HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam considered the US an important partner and was willing to bolster bilateral ties in all fields, especially in economic co-operation, trade, investment, science-technology, and education and training, Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ said.

The Deputy PM made the statement while attending a meeting organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Việt Nam in Hà Nội on January 18 to celebrate 25 years of the normalisation of Việt Nam-US trade relations, and the 25th founding anniversary of Amcham in Việt Nam.

At the meeting, he said the normalisation and development of Việt Nam-US relations had resulted in great interest for the people of the two nations, contributing to regional and international peace, stability, co-operation and growth.

In the past 25 years, two-way trade surged from US$450 million in 1994 to more than $60 billion in 2018. The US had been Việt Nam’s largest export market for several consecutive years.

Investment from the US had greatly contributed to Việt Nam’s development. The activities of GE, Microsoft, IBM, Nike and ExxonMobil, along with other US corporations, had helped Việt Nam earn and sustain a foothold in the global value chain, Huệ noted.

Speaking highly of Amcham’s achievements over the last 25 years, he voiced his hope that Amcham would continue to serve as a bridge connecting the two nations, thereby deepening and bringing the Việt Nam-US comprehensive partnership to a new height.

US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim to Việt Nam Caryn McClelland said the end of the embargo “closed one door on our bilateral relationship and opened another … [so that ] we could trade, build people-to-people ties, and cooperate in areas such as education, science, and technology.”

She credited Senators McCain and Kerry and long-term American business people in Việt Nam who helped turn “opportunity into prosperity” as key figures driving the remarkable progress.

She also made a special point to thank “our friends and partners within the Vietnamese Government [who] made President Clinton’s decision in 1994 more palatable to the American public with their unwavering dedication to helping us with our most sombre and sacred task – recovering the remains of our service members who never returned from the war.”

With the United States now Việt Nam’s largest export market and with Việt Nam one of America’s fastest growing markets, McClelland expressed optimism that the two countries would enjoy 25 more years of economic co-operation and growth.

Chairwoman of the 2019 Amcham Board of Governors Natasha Ansell said the normalisation of Việt Nam-US relations had opened opportunities for US enterprises and investors to develop in Việt Nam.

On the occasion, she revealed that a new programme titled Amcham Academy for High Potential Talent would be launched to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the organisation.

The programme was expected to offer chances to learn and connect with young Vietnamese leaders as part of Amcham’s commitment to creating sustainable socio-economic values for Việt Nam, Ansell said. — VNS