US pledges to bolster Vietnam relations after 25 years

The U.S.-Vietnam comprehensive partnership has been proved by increasing commercial relations, the connection between people of both countries, as well as strategic in resolving humanitarian issues and war legacies, Trump wrote in a letter addressed to Vietnam Party Chief and President Nguyen Phu Trong on Saturday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the U.S. and Vietnam normalizing relations, according to a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In response, Trong said that U.S.-Vietnam relations throughout the last 25 years have "surpassed differences and geography" to develop positively and stably, turning the U.S. into Vietnam’s top partner in several fields. Vietnam and the U.S. have effectively cooperated to resolve issues, especially in commercial and financial fields, he wrote in a letter addressed to Trump for the occasion.

"Vietnam believes that with a mentality to let go of the past, overcome differences and utilize similarities towards the future, the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive partnership would deepen and become more effective and stable, serving the interests of both countries’ people and contribute to security, peace and prosperity in the region and the world," Trong wrote.

In a statement from the U.S. Press Secretary issued on Friday to commemorate 25 years of diplomatic relations with Vietnam, the U.S. congratulated Vietnam on its ASEAN chairmanship and announced that the U.S. and Vietnam had reached an agreement that would bring Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time.

The United States also reaffirmed it will stand alongside Vietnam in support of the peaceful resolution of disputes, the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, and unimpeded commerce.

"We celebrate the close ties forged over the last quarter century and look forward to marking the next 25 years of partnership, friendship, and a brighter future for our peoples," it said.

On July 11, 1995, former U.S. President Bill Clinton announced the normalization of relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, following the Vietnam War that ended in 1975.

Vietnam and the U.S. are now comprehensive partners, with bilateral trade increasing from $450 million in 1994 to $77 billion in 2019. For several years, the U.S. has been Vietnam’s biggest export market, while Vietnam has been one of the U.S.’s quickest growing export markets.