U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and the White House press secretary released two separate statements on the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam on Saturday.

The United States and Vietnam celebrated 25 years of diplomatic relations on July 11, 2020.  

In his statement to mark the occasion, Secretary Pompeo said that the two countries have built a partnership and friendship founded on shared interests, mutual respect, and people-to-people ties over the last quarter century.

The bilateral everyday interactions are highlighted by increasing trade and investment ties, strategic cooperation, and collaboration on humanitarian and legacy of war issues, including the solemn duty of accounting for the countries' wartime missing, Pompeo said.

In recent years, the two nations have strengthened and expanded their comprehensive partnership based on a shared vision of a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific region, as well as respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems, he added.

“The ties between the American and Vietnamese peoples grow deeper every year. America’s vibrant and engaged Vietnamese-American community makes our country strong and prosperous,” the statement reads.  

The statement also affirmed that the U.S. values the cross-cultural role played by the nearly 30,000 Vietnamese students studying in the United States and more than 1,200 Americans studying in Vietnam annually.  

“We look forward to Fulbright University Vietnam graduating its first class of undergraduates in 2023,” the statement reads.

“We also look forward to the imminent conclusion of an agreement that will bring Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time ever, fostering stronger ties between our peoples.”

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo (second right) and U.S Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink (second left) go for a walk in downtown Hanoi, Vietnam, July 2018. Photo: Viet Dung / Tuoi Tre

Pompeo said that the U.S. commend Vietnam for its outstanding chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, especially in coordinating ASEAN’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and issues related to economic recovery.

The secretary of state also recalled the two times when the people of Vietnam welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump to Hanoi.

He stated that the U.S. is committed to making the next 25 years of bilateral ties a model of international cooperation and partnership, bringing about a new era of prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, a statement from the White House press secretary released on the same day revealed that President Trump and Vietnam's Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong exchanged letters on the occasion, noting the two nations’ shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific and respect for each country’s sovereignty.  

Both leaders committed to continuing to expand the two countries’ comprehensive partnership by increasing people-to-people ties; partnering to ensure that trade and investment is free, fair, and reciprocal; collaborating on humanitarian and legacy of war issues; and growing bilateral strategic cooperation through expanded military ties.  

“The United States also reaffirmed it will stand alongside Vietnam in support of the peaceful resolution of disputes, the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, and unimpeded commerce,” the statement reads.

At the end of the statement, the White House press secretary stated that following the close ties forged over the last quarter century, the U.S. looks forward to “marking the next 25 years of partnership, friendship, and a brighter future for our peoples.”

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