How is the US presidential reception prepared?

After Vietnam releases the menu, US security will go to the processing location to check the process.

Former US President Bill Clinton returns to Vietnam to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Photo: Columbian

Hotel chefsSofitel Metropole was honored to prepare the reception for US President Bill Clinton when he visited Vietnam in 2000, Mr. Dinh Xuan Luu, former Director of the State Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared with VnExpress.

"We offer a menu forhotelMetropole, then American security and Vietnamese people all came to check food safety. This must be ensured from the beginning to the end of the processing, even food samples must be kept for a while after the visit before being destroyed.Mr. Liu said.

According to the former department head, the banquet at that time included mushroom soup as an appetizer, followed by the main course of fried spring rolls with beef steak and dessert. Mr. Luu explained that the beef dish was becauseIn addition to the highlight of introducing Vietnamese cuisine, a banquet to entertain foreign heads of state also needs to have a little mix to suit the guests.

Responding to the question about the rumor that "someone tasted the US president's food", Mr. Luu said he was not sure but the US has modern testing equipment and strictly controls the input and output of products.

The former department head said that the ceremony to welcome heads of state to Vietnam (State visit) is only one and usually does not change. The schedules mainly include talks with Party and State leaders, receptions and visits to some cultural and historical sites depending on the level of relations between that country and Vietnam. President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is also one of the chosen locations.

Regarding Vietnam firing cannons to welcome visiting leaders of some countries, Mr. Luu said that this issue has an element of "reciprocity", meaning that Vietnam will reciprocate in relation to the reception of Vietnamese leaders in that country. This also depends on the level of the relationship between the two countries, such as strategic partnership or comprehensive partnership.

"I was very impressed by the high level of specialization of the American delegation in the preparation work in 2000. Of course, the reception work required meticulousness and carefulness, but the Americans gave a clear and tight schedule, coordinating smoothly with the security to ensure that they were present at a certain location at that time," said Mr. Luu.

There was an "incident" during the visit when the US president walked from the Daewoo hotel to his car, the staff of the offices in that area rushed out, immediately the person in charge of the US delegation's security pulled Mr. Luu's hand and "blamed" him for "leaving so many people standing like this". At that time, Mr. Luu reassured that the staff in the Daewoo area had all been security checked, and that they ran out to express their feelings for Mr. Clinton. Outside, the roads leading to Kim Ma Street were also crowded, which showed that the Vietnamese people were very hospitable and was a "welcome phenomenon".

However, halfway through the trip, this security officer, when going to the airport to accompany the presidential delegation to visit Ho Chi Minh City, told Mr. Luu: "Now I can be completely at ease."

During the journey with Mr. Clinton’s delegation, Mr. Luu witnessed many times the US President showing openness and friendliness to the receptionists, service staff and the Vietnamese people. When he went to eat pho at a restaurant supporting street children near the Temple of Literature, Mr. Clinton shook hands with many people around him, including those who could only reach their arms close enough.

Although he did not witness it, Mr. Luu also heard about Mr. Clinton's interesting meeting with the ladies on Hang Gai Street. Some of them said: "Mr. President, meeting you like this and shaking your hand, we really sympathize with Mrs. Clinton."

The first visit to Vietnam by an American president after the war, five years after the two countries established diplomatic relations, created "great pressure" on Mr. Liu at that time, because it opened a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries. However, the remaining echoes of the visit for him are unforgettable memories.

"When saying goodbye, US President Clinton put his hand on my shoulder and said: Thank you, my friend," said Mr. Luu.

According to VNE