US Congress introduces resolutions marking 25 years of ties with Vietnam

US Congress introduces resolutions marking 25 years of ties with Vietnam, photo: internet

Washington DC – Two resolutions were recently introduced by subcommittee leaders of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties (July 12).

Resolution S. Res. 607 was submitted by Senator Cory Gardner and Senator Ed Markey of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations while Resolution H. Res. 1018 by Congressman Ami Bera and Congressman Ted Yoho of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation of the country’s House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The two resolutions recognised that in the 25 years since normalising diplomatic relations, “the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the United States of America have worked toward increased stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia,” and expressed the sense of the Senate and the House of Representatives that the US will continue to “remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the Southeast Asian region.”

They reaffirmed the importance of the countries’ comprehensive partnership, from politics, economy – trade, security – defence, settlement of war consequences, education – training, health care, locality-to-locality ties, to cooperation within regional mechanisms.

They also highly valued the large Vietnamese community’s contributions to the US’s development while highlighting bilateral cooperation in the cleanup of dioxin, removal of unexploded ordnance, and search for remains of US and Vietnamese soldiers missing in the war.

The US Congress welcomed Vietnam’s growing role and stature in the region and the world, especially when it serves as ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

The US side also welcomed Vietnam’s readiness to protect freedom of navigation and international law in the East Sea, and affirmed that Vietnam’s rights and interests in accordance with international law must be respected.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc offered thanks to the US Congress for its support for the two countries’ comprehensive partnership.