VietNamNet Bridge - Former U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis praised the reconciliation efforts of Vietnam to the United States after the Vietnam War - a "good example" for reconciliation efforts for peace and for the trend of building a world avoiding conflicts.

 

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Mr. Dukakis gave a lecture at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy for Politics & Administration in Hanoi on April 8 with the topic: "The world and the policies in the second term of President Obama." The lecture is one of the activities during his Vietnam to Vietnam.

Prof. Michael Dukakis, President of the Boston Global Forum, is the former Massachusetts governor, former presidential candidate of the Democrats, Bush's rival in the race for the White House in 1988.

Prof. Dukakis started his speech about the memories that not only belonged to him but the generation of Americans who participated in the movement against the U.S. government's war in Vietnam. Until 1988, when he was a presidential candidate, Vietnam was one of the topics of his campaign.

The former presidential candidate almost gushed when it came to the "anti-war" generation against the war in Vietnam in the last century.

But the value that he highly praised is the great effort of reconciliation of Vietnam with its former enemy. "You are a typical nation for reconciliation after the war, for the effort to build a world avoiding conflicts," he said.

He shared the common ideal: to build peace, the world needs to build a peacekeeping institution, in which all nations, large and small, are of equal treatment, especially in the context of full changes, challenges like today.

Expressing optimism about America's future in the second term of President Obama, Professor Dukakis believe there is no "block of ice" that hinders the Vietnam – US relations.

The pair of power that he bet for the prosper future of relations between Vietnam - America are Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry - who were veterans of the war in Vietnam but they are the pioneers in contributing to the normalization of relations after the war. He said that history has never had such a power duo that is favorable for diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

"The relations between Vietnam - United States have made great development achievements. With two key positions in the U.S. government supporting Vietnam, how can we enhance and promote stronger relations between the two countries? We need to exert effort to develop the relations of cooperation, construction and deeper reconciliation," he said.

Arousing optimism

One of the questions Professor Dukakis received during the lecture was how to awake Vietnam's potential for economic development as the heroic achievements during the war.

Prof. Dukakis did not hesitate to immediately point out that the potential of Vietnam is human. He said that during his time in HCM City, he met "amazing" young people. "Let’s encourage the young generation to contribute, dedicate themselves to serve the society, the country," he said.

"The leaders anywhere, even I am no exception - when I was the Massachusetts governor, I had to always think how to evoke potential, motivation, optimism, faith, the struggles of all people, of all classes," he said.

"It is the leader's challenge," he said.

He also highlighted the role of the Vietnamese-American of the third generation. With the open-mindedness, which is not hampered by the problems of history, he said, they will be the resources to contribute and support for Vietnam, and the relations between Vietnam and the U.S. in the future.

L.Thu