President speaks on Vietnam - US relations
President Truong Tan Sang stated: "Vietnam hopes that the two countries will strengthen comprehensive cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries."
Within the framework of his official visit to the United States, President Truong Tan Sang this afternoon, July 26 (local time), delivered a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Vietnam-US relations in the Asia-Pacific context.
President Truong Tan Sang speaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
President Truong Tan Sang affirmed that Asia-Pacific will continue to be the most dynamically developing region and play a leading role in global economic integration in the 21st century. This region is home to 10 of the 20 largest economies, with trans-Pacific trade accounting for two-thirds of global trade, contributing nearly 40% of global growth. The development of Asia-Pacific is closely linked to the rest of the world.
President Truong Tan Sang stated that regional and inter-regional forums such as APEC and ASEM continue to play an important role in connecting Pacific Rim countries with Asia, and between Europe and Asia.
In recent years, in addition to implementing signed bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs), countries have also been strongly promoting new economic linkages that are much deeper in level, scale and economic space, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and the Northeast Asia Free Trade Area.
President Truong Tan Sang stressed that the successful implementation of these links is of strategic importance to all countries. However, whether these potentials become reality or not depends on the peaceful and secure environment in the region. Building and consolidating a regional structure to enhance cooperation and connectivity between countries in economics, trade, politics, security, culture and society is the most effective guarantee for peace and prosperity.
The President stated that, located in the center of the region stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, ASEAN has an extremely important position in the cooperation processes in Asia. According to President Truong Tan Sang, ASEAN will strengthen the activities of mechanisms and forums, promote the building and implementation of tools, standards and rules to ensure a peaceful, secure and developing environment. In the issue of maritime security, safety and freedom, ASEAN persistently promotes dialogue, builds trust, fully implements the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), resolves disputes by peaceful means, respects international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The recent agreement between ASEAN and China to launch official consultations towards a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) is an initial positive sign and needs to continue to be promoted.
“Major countries always play an important role in international relations, in multilateral mechanisms and in the Asia-Pacific. Strengthening relations with important partner countries is always a priority for ASEAN as well as Vietnam. In dealing with security issues, what ASEAN wants is for peace and stability to be maintained, for regional mechanisms to play their role, and for international law to be respected. ASEAN wants all major powers to contribute responsibly to this common effort. The Association will not become a tool for any confrontation and division, which will not benefit any country, big or small.”
President Truong Tan Sang said that the successful establishment of a self-reliant ASEAN Community by 2015 has become the top priority of the Association’s member countries and is also a very important content in Vietnam’s foreign policy. Vietnam will work with other countries to make the Association a central nucleus in the regional cooperation process, enhancing extensive interactions with partner countries to serve common goals and interests.
The President stated that the Vietnam-US relationship has been truly expanded and upgraded in many areas. For Vietnam, strengthening relations with the US is part of its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralization, proactive and active international integration, deepening and stabilizing relations with important partners. President Truong Tan Sang said that Vietnam and the US have agreed to establish a comprehensive partnership framework. Accordingly, cooperation between the two countries will cover all areas: politics-foreign affairs, economics, trade, investment, education, science-technology and national defense-security.
Another important content is that Vietnam and the United States have reaffirmed their determination and commitment to join member countries in concluding negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) according to the set roadmap, towards a balanced agreement for development. Participation in the TPP will contribute to promoting economic restructuring, renewing the growth model and improving the business environment in Vietnam.
The stable, long-term and substantial development of Vietnam-US relations is not only important to each country but also important to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region. Vietnam welcomes President Obama's commitment to continue the policy of enhancing cooperation with Asia-Pacific for peace, stability and cooperation in the region; considers ASEAN a key pillar in this policy, supports ASEAN's central role in the regional structure and expresses support for the maintenance of peace, stability, security and maritime safety in the East Sea. In addition to the TPP framework, Vietnam will promote cooperation with the United States in various forums, including ASEAN mechanisms, Mekong Sub-region cooperation, East Asia Summit and APEC. However, the two countries will have to continue to resolve outstanding issues. In any international relationship, the existence of disagreements and differences is normal, and what needs to be done is to build trust and build relationships based on the principles of respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, political institutions and mutual benefit.
President Truong Tan Sang meets with American scholars
President Truong Tan Sang said that along with the development of the relationship, the way of relations between the two sides is gradually changing. The model of relations between the two former enemies, characterized by the previous embargo and sanctions policies, has given way to policies of reconciliation and multi-faceted cooperation, constructive partnership characterized by respect for each other's political institutions, mutual benefit, dialogue, increased exchanges to narrow differences...
Up to now, the economic and trade relations between Vietnam and the United States have developed rapidly. Two-way trade turnover has increased 54 times in 18 years. The total direct investment capital of the United States in Vietnam as of the end of May 2013 reached 10.5 billion USD, ranking 7th among countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Cooperation in science, technology, culture, education, tourism, defense and security is also developing extensively. Cooperation activities in health and humanitarian issues such as clearing bombs, explosives left over from the war, the issue of Agent Orange/dioxin, searching for missing people in the war, etc. have had good and highly effective cooperation.
President Truong Tan Sang said: “The message that I want to emphasize to you is that Vietnam wishes that the two countries will strengthen comprehensive cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries, and join hands to contribute to and foster a peaceful, stable, dynamic and prosperous Asia-Pacific. And we need to make efforts, make every effort to cooperate with each other in the spirit of respect, equality and mutual benefit for that common goal.”
President Truong Tan Sang also spent a lot of time answering questions from American scholars and overseas Vietnamese. Regarding the possibility of whether the Vietnam-US “comprehensive partnership” will affect other countries, President Truong Tan Sang stated that each country has full authority to choose its cooperation with any member partner of the United Nations. The contents of comprehensive cooperation are not only for the benefit of Vietnam and the United States, but also contribute to the Asia-Pacific region or more narrowly, to the Southeast Asian region.
Regarding the US rebalancing policy, President Truong Tan Sang said that this policy originates from the interests of the US, and at the same time has many interests related to many other countries. Vietnam hopes that this policy will contribute to ensuring peace, stability, cooperation and development, continue to promote the dynamism of the Asia-Pacific region, bringing the most benefits to both the region and the world.
Regarding the East Sea issue, President Truong Tan Sang affirmed Vietnam's consistent stance of opposing China's nine-dash line, because the nine-dash line was established without any basis in any international law. Regarding the Philippines' lawsuit against China in an international court over the nine-dash line, President Truong Tan Sang said that this is the Philippines' jurisdiction and Vietnam fully respects the Philippines as an ASEAN member and as a full member of the United Nations.
Regarding the Vietnamese community in the United States, the President expressed his firm belief that overseas Vietnamese will be a solid bridge to promote multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, especially within the framework of the comprehensive partnership. According to President Truong Tan Sang, Vietnamese Americans play an extremely important role in bringing the relationship between the two countries to a new level of development.
Regarding foreign investment, President Truong Tan Sang said that Vietnam considers foreign direct investment (FDI) an indispensable part of the Vietnamese economy. Failure of investors is failure of Vietnam and Vietnamese people have a habit of not wanting to fail. The President affirmed that the Vietnamese State is always ready to help investors solve any difficulties when doing business in Vietnam./.
According to vov.vn - LT
