President Luong Cuong: Vietnam always appreciates the sentiments of the peace-loving American people.
On the afternoon of September 22, local time in New York, President Luong Cuong had a meeting with friends, long-time partners, and progressive people of the United States.
The meeting took place on the occasion of President Luong Cuong attending activities of the 80th UN General Assembly High-Level Week and working in the US.
The event was jointly organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations.
Model of healing and reconciliation
The event was attended by many friends from many states of the United States, representing thousands of American friends who love Vietnam, supported Vietnam in the struggle for national independence and reunification in the past, participated in resolving the consequences of war, promoting normalization and developing relations, as well as in the current process of building and developing the country.
At the meeting, long-time partners and progressive American people expressed their opinions and shared touching stories in their activities to support Vietnam.
The delegates were also moved to recall the good memories when they returned to visit Vietnam, believing that Vietnam will have an increasingly high position and reputation in the world, contributing to promoting world peace.
Speaking at the event, President Luong Cuong affirmed that the Party, State and people of Vietnam always remember and cherish the close affection, valuable help and support that the friends and peace-loving people of the United States have given to the Vietnamese people in the past struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in the present cause of national construction and defense.
The President was moved to recall the images of peace-loving American citizens such as Ms. Merle Ratner, Mr. Morrison and many American friends in the movement to support Vietnam's just struggle, promote the end of the war, restore peace in Vietnam or American veterans organizations and many individuals who overcame past guilt, returned to Vietnam to heal the wounds of war, join hands to search for missing soldiers, support victims of Agent Orange, and clear bombs and mines.
With the spirit of "Putting aside the past, overcoming differences, looking towards the future" over 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, the President said that Vietnam - US relations have made remarkable progress, with Vietnam becoming an important trade partner of the US.
The President affirmed that upgrading the relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023 is a milestone in the relationship between the two countries, making the Vietnam-US relationship a model of healing and reconciliation in international relations.
He emphasized that within the framework of the new relationship, people-to-people diplomacy is one of the important areas of Vietnam-US relations.
Promoting cooperation in core areas
Sharing about Vietnam holding the 14th Party Congress in early 2026, the President said that the event is an important milestone in a new historical moment, a new era on the path of national development.
The President suggested that organizations and individuals of the two countries increase exchanges and contacts in flexible forms; and hoped that American friends and partners would promote their role as bridges, connecting businesses and localities of the two sides, promoting cooperation in core and breakthrough areas of economics, trade, investment, especially in science, technology and innovation.
He also asked American friends and partners to continue supporting and contributing to the work of overcoming the consequences of war, such as handling areas contaminated with Agent Orange, unexploded ordnance; supporting victims of toxic chemicals, dioxin and landmines; supporting information collection to help speed up the process of searching and collecting the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who are missing; and affirmed that Vietnam is committed to making the greatest effort in cooperation with the US to search for and repatriate the remains of American soldiers who fought in the war in Vietnam (MIA).
Exchanging some information on important orientations, the President emphasized that Vietnam today is a dynamically developing country, a safe and attractive investment destination for foreign investors, affirming that the Vietnamese people always love peace, are friendly and hospitable; the Vietnamese people are self-reliant, striving to rise up on the path of development, for the goal of "Rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness, civilization".
The President hopes that American friends and partners will continue to contribute to Vietnam's development and the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.