Vietnam-US: A great opportunity for further and more substantive progress.

Ambassador Ha Huy Thong stated that President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam is a great opportunity for the two countries to further promote their relationship in a more substantive way, meeting the interests and aspirations of the people of both countries.

VietNamNet conducted an interview with Ambassador Ha Huy Thong, former Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly 's Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ambassador Ha Huy Thong participated in the first official Vietnam-US negotiations on normalizing relations in New York (1991), led the advance delegation (1994) to open a liaison office (later an embassy) in the US, participated in welcoming US President Bill Clinton on his first visit to Vietnam (2000), and was part of the delegation led by President Truong Tan Sang on his visit to the US to establish a Comprehensive Partnership 10 years ago (July 25, 2013).

OVERCOMING THE LONG JOURNEY

What were your initial thoughts upon receiving the news that US President Joe Biden was about to visit Vietnam?

I am very pleased, first of all, that U.S. President Joe Biden has accepted the invitation to visit Vietnam. This is the first time a U.S. president has accepted an invitation from the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam - General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong .

The visit takes place eight years after General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's historic first visit by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the United States, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

And it was Joe Biden, then the US Vice President, who hosted the state banquet to welcome General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Ambassador Ha Huy Thong.

Looking back at history,Vietnam and the United States have come a long way. From 1787, when the American Resident (before the US established the position of Ambassador) was in France (1785-1789), Thomas Jefferson met Prince Nguyen Phuc Canh, then only 7 years old, who had come from Annam to France. He had heard that in "Dang Trong" (southern Vietnam) there were six types of rice, including three fragrant varieties that could be grown on the highlands without needing as much water as in his hometown of Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson is considered one of the founders of the United States on July 4, 1776, and participated in drafting the U.S. Constitution (1787). In 1789, when the U.S. established its first two departments, the Department of State and the Department of Treasury, Thomas Jefferson returned from France and became the first Secretary of State, then Vice President and the third President of the United States (1801-1809).

After gaining access to reliable documents on US relations with Vietnam, Ambassador Robert Hopkins Miller, senior advisor at the US Delegation at the Paris Conference on Vietnam (1968-1971), wrote in 1990 in his book "America and Vietnam 1787-1941" (US National Defense University Press) that the meeting between Thomas Jefferson and Prince Canh may have been the first time the US officially recognized and showed interest in Vietnam, despite its distance from the United States.

In 1802, the ship "Fame," captained by Jeremiah Briggs, left Massachusetts for Vietnam to search for sources of coffee and sugar. The Fame anchored in Turon (now Da Nang), then in the former imperial capital of Hue, and continued on to Saigon.

According to surviving American records, the "Fame" is considered the first American ship to land on the Vietnamese coast, exactly 220 years ago.

The relationship between the two countries has gone through many ups and downs, including "sad or unfortunate chapters".

Since the first round of negotiations on normalizing relations in 1991, the two countries have made significant progress, moving in an increasingly positive direction.

President Biden's upcoming visit is clear evidence of the comprehensive Vietnam-US partnership, a commitment to respecting each other's political systems, and opens a decade of very comprehensive relations in politics, diplomacy, defense, security, trade and economy, health, education, culture, social affairs, and sports…

The match between the Vietnam women's national team and the USA women's national team at the World Cup.

In 2013, no one predicted that 10 years later, bilateral trade between Vietnam and the US would increase from $40 billion to $140 billion…and the US would become Vietnam's largest export market.

No one could have predicted that 10 years later, on July 22, 2023 – just 3 days before the 10th anniversary (July 25, 2013-2023) of the Comprehensive Partnership – the Vietnamese women's football team would not only participate in the world's top-tier World Cup for the first time, alongside the "football powerhouses," but also play against the reigning champions, the United States, for the first time.

The outcome was predictable, but the fact that the Vietnamese and US women's soccer teams met three days before the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries has significance that goes far beyond the soccer field and will be a landmark moment in the history of Vietnamese soccer and Vietnam-US relations.

"GREAT PEOPLE THINK SIMILARLY" AND THEIR WAY OF DEVELOPING HUMAN CIVILIZATION

Does the news of US President Biden's visit to Vietnam, coming at a time when the whole country is celebrating the 78th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2023), remind you of anything?

I recall that more than 40 years ago, from September 1-9, 1982, I was assigned to accompany Mr. Archimedes Patti, a former Major in the OSS (Office of Secret Services - the predecessor of the CIA) of the United States, in charge of Indochina, on his return to Hanoi after 37 years. He recounted having met President Ho Chi Minh many times and having attended the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945.

In 1980, he wrote the book "Why Vietnam?", which included his recollections of meeting President Ho Chi Minh and many high-ranking Vietnamese leaders in the early days of the nation's founding.

Mr. Patti suggested arranging a return visit to the places they had been to in late August and early September 1945, to visit many historical sites, the mausoleum, and the stilt house of President Ho Chi Minh, which he said he considered "a great friend."

Mr. Archimedes Patti visits the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Photo: Provided by Ambassador Ha Huy Thong.

We accompanied him and heard many memorable anecdotes about his meeting with President Ho Chi Minh at the second-floor apartment at 48 Hang Ngang Street when the President was preparing the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945. He later recounted this story on American television.

Upon seeing the inscription "Nothing is more precious than Independence and Freedom" in front of the mausoleum, he told us: "This truth cannot be the words of an ordinary Asian, but rather the crystallization of Eastern and Western civilization, similar to what many politicians around the world have stated over the past hundreds of years, but perhaps this is the most concise and impactful. It proves the English proverb: 'Great men think alike.'"

Patti believed that President Ho Chi Minh was a nationalist who desired good relations with the US and other countries, but at the same time was very independent. Although he traveled to many countries around the world, under the name "Nguyen Ai Quoc - Patriot," wherever he was, Nguyen Ai Quoc always thought of his homeland and his people, for the benefit of his nation...

But the greatest wish of President Ho Chi Minh for the country was encapsulated in the country's name: "Democratic Republic of Vietnam: Independence - Freedom - Happiness" from the very day of its founding on September 2, 1945.

IMPLEMENTING THE FIRST AGREEMENTS

As someone who participated in the first negotiations between the US and Vietnam in 1991 to normalize relations, what can you share about that meeting after more than 30 years?

This was the meeting on November 21, 1991, in New York between Deputy Foreign Minister Le Mai and US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Solomon. The meeting took place according to an agreement between the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs and following a letter from the US inviting Vietnam to the first round of negotiations on normalizing relations. This meeting followed a meeting between the two sides in Bangkok (Thailand) on July 30, 1991.

At that time, the two countries did not have diplomatic representations of each other, so they usually met in Bangkok or New York – where both countries had embassies, and were even very close to each other.

The initial negotiations broadly addressed bilateral relations, ranging from resolving the consequences of the war and humanitarian issues to international and regional matters, especially given the turbulent and pivotal nature of 1991.

Ambassador Ha Huy Thong: Vietnam and the United States have come a very long way.

This event took place after the 7th Party Congress (June 24-27, 1991), which adopted a new post-Cold War foreign policy: "Independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralism, and friendship with all countries for peace, cooperation, and development."

Following the negotiations, both sides implemented the agreements reached, which included promoting the resolution of each other's humanitarian issues. In December 1991, the US lifted travel restrictions on US territory for officials at the Vietnamese Mission to the UN (New York) and their families. This was followed by ADB aid to Vietnam starting in 1992, the first visit of a delegation from the US Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong to Vietnam, discussions on awarding Fulbright scholarships to Vietnamese students to study in the US starting in 1992, permission for remittances (March 1992), an agreement to establish telecommunications services between the two countries (April 1992), increased humanitarian aid to Vietnam, and promotion of exchanges between the two countries…

On July 1, 1993, the United States did not prevent Vietnam from settling the old debts of the South Vietnamese government, paving the way for us to access loans from the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to contribute to poverty reduction, education, healthcare, energy, and infrastructure development.

On February 3, 1994, President Clinton announced the lifting of the embargo and the establishment of relations with Vietnam at the level of liaison offices.

What difficulties did he encounter when he led the advance team to establish the Liaison Office in the United States?

Immediately after President Clinton announced the establishment of liaison offices in the capitals of both countries, which was welcomed by Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, the two sides established working groups on political, diplomatic, diplomatic property, human rights, and humanitarian issues. The US also sent several delegations to scout ahead for the establishment of a US liaison office in Hanoi.

On May 8, 1955, then Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Khoan visited the Liaison Office, taking a commemorative photo with Ambassador Le Bang and the advance team after the Liaison Office officially hoisted the national flag and emblem.

There are many difficulties. For example, first of all, to open a diplomatic mission, both sides must reach an agreement on dozens of diplomatic properties before a headquarters can be established. This is a very complex issue involving history, politics, diplomacy, law, finance, public and private property, archives, etc. Many issues involve the emotions of many citizens, easily causing resentment and indignation…

It wasn't until December 10, 1994, that the two sides reached an agreement on diplomatic assets according to the overall plan, at which point the advance team left Hanoi. Following the principle of "lightweight, urgent, and flexible," the first group consisted of only four people: Tran Quang Tuyen (in charge of political affairs), Truong Xuan Thanh (in charge of consular affairs), Tran Van Lan (in charge of information), Mai Xuan Doan (driver), and myself (along with my wife and two young children).

Upon arriving in Washington D.C., we were joined by Mr. Vu Khac Nhu (who had arrived from our delegation in New York 2-3 days earlier, and later became the Chief of Staff of the Liaison Office).

The delegation had to leave Hanoi on December 12, 1994, to work with relevant US agencies before the upcoming Christmas holidays, so anyone involved in negotiations regarding diplomatic property actually only had one day with their family to prepare.

The biggest challenge for the delegation was the limited number of personnel and time required to quickly implement the high-level agreements and directives, including the opening of the Joint Commission on February 1, 1995. Before the delegation departed, they were briefly told by the leadership to "arrange for both sides to plant their flags in each other's capitals on the first day of February 1995," meaning exactly one year after the announcement by President Clinton and Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet.

It wasn't until Ambassador Le Bang from our Mission in New York arrived to take over as Head of the Vietnam Liaison Committee, and the national emblem and flag were hoisted at the Committee's headquarters on February 1, 1995, that the members of the advance team breathed a sigh of relief, having completed their mission.

What is your most memorable experience while serving as Deputy Head of the Embassy in the United States, and then as Counselor and Deputy Head of the Embassy Office?

Perhaps it was on January 17, 1997, when Mr. Le Bang returned to Vietnam in early January 1997 to prepare to become our first Ambassador to the United States, that he appointed me as Chargé d'affaires ad interim.

At that time, President Clinton, who had just been re-elected (November 1996), organized many activities. These included a meeting on January 17, 1997, where the President and his wife, along with Vice President Al Gore and his wife, received heads of diplomatic missions in Washington who came to offer congratulations.

Chargé d'affaires ad interim in the U.S., Ha Huy Thong, and his wife congratulate President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore on their re-election. Photo provided by the White House.

In accordance with diplomatic protocol, my wife and I came to convey the congratulations of our Party and State leaders to President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore and their wives, and to receive a message from the US President and Vice President to be forwarded to high-ranking Vietnamese leaders.

What are the ambassador's expectations from President Biden's visit to Vietnam?

The relationship between the two countries has spanned hundreds of years with many ups and downs, including a "sad and unfortunate chapter." But since the establishment of diplomatic relations, this relationship has gradually developed, eventually becoming a Comprehensive Partnership.

Over the past 10 years, this relationship has witnessed the most significant progress it has ever made.

President Joe Biden 's visit presents a great opportunity for the two countries to advance their relationship in a more substantive way, meeting the interests and aspirations of their peoples, while contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Thank you, Ambassador!

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