The relations between Vietnam and the U.S. will be strengthened through education, U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Mary Tarnowka said as she visited the headquarters of Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper on Friday.

There were approximately 22,000 Vietnamese students in the U.S. in 2016 and the number is increasing year after year, Consul General Tarnowka said after touring the newsroom in Phu Nhuan District.

During the past few years, many American colleges and universities have built stronger connection with their Vietnamese counterparts, and various associations of Vietnamese alumni from U.S. schools have also been founded and maintained.

Last year, Fulbright University Vietnam, one of the first private and non-profit institutions of higher education to be founded in the Southeast Asian country, was officially established with support from both the Vietnamese and U.S. governments, marking a strong connection in terms of education between the two countries.

Addressing concerns from many Vietnamese enterprises over the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, Consul General Tarnowka insisted that the bilateral relationships between Vietnam and the U.S. are still going well.

The Consul General added that Vietnam is the U.S.’s fastest growing export market and the North American country is also the eighth largest export market of Vietnam, demonstrating the strong trade ties between the two nations.

During talks with Consul General Tarnowka, Mr. Le The Chu, acting editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre, informed the U.S. diplomat that Vietnamese people are very interested in information related to business opportunities, tourism, and study in her country.

“The two countries have got over the sad history and the relationship will be further strengthened in the future,” Mr. Chu elaborated.

In a post on her verified Facebook account later the same day, Consul General Tarnowka expressed her appreciation to Tuoi Tre’s support and coverage of Consulate and American Center events.

“Journalism and information sharing are [so] crucial to the U.S.-Vietnam relationship and I am always interested in strengthening our cooperation and looking for new ways to collaborate,” she wrote.