President Biden praises Vietnam-US relations in UN General Assembly remarks

"About a week ago I stood on the other side of the world in Vietnam on soil once bloody with war. And I met a small group of veterans, Americans and Vietnamese... I watched an exchange of personal artefacts from that war — identification cards and a diary. It was deeply moving to see the reaction of the Vietnamese and American soldiers," Biden said in a remark before the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

He was referring to his state visit to Vietnam from September 10 to 11.

"For decades, it would have been unthinkable for an American president to stand in Hanoi alongside a Vietnamese leader and announce a mutual commitment to the highest level of countries' partnership. But it's a powerful reminder that our history need not dictate our future," he said, referring to the fact that Vietnam and the U.S. upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the visit.

Biden said that over the past 50 years, both Vietnam and the U.S. have strived to resolve the painful consequences of war, and chosen to reach towards peace and a better future together. With efforts, enemies can become partners, big challenges can be resolved, and deep wounds can be healed, he added.

Biden said the U.S. was willing to cooperate with other countries to resolve disputes and that the U.S. was commited to bolstering multilateralization to solve global challenges.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday came to New York to participate in high-level meetings of the United Nations General Assembly, as part of his activities in the U.S. during his visit to the country from September 17 to 23.

In a speech at Georgetown University, Chinh named methods to realize the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive strategic partnership, including fostering political trust between leaders and considering economic-trade-investment cooperation as an eternal engine that enhances bilateral relations.