State President Truong Tan Sang’s upcoming official visit to the US fromJuly 24-26 will make a move forward in Vietnam’s ties with the US,which have seen strong developments across many fields since the twocountries normalised their relations in 1995.
The visit, made at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, willbe a good chance for the leaders to outline major orientations forbilateral ties to grow further.
Politically, senior leadersexchanged five high-ranking visits including the Vietnam visits byPresident Bill Clinton in 2000 and President George Bush in 2006, andthe US visits by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in 2005, President NguyenMinh Triet in 2007 and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2008.
Following these visits, the two countries have agreed to pursue afriendly, constructive, and multifaceted cooperative partnership on thebasis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.
Economically,the two countries signed a series of agreements, notably the BilateralTrade Agreement, which took effect in 2001. Two-way trade has sinceincreased yearly and the US has been Vietnam's largest importer since2005.
In 2012, bilateral trade fetched up 24.5 billion USD,rising by 14 percent over 2011. In the first five months of 2013, thefigure hit 11 billion USD, a year on year increase of 16 percent.
By May 2013, the US’s foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnamreached 10.5 billion USD in 658 projects, ranking the country seventhamong foreign investors in Vietnam.
Bilateral security anddefence ties have been further, assisted by the deputy ministerial leveldefence policy dialogue, which started in 2010, and a memorandum ofunderstanding on defence cooperation signed in 2011.
Vietnamcontinues to actively become involved in programmes on English languagetraining and military medicine cooperation, welcome US naval ships, andallow the US Pacific Command to carry out humanitarian programs inVietnamese localities. Meanwhile, research and rescue cooperation havealso been enhanced.
Vietnam and the US established the JointCommittee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and are advancingan ‘exemplary partnership’ in researching climate change and ways todeal with climate change and sea level rise consequences.
Oneducation, around 16,000 Vietnamese students and postgraduates arestudying in the US. Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training and theUS Department of Education signed a memorandum of understanding onsetting up a special educational group to promote tertiary educationcooperation.
The signing of a cooperation agreement onhealthcare and science has provided a legal foundation for the twocountries’ relevant agencies to establish and expand their linkages.
Regarding the Agent Orange/dioxin issue, the US Government hasgiven out 79.5 million USD for detoxification, 11 million USD in medicalassistance for people with disabilities, including AO/dioxin victims,and 54 million USD for purifying dioxin-contaminated Da Nang airport, inVietnam, during 2007-2013.
Since 1999, the US Department ofState has funded equipment to locate and defuse unexploded bombs, minesand ordnance left over from the war in the country worth around 12million USD.
President Sang's upcoming visit comes at a timewhen the two countries’ cooperation in economics, trade, investment,science and technology and education is growing steadily.
Itwill demonstrate Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence,self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, as well asmultilateralisation and diversification of international relations andactive international integration. It also reflects the country’s desiresto continue bolstering external ties to maintain peace and stability toserve the national construction and defence.-VNA
The visit, made at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, willbe a good chance for the leaders to outline major orientations forbilateral ties to grow further.
Politically, senior leadersexchanged five high-ranking visits including the Vietnam visits byPresident Bill Clinton in 2000 and President George Bush in 2006, andthe US visits by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in 2005, President NguyenMinh Triet in 2007 and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2008.
Following these visits, the two countries have agreed to pursue afriendly, constructive, and multifaceted cooperative partnership on thebasis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.
Economically,the two countries signed a series of agreements, notably the BilateralTrade Agreement, which took effect in 2001. Two-way trade has sinceincreased yearly and the US has been Vietnam's largest importer since2005.
In 2012, bilateral trade fetched up 24.5 billion USD,rising by 14 percent over 2011. In the first five months of 2013, thefigure hit 11 billion USD, a year on year increase of 16 percent.
By May 2013, the US’s foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnamreached 10.5 billion USD in 658 projects, ranking the country seventhamong foreign investors in Vietnam.
Bilateral security anddefence ties have been further, assisted by the deputy ministerial leveldefence policy dialogue, which started in 2010, and a memorandum ofunderstanding on defence cooperation signed in 2011.
Vietnamcontinues to actively become involved in programmes on English languagetraining and military medicine cooperation, welcome US naval ships, andallow the US Pacific Command to carry out humanitarian programs inVietnamese localities. Meanwhile, research and rescue cooperation havealso been enhanced.
Vietnam and the US established the JointCommittee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and are advancingan ‘exemplary partnership’ in researching climate change and ways todeal with climate change and sea level rise consequences.
Oneducation, around 16,000 Vietnamese students and postgraduates arestudying in the US. Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training and theUS Department of Education signed a memorandum of understanding onsetting up a special educational group to promote tertiary educationcooperation.
The signing of a cooperation agreement onhealthcare and science has provided a legal foundation for the twocountries’ relevant agencies to establish and expand their linkages.
Regarding the Agent Orange/dioxin issue, the US Government hasgiven out 79.5 million USD for detoxification, 11 million USD in medicalassistance for people with disabilities, including AO/dioxin victims,and 54 million USD for purifying dioxin-contaminated Da Nang airport, inVietnam, during 2007-2013.
Since 1999, the US Department ofState has funded equipment to locate and defuse unexploded bombs, minesand ordnance left over from the war in the country worth around 12million USD.
President Sang's upcoming visit comes at a timewhen the two countries’ cooperation in economics, trade, investment,science and technology and education is growing steadily.
Itwill demonstrate Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence,self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, as well asmultilateralisation and diversification of international relations andactive international integration. It also reflects the country’s desiresto continue bolstering external ties to maintain peace and stability toserve the national construction and defence.-VNA
