Vietnam-US relations to be more deepened this year, Ambassador says
Monday, January 05, 2015, 15:56 GMT+7
The fruitfully growing relations between Vietnam and the U.S. in 2014 have created a firm premise for the two countries to further promote their all-around partnership in 2015 and years to come, Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Pham Quang Vinh has said.
The ambassador made the statement in a talk with a Washington-based Vietnam News Agency correspondent last Saturday, adding that the bilateral comprehensive partnership that was set up during President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to the U.S. in July 2013 is an important framework for stepping up the two countries’ relations. The two sides have conducted 11 dialogue mechanisms in politics, security, defense, economy, development, democracy, human rights and labor, the diplomat said.
The U.S. now is one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners and export markets. With nearly $10.7 billion invested in 700 projects in Vietnam, the U.S. is also the seventh largest foreign investor in Vietnam. Currently, the two countries are accelerating their negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.
Regards the fields of security and defense, the two sides have made remarkable progress in bilateral cooperation, which was evidenced by the US’s partial lifting of arms embargo against Vietnam. The two countries are deploying an $18 million aid package funded by the US to help improve Vietnam’s maritime capacity.
However, the relationship between Vietnam and the U.S. still faces many difficulties related to trade barriers or differences in democracy and human rights issues, Ambassador Vinh said.
The diplomat said he believes that the year 2015 will be an important year for the Vietnam-U.S. relations, offering a good chance for the two sides to further strengthen and expand their relations for mutual interests. The most important task for the year is to further step up the comprehensive partnership in all priority fields, especially economics, science, technology and education, the ambassador said. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, so the two sides should take the occasion to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries and peoples, thereby boosting their comprehensive ties.
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