Warren Christopher visited Hanoi to normalize diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.
“The embassy was a big part of that effort back then. It looked a little different when the embassy had fewer than 30 American staff. And they did much of their work using an interesting technology that allowed them to communicate instantly with colleagues around the world: the fax machine. Since then, a few things have changed. Email has replaced fax. And our embassy has grown from a small team to a collective of more than 600 American and local staff,” the secretary shared.
The US Secretary of State emphasized that over the past 27 years, the connection between Vietnam and the US has also become increasingly strong, this year, the two countries celebrate 10 years of Comprehensive Partnership. The two countries have cooperated on everything from improving public health, to expanding inclusive economic opportunities, to accelerating the clean energy transition.
The new embassy building will be eight stories high and large enough to accommodate all staff, the US Secretary of State said, adding that the embassy will also be able to quadruple the number of consular counters it has now, allowing it to issue visas and passports to more people more quickly.
It is estimated that during the 6 years of construction, the project will provide jobs for about 1,800 local workers, while contributing an additional 350 million USD to the Vietnamese economy.
The architecture of the Embassy is also a fusion of cultures and two countries. The complex was designed by an American firm and was inspired by the combination of Vietnamese landscape and Hanoi urban architecture.
The building’s foundation will be made of basalt, a type of stone found in both Vietnam and the United States. The embassy’s architecture also represents the two countries’ shared commitment to environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
“We will build much of the embassy complex from recycled materials and the embassy design will be both energy efficient and reduce the risk of flooding during major storms,” the secretary said.
In closing, the US Secretary of State shared: "In 1995, when Secretary Christopher opened our Embassy building in Hanoi, he talked about building a bridge of cooperation between our two countries. At that time, no one could have imagined the strong developments in the relationship between our two countries that, nearly three decades later, we all see clearly. The new Embassy building is also a bridge between our two countries. With this new complex, we will be able to promote more connections, along with relationships, innovation and opportunity."
At the event, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Duong Duc Tuan said that the project is an effort that has been carried out over many years by the two countries with the active participation of many agencies.
Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Duong Duc Tuan speaks at the event. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)Right before the visit of the US Secretary of State, Hanoi city has just approved the detailed planning of the remaining part of Cau Giay New Urban Area at the scale of 1/500 in the planning block coded D30 - this is an important condition to carry out related procedures to implement the agreement to build the Embassy headquarters.
The Hanoi People's Committee will continue to closely coordinate with central agencies and the US Embassy in the construction process, supporting the project to achieve its goals and progress./.
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