General Secretary and President To Lam: Continue to promote Vietnam-China relations

Photo caption — General Secretary and President To Lam speaks at the ceremony. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA

The event was attended by former Secretary of State John Kerry, Senator Dan Sullivan, many officials, former senior officials in the government, many American friends and the Vietnamese community in the United States.

Reviewing the history of Vietnam - US relations, General Secretary and President To Lam said that this is a rare process and a model in international relations in healing and building post-war relations. Although the two countries had their first exchanges more than two centuries ago, they had to go through many challenges and ups and downs, from former enemies in the war to friends and developed relations to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 and after 10 years of implementing the Comprehensive Partnership framework, with important steps achieved in consolidating trust and enhancing mutual understanding, it has created a solid foundation for the two countries to upgrade their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace , cooperation and sustainable development in 2023, in accordance with President Ho Chi Minh's wishes.

The General Secretary and President emphasized that this result is the crystallization of countless efforts to mend and build lasting trust over three decades by many generations of leaders, governments, National Assemblies and people of the two countries.

The General Secretary and President welcomed the encouraging results achieved by both sides after one year of upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and said that with the comprehensive and specific content of the new relationship framework, the two sides still have much room to continue to deepen and develop the bilateral relationship in a stable and substantive manner, bringing more benefits to the people of the two countries as well as contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that more importantly, it helps both sides build trust, an important foundation so that "we can together build a bright vision for the bilateral relationship in the future, so that our two peoples and our descendants will always be good friends and partners of each other" as General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stated during his historic visit to the United States in 2015.

Looking forward to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations in 2025, General Secretary and President To Lam suggested that the two sides continue to strengthen close coordination to effectively implement the Vietnam-US Joint Statement in 2023, especially increasing contacts and delegation exchanges at high levels; making cooperation in science and high technology (semiconductors, artificial intelligence - AI), training high-quality human resources a strategic breakthrough in the relationship between the two countries; continuing to prioritize cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war to contribute to building and strengthening trust between the two sides; enhancing dialogue in a spirit of frankness, constructiveness, sharing of interests and legitimate concerns of each other; and strengthening coordination, contributing more to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

Quoting the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, that “The best way to predict the future is to create the future” to end his speech, the General Secretary and President once again emphasized that over the past 30 years, the two sides have joined hands to create a historical highlight of a model in international relations, like a beautiful picture woven by the contributions and efforts of many people, both typical leaders and those who have quietly been unknown by name and face. If each action, no matter how small, is like a thread, when woven together and linked together, it will weave a picture of the future, weave extraordinary things.

On this occasion, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his gratitude to the US government and people for their timely support to the Vietnamese people during the recent storm No. 3 (international name: Yagi).

Speaking at the event, former Secretary of State John Kerry shared his personal experiences witnessing the difficulties in the process of normalizing and promoting relations between the two countries.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized that thanks to the efforts of generations of leaders and people on both sides, today the two countries are not only happy that the two sides have found a formula to promote healing and end the war, but also have the opportunity to do what the second President of the United States, John Adams, once said: "Together, we give the young generation opportunities that our generation could not imagine."

As a friend of Vietnam, Mr. John Kerry expressed his wish that next year the two sides would mark the anniversary by looking forward together to the future.

Senator Dan Sullivan sent condolences to the families of the victims of storm No. 3; expressed his appreciation for the contributions of generations of US congressmen, such as the late Senator John McCain and former Senator John Kerry, to the process of normalizing and promoting relations between the two countries.

Senator Sullivan affirmed that the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership receives bipartisan support from the United States, with great development potential, and actively contributes to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. He also emphasized that the US Congress will continue to support a "strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous" Vietnam, a country with a leading role in the region.

* Previously, General Secretary and President To Lam had a meeting with the leadership of the Asia Society Policy Research Institute and some American friends.

The General Secretary and President thanked Asia Society for its warm welcome to the Vietnamese delegation and for its coordination in organizing the event. The General Secretary and President highly appreciated Dr. Kang Kyung Wha's personal interest and support for Vietnam in his previous position as Korean Foreign Minister and current position as President of Asia Society and hoped that the Asia Society's Board of Directors would continue to support the strengthening of cooperative relations with Vietnam and ASEAN.

On this occasion, General Secretary and President To Lam also sent his thanks to US friends such as former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russell, Assistant Secretary of State Dan Kritenbrink, Ambassador Marc Knapper... who have made many important contributions to the establishment and implementation of the Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 and promoted the upgrade to the current Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The General Secretary and President affirmed that after nearly 80 years of national founding and nearly 40 years of renovation, Vietnam is ready to enter a new historical starting point, a new era - the era of the Vietnamese people's rise. Vietnam hopes to continue to receive strong support and companionship from the international community in general and the United States in particular in this process.

The Asia Society's leadership and American friends congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in national renewal and development, enhancing Vietnam's current international position and prestige.

Pleased with the fact that Vietnam and the United States upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and achieved many substantial results over the past year, Vietnam's friends affirmed that they will continue to support the stable and sustainable development of the Vietnam - US relationship, meeting the interests and aspirations of the people of the two countries, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world; affirmed their readiness to accompany Vietnam in its process of rising up and developing strongly.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/tong-bi-thu-chu-tich-nuoc-to-lam-tiep-tuc-dua-quan-he-viet-nam-hoa-ky-ngay-cang-phat-trien-on-dinh-thuc-chat-380478.html