Vietnam - United States relation: Toward a brighter future

To celebrate 15 - year establishment of Vietnam – the United States diplomatic relations, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in coordination with the Vietnam Center and Archive, Texas Tech University jointly organized a seminar titled "Vietnam - United States relations: Toward a brighter future" in Hanoi from the 8th to 9th July 2010.

Attending and giving a speech at the seminar were Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, United States Senator Jim Webb and the Ambassador plenipotentiary and extraordinary of the United States to Vietnam Michael Michalak, together with about 150 Vietnamese - United States delegates.

Vietnam and the United States officially established diplomatic relations on 11 July 1995. Over 15 years, Vietnam - the United States relations has been enhanced in various areas, especially economics and education. The two countries have basically established a partnership, cooperation, at a highest peak, the two countries' leaders have agreed on building a relation’s framework of "constructive partnership, friendship and multifaceted cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect" between Vietnam and the United States.

In two working days, delegates focused on evaluating the process of normalization and development of cooperation between the two countries over the last 15 years, pointed out the achievements and remaining problems in the relation of Vietnam and the United States. Besides, delegates also discussed the opportunities and challenges for the bilateral relationship in the future, basic policy directions for promoting relationship between Vietnam and the United States, in the cooperative areas such as economics, education, health, science and technology, national defense and security and cooperation in the multilateral forum.

In line with the seminar, dialogues and meetings between Vietnam and the United States representatives and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam’s students also took place. Approximately 20 students from Texas Tech University accompanied the U.S. delegation also participated in the dialogue exchanges. The contents of the conversation focused on issues interested by students specifically, the two countries’ youth- generally, especially in matters of educational and cultural exchange between Vietnamese and American students.