Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc: Despite being an ocean apart, Vietnam and the US are still close together

The Prime Minister mentioned the achievements of Vietnam - US in the fields of politics, economy, education and expressed the vision of the relationship in the next 20 years, in the message published in the US newspaper.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: VGP.

"Despite being separated by an ocean, Vietnam-US relations have grown closer since the establishment of diplomatic relations 22 years ago," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in a message published in the US newspaper Washington Times on May 30. The message was published on the occasion of the Prime Minister's official visit to the US at the invitation of President Donald Trump.

In the message, the Prime Minister was delighted to meet again with friends who share the same passion for supporting the Vietnam-US relationship, "to write a new page in the history of relations between our two peoples."

"With the courage to overcome ourselves and the spirit of 'putting the past behind and looking towards the future', we have overcome countless hardships, difficulties and challenges to transform our relationship from former enemies to friends and now to Comprehensive Partners with strong momentum for developing the relationship," said the Prime Minister.

During this trip, businesses from both sides will sign trade contracts worth billions of dollars, creating tens of thousands of jobs in the US and increasing exports from both countries.

The Prime Minister stated that the two economies of Vietnam and the US are completely complementary to each other and the more cooperation is strengthened, the more benefits there will be.

Vietnam often imports from the US aircraft (Boeing), electric motors, high-tech medical equipment, pharmaceuticals. In 2016, it imported nearly 1.5 million tons of corn, soybeans, wheat, 0.5 million tons of cotton. Vietnam exports to the US shrimp, pangasius, vegetables, wooden products, garments, and footwear.

In the middle of this month, Vinamilk Group imported 2,000 high-yielding dairy cows from the US and the number will increase to 8,000 this year to expand the source of high-quality milk for Vietnamese children.

Underwriter Laboratories helps test the quality of Vietnamese goods to meet international standards. Boeing aircraft and Lockheed Martin satellites are helping to rapidly modernize Vietnam's transportation and telecommunications sectors. GE's electric turbines are helping to transform Vietnam's energy use structure to a green, clean direction.

More than 31,000 Vietnamese students currently studying in the United States will be a great resource for the economic, scientific and technological development of Vietnam and the future of the relationship between the two countries. The early implementation of Fulbright University Vietnam and the Peace Corps Program in Vietnam will not only contribute to supporting Vietnamese students to access the world's leading education and become more proficient in English, but also be concrete evidence of the development of the relationship between the two countries.

The Prime Minister thanked experts, researchers and many other US training and research centers for being willing to share their experiences in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, preventing storms, floods, climate change, and training highly qualified human resources.

The Prime Minister said that the wounds of war are being healed thanks to cooperation activities in dioxin detoxification at exposure sites and the clearance of unexploded bombs and mines. "Such sincere and selfless assistance is the solid bricks to build understanding and trust, creating a solid foundation for the Vietnam - US relationship to last for decades to come."

More than 20 years ago, many Americans knew Vietnam as a war, but now many Americans know Vietnam as an independent country with an independent foreign policy, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister wishes to build a good working relationship with the administration of President Donald Trump, not only for the benefit of the people of the two countries, but also for the benefit of the ASEAN Community, peace, security, stability, cooperation and common prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

In November 2017, Vietnam will host the APEC 2017 Summit with the theme "Creating new dynamism, fostering a shared future". Vietnam welcomes President Donald Trump's early acceptance of this important Summit and will work with the US and other member economies to develop a practical and effective agenda.

"With the great strides made over the past 20 years, we have every reason to believe that the Vietnam-US relationship will continue to develop strongly in the next 20 years," said the Prime Minister.

According to VnExpress.net