US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc E. Knapper. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — 2025 was an incredibly significant year for Việt Nam-US relations, marked by a series of major anniversaries and substantive advances across multiple areas of cooperation, US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc E. Knapper said in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Việt Nam-US diplomatic relations, the 10th anniversary of the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership, and the second year of upgrading ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Looking back at 2025, what do you see as the most significant achievements and highlights in bilateral relations?

I really appreciate the opportunity to look back on 2025, which was truly an incredibly significant year for the US-Việt Nam relationship. This year was not just about reflecting on the past 30 years, but about envisioning the next 30 years and where we want to take this relationship.

One of our major initiatives was the organisation of friendship festivals across Việt Nam. While ambitious at first, our outstanding teams at the US Embassy in Hà Nội and the Consulate General in HCM City, working closely with the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Việt Nam-US Society, successfully held festivals in Cần Thơ, HCM City, Đà Nẵng, and Hà Nội.

They were a great way to showcase US-Việt Nam ties, and a great way to showcase American sports, culture, and music, to make the bilateral relationship easily approachable for people who may not be very familiar with the US or with the US-Việt Nam relationship. We were able to gather a lot of people, with several tens of thousands of participants nationwide, making it truly a special occasion.

Beyond people-to-people exchanges, our economic ties continued to expand. Trade and investment grew steadily, and we saw increasing interest from Vietnamese companies in investing in the US. Notably, the largest-ever Vietnamese investment delegation travelled to Washington, D.C. to attend the SelectUSA conference, which promotes greater Vietnamese investment in the US.

Security and defence cooperation also advanced, with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visiting Việt Nam, several US Navy ships making port calls, and the second Law Enforcement and Security Dialogue, along with the US-Việt Nam Political, Security, and Defence Dialogue, held in Washington, D.C.

Education cooperation reached new heights as well. In the spring, the largest-ever delegation of US university leaders - 21 in total - visited Việt Nam to explore partnerships with Vietnamese institutions. These efforts are already yielding results in the form of potential cooperative programmes. Việt Nam also regained its position as the fifth-largest source of international students in the US, with more than 30,000 Vietnamese students currently studying there.

There were many other important developments. The US transferred a third high-endurance Coast Guard cutter to Việt Nam, bringing the total number of US-provided cutters to three, stationed at Cam Ranh International Port in Khánh Hòa Province. These are just some examples of how our partnership has continued to grow over the past three decades - again, not only looking back, but looking firmly toward the future.

We also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on war legacy issues, reaffirming our commitment to continued cooperation in addressing the consequences of war. This includes ongoing efforts to help Việt Nam identify its own martyrs using the most advanced DNA technology, an initiative we are very excited about. At the same time, work continues to clean up the dioxin hotspot at Biên Hòa Air Base in Đồng Nai Province, clear unexploded ordnance, and support people with disabilities.

Altogether, there is a great deal for us to be excited about, and I very much look forward to what the coming years will bring for the friendship and partnership between our two countries.

Economic, trade, and investment cooperation is a key pillar of Việt Nam-US relations. In your view, how can the two countries work together to build more mutually beneficial trade ties?

This question really goes to the heart of our relationship moving forward. Việt Nam has set very bold and ambitious goals for itself: becoming a high-income economy by 2045, transitioning to a green economy by 2050, developing a strong digital economy, significantly expanding its pool of high-tech workers and engineers, and attracting greater high-tech investment.

Việt Nam also aims to strengthen technology transfer and play a more prominent role in global high-tech supply chains. Across all of these aspirations, the US sees itself as an important partner. Whether through American companies investing in Việt Nam, partnerships between US and Vietnamese firms, or cooperation between American universities – such as Arizona State University and Vietnamese institutions on programmes like semiconductor engineering, we are proud to support Việt Nam’s development objectives.

We are also closely following several important Party resolutions advanced under the leadership of General Secretary Tô Lâm, including those promoting the private sector, reorganising government and administrative structures, advancing digital transformation, and strengthening global integration. In all these areas, the US considers itself both a capable and a willing partner.

For instance, Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation identifies 11 priority sectors for development, including artificial intelligence, robotics, data centres, and biotechnology. In each of these fields, there is a meaningful role for US companies, universities, and expertise. I expect cooperation in these areas to continue expanding.

We are already seeing encouraging progress, including discussions on developing data centres in Việt Nam, cooperation on AI education and workforce training, and engagement on Việt Nam’s plans to establish international financial centres in HCM City and Đà Nẵng.

All of these initiatives are extremely exciting, and I believe they will help pave the way for the future of our relationship. High-tech cooperation, in particular, will be a defining hallmark of US-Việt Nam ties as we move forward into the next phase of our partnership.

Việt Nam aims to become a semiconductor powerhouse, with a target of training 50,000 engineers by 2030, while currently only about 5,000 are working in the field. How can the US support Việt Nam in developing high-quality human resources for this sector?

Workforce development will be essential for Việt Nam to achieve its long-term goals. Investors need confidence that Việt Nam has a skilled workforce capable of operating advanced manufacturing facilities and conducting high-level research. Building that talent base is therefore critical to attracting high-tech investment.

Infrastructure also matters. Reliable electricity supply is essential, especially for energy-intensive facilities such as data centres. Continued expansion of power generation and supply will be necessary to support Việt Nam’s ambitions.

In terms of human resource development, educational partnerships play a vital role. Collaborations such as those between Arizona State University and Vietnamese universities are particularly important. We also have a 'two-plus-two' programme between the National Economics University and Boise State University in Idaho, allowing students to study two years in each country. These kinds of exchanges will remain crucial as Việt Nam develops its workforce and positions itself at the forefront of high-tech manufacturing.

I am very confident in Việt Nam’s ability to succeed. During my time here, I have seen firsthand how resilient and hardworking the Vietnamese people are. With strong leadership and a clear vision, I am confident that Việt Nam will achieve its goals, and the US will be very pleased to continue expanding opportunities for cooperation. — VNA/VNS