Mr Phung was speaking at a reception in Washington on July 15 marking the 15^th anniversary of the normalisation of the Vietnam-US diplomatic ties jointly hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US and the US Department of State.

The function saw the attendance of former US President Bill Clinton, Senators John Kerry and John McCain, and House of Representatives member Eni Faleomavagea.

The Vietnamese ambassador expressed thanks to the participants and other US congressmen for supporting US-Vietnam ties.

He affirmed that gains in the bilateral relationship reflected the determination and will of the two countries’ leaders and people to boost the ties further.

“Although short, the past 15 years laid a firm foundation for bilateral relationship in the future,” Mr Phung said.

He affirmed that the development of Vietnam-US ties serves the interests of the two nations and their people, contributes actively to peace, stability, prosperity and security of the region and the world, and also helps solve important issues facing the international community.

Addressing the event, former President Clinton recalled the time when he took office in 1993 and the two countries officially established diplomatic ties in 1995.

He also recalled his meetings with Vietnamese leaders, especially his visit to Vietnam in 2000, and reviewed developments in bilateral relationship in various fields.

The former president thanked the two governments for helping him establish the Clinton Foundation to support people living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam.

Senator John Kerry- an enthusiastic supporter of the normalization- reviewed efforts made by the two governments during the past two decades towards normalising ties.

He described Vietnam’s cooperation in the search for US servicemen missing in action during the Vietnam War, as an important factor in bilateral relations.

The senator said he had a profound impression of looking back through the entire history of US-Vietnam ties and congratulated Vietnam on successes it has recorded in the renewal process.

He noted that for the American people, Vietnam is presently not a war, but a country and a friend.

Addressing the function, Senator John McCain said the two countries’ relations have grown strongly and profoundly during the past 15 years, affirming that Vietnam has become one of the US’s most important and promising trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

Noting the 30-fold rise in bilateral trade value in 2009 over 1995, Senator McCain said this was just a starting point and expressed hope that the two countries’ ties will advance further.

Representing the US State Department at the event, Assistant to the Secretary of State Kurt Campbell cast his mind back to the days when he was involved in the normalisation process.

He said he believes the relationship between Vietnam and the US has a lot of potential for growth.