Public policy forum looks back at US war in Vietnam after 50 years
VOV.VN - Politicians, former leaders of anti-war student movements, war veterans, and American journalists from the United States, shared their personal experiences, perspectives, and lessons learned from the US war in Vietnam decades ago at a public policy forum organised on October 1 by the University of Vermont.
Delegates at the forum titled “The US War in Vietnam: Looking Back After 50 Years” also examined the process of reconciliation and the strengthening of bilateral ties, including cooperation in addressing war legacy and the ongoing role and contributions of Senator Patrick Leahy over the past 50 years, beginning with his decisive vote that prompted the US Congress to end the war in Vietnam.
Speaking at the forum, Senator Leahy emphasised that while the war has ended, the painful memories and losses continue to persist, and the lessons from Vietnam remain relevant. He noted that although history cannot be changed, the two countries still have the chance to build a better future for the coming generations.
Therefore, he and many other US senators have always done their utmost to contribute to bilateral relations, particularly in maintaining and promoting activities related to addressing war consequences, such as carrying out the clearance of bombs, unexploded ordnance, and dioxin remediation, supporting people with disabilities, and locating and identifying the remains of Americans and Vietnamese who went missing in action.
He described the 2023 upgrading of the bilateral relationship to that of a comprehensive strategic partnership as a historical milestone, with high hopes that US-Vietnam relations will continue to grow robustly.
Given the complex global situation today, what the two countries have achieved over the past 30 years will serve as a model for other nations to learn from and follow suit, he said.
Taking to the floor, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung reviewed the history of diplomatic ties and highlighted the significant contributions of Senator Leahy throughout the process of reconciliation, trust building, and relationship development. He noted the transformation of relations between the two countries, going from former foes to friends, strategic partners, and comprehensive strategic partners for peace, co-operation, and sustainable development.
He therefore thanked US lawmakers for their efforts in helping the two countries overcome the pain of war and building a strong, positive partnership today. He expressed Vietnam’s desire to receive continued support from the US Congress and Government, with priority given to addressing the heavy war legacy still present in the country, including dioxin remediation at airbases, unexploded ordnance clearance, as well as the search and identification of Vietnamese soldiers’ remains.
The Ambassador took the opportunity to brief delegates on Vietnamese socio-economic development policies, as well as achievements recorded by both Vietnam and the US after a year of their partnership upgrade. He stressed that with the new partnership framework, there remains significant potential for both sides to deepen and further develop bilateral ties.
According to the diplomat, there are several core areas in which to further develop linkages between Vietnam and the US, including economy-trade-investment, science-technology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green transition, high-quality human resource training, and defence - security.
