U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend a ceremony to turn the first sod at the site to build the new U.S. Embassy at a cost of over VND28 trillion (US$1.2 billion) in Hanoi, as part of his visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 16.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink revealed the top U.S. diplomat’s schedules at a press briefing by phone on Monday.

Seeing Vietnam as reliable partner

“U.S. Secretary of State Blinken will meet high-ranking officials of Vietnam to continue discussions associated with the phone talk between U.S. President Joe Biden and Vietnam’s Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong in late March," Kritenbrink said.

“He will also sit in on a ceremony to break ground for the new U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, which is very dear to my heart as a former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam.”

The former U.S. ambassador confirmed that the terms of a deal to construct the new embassy were approved by the United States and Vietnam a few hours before this press briefing.

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken’s visit is also aimed at marking 10 years of Hanoi and Washington's comprehensive partnership.

Speaking of the importance of Vietnam, Kritenbrink said that the Southeast Asian country supports the world’s security based on international standards.

Many major U.S. enterprises are expanding their reach in Vietnam.

Vietnam also plays a key role in global supply chains, he added.

“We consider Vietnam the United States’ reliable partner in the Mekong region, which encompasses Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China, a leader of Southeast Asia, and a key member of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework,” said the Assistant Secretary of State.

New symbol of Vietnam-U.S. relations

The current U.S. Embassy is situated at 7 Lang Ha Street in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. 

During U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Vietnam in August 2021, the terms on the location and land-leasing period of the new embassy were announced.

According to the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, the new building, which will cost over VND28 trillion, will be one of the United States’ most expensive embassies in the world.

The new embassy will lie near Cau Giay Park in the middle of the capital city, with the block design inspired by Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-listed natural heritage site in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam.

The design of the surrounding area and landscape is inspired by farming and rice growing, like the terrain of the Mekong Delta and Red River regions. 

“Surprisingly, fewer than 30 years after the relationship normalization and the establishment of the first embassy in Hanoi in 1995, we continue to develop a new symbol representing the United States’ commitments to the long-lasting partnership and friendship with Vietnam,” stated Kritenbrink.

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken’s three-day Vietnam visit

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken will pay a visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 16 at the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The U.S. diplomat will partake in the main activities on April 15, including the meetings with the senior officials of the Vietnamese government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Blinken will leave Vietnam for Japan to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting from April 16 to 18.

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