General Secretary and President Tô Lâm presented Friendship Orders to several American friends. VNA/VNS Photo

NEW YORK General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President Tô Lâm met with American friends in New York on the afternoon of September 21 (local time).

The meeting formed part of the leader’s trip to the US to attend the High-Level General Debate of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly and conduct bilateral activities.

It was jointly organised by the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations, the Vietnamese Embassy in the US and the Permanent Mission of Việt Nam to the United Nations.

The event was attended by members of the Communist Party USA, left-wing friends, traditional friends, representatives of peace, charitable, humanitarian, religious and non-governmental organisations, veterans, businesses, academics, and students, among others who have supported Việt Nam-US relations.

Many participants expressed their admiration for Việt Nam’s development achievements in recent years and expressed their desire to continue connecting, nurturing bilateral relations and creating new development values for peace, prosperity and the interests of the two peoples.

Speaking at the meeting, General Secretary and President Lâm affirmed that the Vietnamese people have not forgotten those who stood by them during the most difficult years.

On behalf of Vietnamese Party and State leaders and people, the General Secretary and President sincerely thanked the American friends.

He said that after the war ended, many have maintained their ties with Việt Nam, patiently contributing to healing the wounds of war, helping people who had once been on opposite sides understand each other better, and advocating for bilateral relations amid many barriers.

To this day, that commitment continues in many areas, including helping address war consequences, caring for people with disabilities, supporting education and healthcare, and connecting those who want to work with Việt Nam. Many have devoted a very large part of their lives to these efforts.

Việt Nam is determined to realise its goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed, high-income country by 2045, while striving to build a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous, strong, civilised and happy Việt Nam that firmly advances toward socialism, the leader continued.

He also briefed participants on Việt Nam’s efforts to redraw its development space and reorganise its administrative apparatus, stressing that the Vietnamese Party and State always put people’s livelihoods first.

General Secretary and State President Lâm said that although the war ended more than half a century ago, there are still families awaiting news of their loved ones, victims of Agent Orange who need care, and areas of land still contaminated by bombs, mines and dioxin.

“For those living with these losses, every timely act of assistance is deeply valued,” he stressed.

Mentioning Việt Nam’s 500-day campaign to search for, recover and identify the remains of fallen soldiers, he said the country will continue to allocate resources to this work.

The leader also expressed appreciation for US support in this area over the past time and hoped to continue receiving assistance in connecting information, sharing records, and exchanging experience in using databases, so as to achieve further results in this regard.

For its part, he said, Viẹt Nam will continue to closely coordinate and facilitate efforts to search for US servicemen missing in action during the war.

The General Secretary and President Lâm noted his wish to continue working with American friends to care for people still suffering war consequences, make affected areas safer and help more families find their loved ones.

These stories will provide further motivation for students in their studies and build confidence in a better future for the country and Việt Nam-US relations, he said.

On the occasion, General Secretary and President Lâm presented Friendship Orders to several American friends.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang also received several war memorabilia donated by representatives of Texas Tech University. — VNA/VNS