US President Barack Obama expressed optimism about the future of the Vietnam-US relationship and affirmed that this lies in the hands of the young generations of the two countries.

President Obama waves to those present at the National Convention Center before speaking. AP photo

On May 24, US President Barack Obama gave an important speech on Vietnam-US relations before 2,000 young Vietnamese students, intellectuals and businessmen.

In his speech, President Obama mentioned famous people of the two countries such as President Thomas Jefferson, General Ly Thuong Kiet, President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap and many other names that, according to him, demonstrated the long-standing and difficult but promising relationship between the two countries.

Here is the full text of President Obama's speech at the National Convention Center in Hanoi on May 24.

Hello!

Hello Vietnam!

Thanks!

I would like to thank the Government and people of Vietnam for the warm welcome and hospitality you have shown me during my visit. Thank you for being here today.

There are many young people from all over Vietnam who are here, representing the dynamism, talent and hope of Vietnam. During this visit, the sincere feelings of the Vietnamese people have touched my heart. Many people took to the streets to wave and smile at me to show the friendship between the people of our two countries.

Last night I visited Hanoi Old Quarter and had some delicious Vietnamese food. I had Bun Cha and drank Hanoi Beer. I have to say your streets are very busy and I have never seen so many motorbikes in my life. I have not tried to cross the street but maybe when I come back you will help me do it.

I am not the first US President to visit Vietnam in recent times, but I am the first, as are many of you here who grew up after the war.

When the last American soldiers left Vietnam, I was only 13 years old. Therefore, my impression of Vietnam was only when I was in Hawaii through the Vietnamese American Community. But at that time, there were many Vietnamese people who were even much younger than me. Like my two daughters, they were born knowing only peace and when the US and Vietnam had normalized relations.

When I came here, I was conscious of the difficulties of the past but focused squarely on the future, on the prosperity, security and human dignity that we build together.

I come here with all respect for the long history of Vietnam. For thousands of years, farmers have cultivated this land. The history of this land is revealed in the patterns on the Dong Son bronze drums and Hanoi has stood firmly on the Red River for more than 1,000 years. The world highly values ​​Vietnamese silk products and paintings. Your Temple of Literature has stood the test of time as a clear proof of the Vietnamese people's love of learning.

Over the past hundreds of years, the fate of Vietnam has been interfered with by many other countries and this land has been invaded at times. However, like the bamboo tree, your indomitable spirit is clearly shown in the divine poem of the famous general Ly Thuong Kiet: “The mountains and rivers of the Southern country belong to the Southern king, The destiny is clearly determined in the book of heaven”.

President Obama expressed his emotion at the affection that the Vietnamese people and government showed him during his visit.

Today, we look back at the long history between the United States and Vietnam, with many exchanges. More than 200 years ago, when the founding father of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, sought to buy rice to grow on his farms, he looked to Vietnamese rice, which he considered the whitest, most delicious, and most productive.

During World War II, the Americans also helped Vietnam escape from colonial rule. When American pilots’ planes were shot down, the Vietnamese tried to save them.

On the day Vietnam declared its independence, President Ho Chi Minh quoted the US Declaration of Independence: “All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The war to overthrow colonialism should have brought the people of both countries closer together. Instead, the Cold War and hostility have pushed us into war. From the conflicts in world history, we understand the painful truth that war, for whatever reason, brings pain and tragedy.

Martyr cemeteries and altars in Vietnamese homes remind us that more than 3 million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians were lost in the war.

At the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, we can touch the names of more than 58,315 American soldiers who died in the Vietnam War. In both the United States and Vietnam, many veterans and their families still grieve the loss of their loved ones.

In America, there is a saying that goes like this: “No matter what our differences are about that war, we must respect those who served and welcome them home with the honors they deserve.” Today, Vietnam and America have reconciled and are fully aware of the pain and sacrifices that both sides have endured.

Over the past two decades, Vietnam has made remarkable progress and today the world must recognize what you have achieved. Through economic reforms and trade agreements with countries including the United States, Vietnam has participated in the global economy and exported goods around the world. Foreign investment has poured into Vietnam more and more.

As one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, Vietnam has now become a middle-income country in the world. We can see Vietnam's development through the skyscrapers, shopping malls in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and satellite towns.

We have seen Vietnam launch satellites into space and a new generation of Vietnamese people getting more involved in online activities, starting businesses and running venture capital funds.

We see that millions of Vietnamese people are connected to Facebook and have Instagram accounts and you not only take selfies (although I hear you do this quite often and up to this point many of you have asked to take selfies with me), but also speak up about things that you care about like protecting the old trees in Hanoi.

This dynamism has brought about real changes in people’s lives. In Vietnam, you have succeeded in reducing poverty and increasing family incomes, helping millions of people quickly join the middle class.

Poverty, disease, maternal and child mortality have all been reduced. Access to clean water and electricity has increased, as have the number of boys and girls in school and literacy rates. It is an incredible progress that you have made in a very short time. Vietnam has transformed and relations between our two countries have improved.

We learned a lesson from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who said, “To have dialogue, both sides must change.” In this way, the war that divided us became a source of healing. It allowed us to search for missing soldiers and bring them home, and it allowed us to help clear landmines and explosive remnants of war so that no child would be killed playing outside.

Even while supporting disabled people in Vietnam, including children, we are also involved in cleaning up Agent Orange and dioxin so that Vietnam can have more safe lands. We have done this in Da Nang and will continue to support in Bien Hoa.

Let us not forget that the reconciliation process between the two countries was also carried out thanks to veterans who had faced each other on the battlefield. When Senator John McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for many years, went to see General Vo Nguyen Giap and said: “Our two countries should not be enemies, but friends.”

Think of all the American and Vietnamese veterans who have helped heal the wounds of war and build new relationships between our two countries. Few have done so in the past few years as Navy Lieutenant and now Secretary of State John Kerry, who is here.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (far left) stands up when mentioned by President Obama in his speech. Photo: Reuters

Thanks to the pioneering work of veterans, thanks to the brave pursuit of peace by those warriors, our two peoples have come closer together than ever before. Bilateral trade has increased.

Students and scholars from both countries have the opportunity to learn from each other. We welcome more Vietnamese students to study in the United States than from any other country in Southeast Asia, and every year you welcome more American tourists, including backpackers who visit the 36 streets of Hanoi, the ancient town of Hoi An, and the ancient capital of Hue.

Both Vietnamese and American people can cite the lyrics of musician Van Cao: "From now on, people know each other's homeland, from now on, people know how to love each other."

As President of the United States, I want to help advance our bilateral relationship. Under our new Comprehensive Partnership, our governments are working more closely together than ever before. And through this visit, we have laid a stronger foundation for the decades ahead.

With the long-standing relationship between the two countries dating back to the time of President Thomas Jefferson 200 years ago and having gone through so much effort to get to where we are today, it is time for us to say things that seemed unimaginable.

Today, the United States and Vietnam are partners, and I believe our experience holds lessons for the world at a time when conflicts seem intractable and never-ending. We have shown that hearts can change and a different future is possible if we refuse to be prisoners of the past.

We show that peace is better than war and that progress in respect for human dignity is best advanced through cooperation, not confrontation. That is what Vietnam and the United States can show the world.

The new partnership between the United States and Vietnam is rooted in the core belief that Vietnam is an independent, sovereign nation, and no other nation can impose its will on you or decide your destiny.

America has an interest here, America has an interest in Vietnam succeeding, but our comprehensive partnership is just beginning, and in the minutes that remain, I want to show you a vision that I believe can guide us in the decades ahead.

First, let’s work together to create real opportunity and prosperity for our people. We all know the formula for success in the 21st century global economy is that investment and money will flow to places where the rule of law is respected because no one wants to pay a bribe to start a business.

No one wants to sell or go to school if they don’t know how they’ll be treated. In today’s knowledge-based economy, jobs will only exist where people are free to think for themselves, exchange ideas, and innovate.

A true economic partnership is not one country simply extracting resources from another. It is based on investing in our greatest resource, which is our people, their skills and talents, whether they live in urban or rural areas. That is the kind of partnership America can provide.

As I announced on May 23, the U.S. Peace Corps will come to Vietnam for the first time and focus on teaching English. Generations after Americans came here to fight, a new generation of Americans is coming to Vietnam to teach and build a deeper relationship between our two countries.

Several leading US technology corporations and academies have come to Vietnam to support universities training in science, technology, mechanics, mathematics and pharmacy, because even though we have welcomed many Vietnamese students to the US, we still believe that young people deserve to enjoy a world-class education right here in Vietnam.

The moment President Obama winked at young people present at the National Convention Center. AP photo

One reason we are so excited is that Fulbright University will officially open its doors this fall in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s first independent, non-profit university, which will offer full tuition and scholarships to those in need.

Students, scholars and researchers will focus on public policy, business administration, engineering, computers, science, liberal arts, covering all fields, from Nguyen Du's poetry, Phan Chu Trinh's philosophy to Ngo Bao Chau's mathematics.

I will continue to partner with young people and entrepreneurs because we believe that if you have access to the skills, technology and capital you need, nothing can stand in your way. The same is true for Vietnam’s talented women.

We believe that gender equality is a very important principle. From the generation of the Trung Sisters to today, talented and strong women have always helped Vietnam move forward. This is so clear.

I want to say that wherever I go on this earth, every family, every community and every nation can only succeed if women are given equal opportunities with men to succeed in education, in work and in government. This is true everywhere and it is true in Vietnam.

We will continue to support Vietnam’s economy to reach its full potential through the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). In Vietnam, TPP will help you export more goods to the world and attract more investment. TPP will require changes to protect workers and respect intellectual property rights, and the United States stands ready to support Vietnam in fully implementing its commitments.

I want you to know that as President of the United States, I strongly support TPP because it means you can buy more goods made in America.

Furthermore, I support the TPP because it brings strategic benefits to Vietnam and helps Vietnam reduce its dependence on a particular trade partner and can expand its relationship with many other partners, including the US.

The TPP will help strengthen regional cooperation, address economic inequality and improve workers’ rights through higher wages and safer working conditions. For the first time, Vietnam will allow the formation of labor unions and prohibit all forms of forced or child labor.

In addition, TPP has also set the highest standards of environmental protection and anti-corruption ever, and that is the future that TPP can bring to all of us. Because we, the US, Vietnam and the countries that sign the TPP will have to follow the rules that we have set.

It is a bright future for all of us, and we need to complete the TPP to ensure economic prosperity and national security.

Young people excitedly recorded the rare moment in their lives. AP photo

This brings me to the second area where we can work together to ensure our common security. Through this visit, we have raised the level of our security cooperation and built more trust between our peoples. We will continue to provide training and equipment to your Coast Guard to enhance Vietnam’s maritime capabilities. We will provide assistance in the event of a natural disaster.

With the announcement I made yesterday that the United States has decided to fully lift the arms embargo on Vietnam, Vietnam now has access to all the equipment it needs to ensure its national security. Through this announcement, the United States also wants to demonstrate its commitment to complete normalization of relations with Vietnam.

The wars of the 20th century have taught all of us, including the United States and Vietnam, a lesson that the world order that determines our common security relationship is rooted in certain principles and norms.

Every country has sovereignty and whether it is a big or small country, its sovereignty must be respected and its territory must not be violated. Big countries should not bully small countries and disputes must be resolved peacefully.

Regional institutions like ASEAN and the East Asia Summit need to be strengthened. That’s what I believe, that’s what America believes, and that’s the kind of partnership America wants to foster in the region. Later this year, I will be the first American President to visit Laos.

Regarding the South China Sea issue, although we are not a direct claimant, we will stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners in upholding core principles such as freedom of navigation and freedom of navigation. Lawful commerce must not be impeded, and disputes must be resolved through the rules of international law. The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and we will support all nations in doing the same.

Even with close cooperation in the above areas, the partnership also includes issues where the two Governments still disagree, including human rights, and I say this not to single out Vietnam because no country is perfect.

More than 200 years have passed and America continues to struggle to live up to its earliest ideals. We still face our limitations, such as too much money in politics, economic inequality, and discrimination in the criminal justice system, and women not being paid as much as men for doing the same work.

We have our problems and we are not immune to criticism. I assure you, I hear it every day. But it is precisely these shortcomings that open the door to open debate and give people a voice. This makes us stronger, more prosperous and more just.

As I have said before, the United States has no intention of imposing its model of government on Vietnam. The rights I have mentioned above are not only values ​​that are valued in the United States, but I believe that they are universal values ​​written in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

These values ​​are enshrined in the Vietnamese Constitution, which states: “Citizens have the right to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, access to information, assembly, association, and demonstration. The exercise of these rights is prescribed by law.”

These are common issues for all of us, each country wants to pursue the above principles and ensure that those of us who work in Government really respect those principles.

Over the past few years, Vietnam has made progress in implementing its commitments to ensuring that laws are passed in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution and international law.

Under a newly passed law, the Vietnamese government will be more transparent about its budget spending and people will have greater access to information.

As I said above, Vietnam has also made commitments on economic and labor reforms in the spirit of TPP and these are positive steps and ultimately, the future of Vietnam will be decided by the Vietnamese people. Each country will chart its own path.

Our two countries have differences in tradition, political institutions and culture, but as a friend of Vietnam, let me share my views on why a country becomes more prosperous when basic rights are respected.

When freedom of speech is respected and people can share ideas and access the internet and social media without restrictions, the economy will be “fueled with energy and creativity” to continue to grow.

That's where new ideas are born, and that's where Facebook started. Some of America's biggest companies were born because someone had a new, different idea that they could share with others.

When press freedom is respected, when journalists and bloggers can shine a light on injustice and oppression, officials are held more accountable. This helps build public confidence that the system is working.

When candidates are allowed to run freely and voters are free to choose their leaders in free and fair elections, the country becomes more stable because citizens know that their voices are respected and that peaceful change is possible to allow new people to integrate into the leadership system.

When religious freedom is not only about allowing people to express love and devotion, which is at the core of all religions, but also about allowing religious groups to serve the community through schools and hospitals and care for the poor and vulnerable.

And when people have freedom of assembly and association, civil society organizations can solve problems that the government itself cannot solve.

Therefore, in my view, respect for these fundamental rights will not threaten stability, but rather, it will enhance stability and become the foundation for development. It is the desire for these fundamental rights that has motivated people all over the world, including Vietnam, to overthrow colonialism.

I believe that respecting these fundamental rights at the highest level is also a manifestation of the independence and freedom that many people always cherish, especially in a country "of the people, by the people and for the people".

Vietnam will do this in a completely different way than the United States and each country will do it in a completely different way than many other countries in the world. However, there are basic principles that I think every country needs to implement and improve.

I say this as someone who is leaving office and I have had the luxury of being in office for eight years to be able to look back at what we have done and to work with other countries around the world who are also looking to improve their systems.

President Obama bids farewell to those present at the National Convention Center. AP photo

Finally, I believe our partnership can help address global challenges that no one country can solve alone.

If we want to ensure the health of our people and preserve the beauty of our planet, we must develop sustainably. Natural wonders like Ha Long Bay and Son Doong Cave must be preserved for our children and grandchildren.

Rising sea levels are threatening Vietnam’s coastline. As partners in the fight against climate change, we need to fully implement the commitments we made at the Paris Conference. We need to support farmers and fishermen to adapt to climate change and bring clean energy to areas like the Mekong Delta—the rice bowl of the world—that we need to feed future generations.

We can help save lives beyond our borders by supporting other countries. By strengthening their health systems, we can prevent outbreaks from becoming pandemics that threaten us all.

As Vietnam fulfills its commitment to international peacekeeping, the United States is proud to train Vietnamese peacekeepers.

It is remarkable that our two countries, which fought against each other in the past, are now standing together to support other countries in achieving peace. In addition to bilateral cooperation, our partnership also helps shape the global environment in a positive way.

However, we need to be aware that the vision I have outlined today cannot be achieved “overnight” and that there will be obstacles and difficulties ahead. There will be times when misunderstandings arise. This requires sustained effort and goodwill in dialogue, and both sides must continue to change.

Yet, looking back at the difficult and challenging history we have lived through, I stand here with you today completely optimistic about our shared future.

My faith is rooted in the friendship and shared aspirations of our peoples. I think of the Vietnamese Americans who crossed oceans to reunite with their families for the first time in decades, and of people like Trinh Cong Son who wrote “to join hands” means to open your heart to see through your heart.

I am thinking of all the successful Vietnamese Americans in any field: doctors, journalists, judges or public servants. One of them wrote to me and said: “By the grace of God, I have realized my American Dream.”

I am very proud to be an American, but I am also very proud of you, Vietnamese. You are here today in your homeland, with a mission to help improve the lives of all Vietnamese people.

I thought of a new generation of Vietnamese youth, people like you who are here, who are ready to make their own mark on the world.

I want to say to all the young people here: Your talent, your drive, and your dreams are what Vietnam needs to thrive, and your destiny is in your hands. This is your moment, and as you pursue your future, I want you to know that America is always there for you as a partner and as a friend.

Years later, more and more Americans and Vietnamese are studying, innovating, and doing business together, and standing up together to promote human rights and protect our planet.

I hope you remember this moment and gain hope from what I bring to you from my vision today. In other words, I would like to quote two lines of Kieu as follows: “That a hundred years will also start from here. I call this little bit of trust as a record.”

Thank you very much!./.

According to VOV