Outgoing US ambassador confident of stronger Vietnam-US partnership
VOV.VN - Outgoing US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink expressed his optimism about the promising future of the US-Vietnam relations during a press briefing in Hanoi on April 7, reviewing his working term in Vietnam.
Both countries share common strategic vision of regional and global landscape, and address differences in a responsible manner, he told media workers.
Both countries have maintained high-level contacts under the Biden administration. President Joe Biden sent a letter to top Vietnamese leaders, while Secretary Antony Blinken and the President’s Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry had telephone talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
The two countries have also worked closely with each other when Vietnam assumed its roles as the Presidency of ASEAN in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.
Kritenbrink anticipated the coming years will see the US-Vietnam partnership develop vigorously, especially after President Biden stressed the need to further develop relations with its allies and partners.
“I am very optimistic about the future of the two countries’ relations,” said the diplomat.
Kritenbrink said the comprehensive partnership between the two countries has developed well in recent times, citing the fact that bilateral trade has grown exponentially, reaching US$46.5 billion last year.
Vietnam was the fastest growing export market for the United States before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, noted the US diplomat.
He also reviewed US-Vietnam cooperation in education, health care and security, saying an American aircraft carrier had docked in Vietnam during his tenure and this was the first time such a US navy ship had visited the Southeast Asian nation since the Vietnam War.
With regard to post-war humanitarian and reconciliation efforts, Ambassador Kritenbrink said that the US has committed to dealing with war aftermath responsibly. It has completed dioxin detoxification at Da Nang airport, while a similar project is underway at Bien Hoa airport. It is also carrying out a project to deal with unexploded ordnance in central Vietnam.
In addition, the two sides have collaborated closely in the search for the remains of soldiers missing in action during the past war.
Ambassador Kritenbrink thanked the government and people of Vietnam for their support during his working term, and wished Vietnam greater achievements in national development.