VN-U.S. Comprehensive Partnership relations promoted
VGP – U.S. President Obama will begin his official visit to Viet Nam on early May 23 and conclude the tour in the afternoon of May 25 at the invitation of Vietnamese high-ranking leaders.
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High-level delegation exchanges within the recent two years included General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s official visit to the U.S. and the signing ceremony of the Joint Declaration on Vision of the Viet Nam-US Relationship, former State President Truong Tan Sang’s participation at the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda in New York in September 2015 and former PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the U.S. to join the ASEAN-U.S. Summit in February 2016.
In term of economics, the U.S. became the largest importer of Viet Nam. The two-way trade turnover increased 20% annually, reaching US$45 billion in 2015. As of June 2015, the U.S. poured US$11.08 billion in 748 projects in Viet Nam, ranking seventh among foreign investors in Viet Nam.
The two countries concluded the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations and inked the TPP in February 2016.
Regarding cooperation in national security and defense, the U.S. Department of Defense and Vietnamese Ministry of Defense signed the Viet Nam-U.S. Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations in June 2016.
During former Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang’s official visit to the U.S. in March 2015, the two sides inked agreements to strengthen cooperation in security and law enforcement.
As of January 2016, as many as 28,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the U.S., ranking first among nations in ASEAN. Viet Nam has allowed the project of establishment of Fulbright University in Viet Nam.
The number of U.S. visitors to Viet Nam in 2015 attained 491,200 ones, up 10.7% against the same period last year, ranking fourth among foreign visitors to the country.
The U.S. approved US$84 million for dioxin de-contamination at Da Nang International Airport and US$11 million for supplying health services for the handicapped and those affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin.
The total U.S. aid for Viet Nam to overcome consequences of bombs and mines through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) obtained US$94 million in the phase from 1993-2014 and US$10 million in 2015 only.
The two nations have enhanced cooperation at regional forums, addressed issues related to maritime security and the East Sea, highlighted the central role of ASEAN and launched ASEAN-U.S. Strategic Partnership.
By Thuy Dung
