Bringing Vietnam-US relations to a new level of development

On July 7, US time, in Washington, D.C., Vietnamese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Nguyen Quoc Cuong presented the credentials of President Nguyen Minh Triet to US President Barack Obama. Immediately after the ceremony, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong granted an interview to a VOV reporter stationed in the US.

PV:How does the Ambassador assess the Vietnam-US relationship at present and in the future?

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong:Over the past 16 years, since we normalized relations, Vietnam and the United States have made great strides. When President Obama received me to present his credentials, he said that the relationship between the two countries is currently close, with significant progress in all areas. With such momentum in the relationship, I firmly believe that in the future, the relationship between Vietnam and the United States will develop further.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to the United States Nguyen Quoc Cuong.

PV:Ambassador, please tell us the key tasks you wish to carry out during this term to promote Vietnam-US relations?

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong:As the Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States and with the development of relations between the two countries in recent times in all fields, I have many different goals, but in summary, there are two biggest goals: That is how to bring the relationship between Vietnam and the United States to a new level of development, towards a strategic partnership, as US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton stated when she visited Vietnam in 2010. The second biggest goal, I hope to work with the Vietnamese community in the United States to make the Vietnamese community more oriented towards the country.

PV:Last June, Vietnam and the US held the 4th Political - Security - Defense Dialogue and the two sides agreed to move towards upgrading the Vietnam-US relationship to a strategic partnership. Could you please tell us about the role of the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, especially the role of the new Ambassador in promoting the implementation of this goal?

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong:When I met President Obama, I raised that issue. President Obama said that he supported the efforts of the Vietnamese Embassy and promised that he would work directly with me as well as with US agencies to bring the relationship between the two countries to a new level of partnership. I think that the Vietnamese representative agency in the United States will work directly with US agencies, with the State Department, the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the US Congress and all relevant agencies to agree on a framework for bilateral relations. Of course, the Embassy is only a part of that process, while domestic agencies will directly participate with the US side in building a new framework for relations between the two countries.

As the highest representative, I will lead the embassy team to strive for that goal. Second, I think I will be the direct contact point for working with the US agencies in this area for the common goal.

PV:The Ambassador mentioned that the Vietnamese community in the US is also a special concern of the Ambassador during this term. What plans does the Ambassador have to attract the attention and investment of the community in the country, as well as to further strengthen national unity?

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong:I am passionate about community work, and through this, I also feel the sentiments of the Vietnamese community in all countries always towards the Fatherland and the country. In the past two months since I took up the assignment, I have met many people, from intellectuals to businesses, ordinary people of Vietnamese origin, and I feel their common sentiments towards the homeland and the country in all different forms. Therefore, I think the mission of the Ambassador, as well as the embassy in general, is extremely important in being a bridge for our compatriots to turn towards the homeland and the country even more.

I think we have to listen. In the near future, I also plan to work in many different states of the United States to promote cooperation between those states and Vietnam. I request that arrangements be made to meet with the people in the states I will visit. Through that, we have the opportunity to explain the Party's policies and guidelines to the people, listen to their thoughts and reflections. From their thoughts, we think about policies for the people so that we can do better. I want the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States to be an important bridge between Vietnamese businesses in the United States and domestic businesses. I think this is a huge potential that needs to be exploited. We have the Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in the United States and the Association also wishes to establish a commercial center in Baltimore.

PV:Thank you Ambassador!

According to VOV