Vietnam always appreciates the sentiments of the peace-loving American people.

The President affirmed that the Party, State and People of Vietnam always appreciate the close affection, help and support that the friends and peace-loving people of the United States have given to the Vietnamese people.

President Luong Cuong speaks (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA).

According to the special correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency, on the occasion of attending the activities of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly and working in the US, on the afternoon of September 22 in New York (local time), President Luong Cuong had a meeting with friends, long-time partners, and progressive people of the US.

The event was jointly organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations .

Also attending were members of the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, along with many friends from many states of the United States, representing thousands of American friends who love Vietnam, friends who have supported and been with Vietnam in the struggle for national independence and reunification of the Vietnamese people in the past; participating in resolving the consequences of war, promoting the normalization and development of Vietnam - US relations as well as in the current process of building and developing the country.

At the meeting, long-time partners and progressive people of the United States spoke and shared touching stories about their support for Vietnam, contributing to healing the wounds of war and promoting relations between the two countries.

Among them are typical representatives such as Comrade Ani Toncheva, a member of the Communist Party of the USA, who devoted himself to internationalism and anti-militarism and actively participated in the struggles for labor and housing rights in New York City; Mr. John McAuliff, Director of the Reconciliation and Development Foundation, a person who actively campaigned for support for Vietnam during the 1973 Paris Agreement negotiations; or Mr. Todd Magee, Executive Director of Operation Smile, an organization that has made many contributions to promoting the normalization of Vietnam-US relations...

Opinions highly appreciated the great efforts of the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam in socio-economic development, improving the quality of people's lives, developing a socialist-oriented market economy; expressed admiration for Vietnam's overcoming difficult periods and growing stronger, especially in a period when the world has many unpredictable changes.

American friends also shared many meaningful activities that contributed to the process of healing the wounds and consequences of war for the Vietnamese people, including projects to help victims of Agent Orange have a better life; projects to bring the people of the two countries closer together, contributing to helping Vietnam and the US move towards normalizing relations; as well as projects to help disadvantaged children and disadvantaged children have an increasingly better life.

The delegates were also moved to recall the good memories when they returned to visit Vietnam in recent years; expressed their admiration for Vietnam's remarkable development steps; saw a very friendly, hospitable, peace-loving Vietnam and is increasingly proving that to the people of the world; and at the same time believed that Vietnam will have an increasingly high position and prestige in the world, contributing to promoting world peace.

Speaking at the event, the President expressed his pleasure at being present at the event at a very meaningful time as Vietnam and the US celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the 2nd anniversary of upgrading the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The President affirmed that the Party, State and people of Vietnam always remember and cherish the close affection, valuable help and support that the friends and peace-loving people of the United States have given to the Vietnamese people in the past struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in the present cause of national construction and defense.

The President was moved to recall the images of peace-loving American citizens such as Ms. Merle Ratner, Mr. Morrison and many American friends in the movement to support Vietnam's just struggle, promote the end of the war, restore peace in Vietnam or American veterans organizations and many individuals who overcame past guilt, returned to Vietnam to heal the wounds of war, join hands to search for missing soldiers, support victims of Agent Orange, clear bombs and mines...

With the spirit of "Putting aside the past, overcoming differences, looking towards the future" over 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, the President said that the relationship between Vietnam and the US has made remarkable progress, with Vietnam becoming an important trade partner of the US.

The President affirmed that upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development in September 2023 is a milestone in the relationship between the two countries, making the Vietnam-US relationship a model of healing and reconciliation in international relations.

The President emphasized that within the framework of the new relationship, people-to-people diplomacy is one of the important areas of the Vietnam-US relationship, playing the role of a solid social foundation, being both a catalyst and contributing to building and strengthening trust, a heart-to-heart bridge, connecting and promoting the relationship between the two countries.

The President said that 80 years since the country's founding, especially after nearly 40 years of renovation, Vietnam has achieved great and historic achievements.

From a poor country, heavily devastated by war, besieged and embargoed, Vietnam has become a middle-income country; its politics and society are stable; its defense and security are maintained; and its people's lives are constantly improving.

The economic scale is among the 32 largest economies and the top 20 trading countries in the world; it has diplomatic relations with 194 countries, strategic partnerships and comprehensive partnerships with 38 countries (including 5/5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council); it is an active member of more than 70 international organizations...

Sharing about Vietnam's hosting of the 14th Party Congress in early 2026, the President said that the event is an important milestone in a new historical moment, a new era on the path of national development; Vietnam continues to promote the spirit of "self-reliance, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride", striving to become a developing country with an upper middle income by 2030 and a developed country with a high income by 2045.

The President affirmed that Vietnam persistently implements a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, friendship and development, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations, and proactive and active comprehensive and extensive international integration.

Wishing that American friends continue to pay attention to and support Vietnam and the development of relations between the two countries, the President suggested that organizations and individuals of the two countries increase exchanges and contacts in flexible forms; inform about the situation and activities of each side, further promote people-to-people diplomacy activities and cultural exchanges, thereby enhancing understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries.

The President hopes that American friends and partners will promote their role as bridges, connecting businesses and localities of both sides, promoting cooperation in core and breakthrough areas of economics, trade, investment, especially in science, technology, and innovation.

The President also asked American friends and partners to continue supporting and contributing to the work of overcoming the consequences of war, such as handling areas contaminated with Agent Orange, unexploded ordnance; supporting victims of toxic chemicals, dioxin and landmines; supporting information collection to help speed up the process of searching for and retrieving the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who are missing; and affirmed that Vietnam is committed to making the greatest effort in cooperation with the US to search for and repatriate the remains of American soldiers who fought in the war in Vietnam (MIA).

Exchanging some information about Vietnam's important orientations on the path to entering a new era of development, the President emphasized that Vietnam today is a dynamically developing country, a safe and attractive investment destination for foreign investors, affirming that the Vietnamese people always love peace, are friendly and hospitable; the Vietnamese people are self-reliant, striving to rise up on the path of development, for the goal of "Rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness, civilization."

The President hopes that American friends and partners will continue to contribute to Vietnam's development and the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/thoi-su/viet-nam-luon-tran-trong-tinh-cam-cua-nhan-dan-yeu-chuong-hoa-binh-my-20250923071707614.htm