Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Cao Huy and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper visit the exhibition of documents "30 years of Vietnam - US relations" - Photo: VGP/TG
The event took place in a solemn atmosphere at the National Archives Center III (34 Phan Ke Binh, Hanoi ), with the participation of Deputy Minister of the Interior Cao Huy, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper, representatives of organizations, veterans and relatives of martyrs' families.
This is not only an activity of profound historical and humanistic value, but also a symbol of the continuous cooperation between the two countries in the journey to overcome the past, towards a peaceful , stable and developed future.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Cao Huy emphasized: "We not only look back together on the 30-year journey of Vietnam - US diplomatic relations, but also witness a historical moment full of emotion and humanity."
Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1995, the two countries have gone through important historical milestones together: signing the Bilateral Trade Agreement in 2000, establishing a Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 and upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development in September 2023.
Deputy Minister Cao Huy expressed his gratitude and shared joy with the families of martyrs and veterans present here – who today received documents from the other side of the world – demonstrating the efforts to search, connect memories and share humanity between the two nations.
At the same time, we believe that, based on historical foundation and mutual understanding, the Vietnam - US relationship will continue to develop more strongly, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries, and actively contributing to peace, stability and sustainable development of the region and the world.
Returning war relics to families of martyrs and veterans - Photo: VGP/TG
On the US side, Ambassador Marc E. Knapper emotionally acknowledged: "From the scars of war, we have overcome the past together, building a future based on trust, mutual respect and cooperation."
Ambassador Marc E. Knapper emphasized that peace is a journey that requires the tireless efforts of each generation. The images and documents displayed today are not just historical photos but powerful stories about human connection, sharing and reconciliation. The return of personal mementos to veterans or their families is one of the meaningful examples of how far our two nations have come.
The exhibition of documents “30 years of Vietnam – US relations” consists of 3 parts: Towards establishing diplomatic relations; Cooperation and development; Firmly entering the new era.
The exhibition exploits rich sources of documents from the National Archives Center III under the Department of State Records and Archives, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Center, US Embassy in Vietnam, Texas Tech University - USA, historical witnesses reflect important milestones, cooperation efforts in the fields of politics, economics, culture, science, education, health, defense...
In particular, the exhibition introduces many documents published for the first time, typically: Documents related to the process of normalizing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States; President William Jefferson Clinton's statement on establishing normal relations with Vietnam, announced at the White House on July 11, 1995, currently kept at the US National Archives; Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet's statement on July 12, 1995 on President Bill Clinton's decision to normalize relations, currently kept at the National Archives Center III.
At the same time, the exhibition also introduces some documents and war relics that were returned for the first time to veterans and relatives of martyrs' families, currently kept at the Vietnam Center and Archives, Texas Tech University, USA.
On this occasion, the US Embassy in Vietnam also presented 30 photos - symbolizing the number of years of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States.
The exhibition exploits rich sources of information, introducing many documents published for the first time - Photo: VGP/TG
Records, Evidence – Bridge of Memory and Reconciliation
The emotional highlight of the event was the ceremony to return documents and war relics to relatives of Vietnamese martyrs and veterans. This was the result of the coordination between the Vietnam Center – Texas Tech University, the Vietnam – US Association, the organization “The Heart of a Vietnamese Soldier”, the “Forever 20” club and “Resistance Memorabilia”.
The Vietnam Center - Texas Tech University has donated more than 200 sets of war relics and data to the National Archives Center III for management and continued return to families. In 2025, the organization "Heart of Vietnamese Soldiers" compiled and briefly introduced nearly 50 war relics on social networks. After that, volunteer groups of the "Forever 20" Club and "Resistance relics" in many provinces and cities across the country, according to the rare information and addresses in the records, went to each hamlet of the communes and wards to directly search and verify...
As a result, after only nearly 2 months of effort, the relatives of 22 martyrs and some surviving veterans related to the above documents were found.
This event is also an opportunity to honor the important role of archives – a place to preserve national memories and a valuable source of documents serving international dialogue and cooperation. The archives of Vietnam and the United States have been promoting cooperation in exchanging documents, displaying, publishing, supporting research and publishing documents serving socio-economic development.
Thu Giang
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/trung-bay-30-nam-quan-he-ngoai-giao-viet-nam-hoa-ky-va-trao-ho-so-chung-tich-chien-tranh-102250710135500442.htm
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