VietNamNet Bridge – “As I said while interpreting for meetings with Nguyen Co Thach, I saw firsthand, his willingness to set the past aside and orient on the future, even though the US perpetrated a horrific war against Vietnam,” said André Sauvageot.  

Mr. André Sauvageot had a long time working for healing and developing the Vietnam-US relations, in different roles, from an interpreter for US delegations to Vietnam to the US State Department’s advisor, responsible for the voluntary repatriation program, and a member of the Vietnam-US Trade Council. VietNamNet’s Lan Anh talks with him on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of normalization of Vietnam-US relations.  

Mr. André Sauvageot (right) was the interpreter for the delegation led by Senator John Kerry to Vietnam in 1992.

In 1992, after tireless effort of General John Vessey, President Reagan’s Special Emissary on MIA/POW affairs, the US sent a mission, led by Senator John Kerry to Vietnam. You were the interpreter for this delegation. Was it your first return to Vietnam after 1975?

André Sauvageot:  Yes, during the process of normalizing relations between our two nations, I served as the interpreter for each American delegation chief visiting Vietnam with the purpose of obtaining Vietnamese cooperation in the search for American military personnel missing during the war.  

The first delegation chief was Richard Armitage – Deputy Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. At that time, the U.S. Government instructed Mr. Armitage to discuss nothing in Vietnam, except Americans missing in action from the war.  

However, Mr. Armitage was very smart, courteous, patient and proved to be an adroit listener to issues raised by the Vietnamese side.  He especially paid close attention to the comments of Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach.  

The second delegation chief was President Reagan’s Special Emissary, General Vessey, who was officially authorized to discuss issues apart from the MIA issue. These discussions led to American assistance to the Vietnamese known then as the ‘Vessey Initiatives’.  One of these efforts led to American surgeons visiting Vietnam to operation on children with facial deformities, e.g., harelips, cleft palates.

The 3rd delegation chief was Senator John Kerry, Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, concurrently Chairman of the Special Committee on MIA/POW Affairs.  

Even before 1975, I was the interpreter for American delegation chiefs twice, as I recall.  

The first time was when a military unit of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, invited the U.S. Army to send a delegation of 5 unarmed officers to Tay Ninh to a location where the two military delegations could discuss the procedures, time and place where the Vietnamese could release three American soldiers who had been captured and were now Prisoners of War (POWs).  

Another occasion was when I was assigned to be the interpreter for Major General Woodward, American delegation chief to the Four Party Joint Military Commission, which met in Saigon, after the Paris Agreement had been signed to end the war.  The Four Parties met for 60 days, with the purpose of implementing the Paris Agreement.

I know that from the early 1980s, you were actively contributing to the normalization process between our two nations.

André Sauvageot:  From 1989 to 1991, the US Government gave me a political appointment to the Foreign Service, assigning me as, “Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador (to Thailand) for “Indochina Affairs.”  My mission was to do the political and economic analysis of Vietnam.  

I accompanied American delegations during their visits to Vietnam.  This was a good opportunity to inform American officials about the positive aspects of Vietnam during their visits to Thailand and/or Vietnam.

I recall one meeting between the American Ambassador, and two US senators.  They asked why Vietnam was being so “stubborn” in not agreeing to a political settlement for Cambodia when the US, France, UK, and China were ready to approve the proposed agreement.  

I explained no nation was qualified to describe Vietnam as stubborn, because Vietnam wanted a political settlement in Cambodia more than any other nation. But Vietnam was the only nation on earth, which sacrificed blood to save Cambodia from the genocidal Khmer Rouge.

From 1991 to 1992, I was the Regional Advisor for the “Comprehensive Plan of Action” (CPA) to help resolve the problem of the Vietnamese “boat people,” who were not accepted for resettlement in the US or any other country. So I traveled regularly to the refugee camps in Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to explain to them the CPA and Vietnam’s policies to assist them to rapidly resettle back in Vietnam.

From 1993 to 2003, I was the Chief Representative in Vietnam for the General Electric Company, (GE).  We won many international bidding competitions to sell products such as leasing 3 Boeing B767-300ER, and power equipment such as gas turbines, steam turbines, hydro turbines and various kinds of generators.   

Many times I represented GE when testifying to the US Congress “House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade” to explain why Congress should support American presidents in their efforts to expand trade relations with Vietnam.  

With your experience in building these relations, you must have good understanding of Vietnam’s internal situation. What do you think about our achievements?  

André Sauvageot:  I believe that Vietnam has many achievements, such as:

Gender equality - better than in the US. For example, Vietnam’s National Assembly has 25% female delegates, while the US Congress has just reached a historic high of 20%.  Vietnam’s National Assembly never passes laws oppressing women as happens in some states in the US.

Ethnic minorities – Vietnam has 53 ethnic minorities, which are approximately 13% of the whole population.  Yet they make up some 15-17% of the elected representatives. Some even achieve high positions in Vietnam’s leadership.

I also know that you greatly admire some of Vietnamese leaders as Party General Secretary Do Muoi or Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach…?

Mr. André Sauvageot (right) and Deputy Foreign Minister Le Van Bang.

André Sauvageot:  Do Muoi made great efforts to improve relations with the US. To cite one example, after former President Bill Clinton, lifted the trade embargo against Vietnam, my company, GE sent a high level delegation, headed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GE to visit Vietnam. His Excellency the General Secretary took some of his precious time for discussions with the GE delegation with me interpreting.   

As I said while interpreting for meetings with Nguyen Co Thach, I saw first hand, his willingness to set the past aside and orient on the future, even though the US perpetrated a horrific war against Vietnam.  

As a former member of the Vietnam-US Trade Council, looking at the past 20 years, what changes in have you seen?

André  Sauvageot: Vietnam has changed a lot in 20 years. Vietnam has truly implemented the spirit of Chapter II, Article 15, of the Constitution, i.e., “Build an independent economy, building a strong internal structure, while actively entering the international economy, in pursuit of modernization and industrialization of our nation.

I think Vietnam should continue renovation so economic development continues.  Control by regulations should be intelligently targeted, not too much - not too little.

Competition among powers is a challenge for Vietnam. Do you have any thoughts to share with us?

André Sauvageot:  If time permitted, I could say a lot about this.   Every nation wants good relations with China, provided that China respects the sovereignty of neighboring nations, chooses a policy of peaceful coexistence, and stops its intrusions into the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Vietnam, the Philippines and many other nations.  

These actions by China violate United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 (UNCLOS). China ratified UNCLOS in 1996, but violates it regularly.  

Vietnam should form a coalition with neighboring nations such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia to negotiate with China. In addition, such a coalition, should invite some large nations to join, which would add strength.  

Great President Ho Chi Minh taught: “Unity, unity, Great unity, Success, success, Great success. This applies not only to domestic, but also international affairs.

After 20 years of normalization of bilateral ties, what should Vietnam-US do to build the stronger friendship?

André Sauvageot:  Continue on our current path.  

Thank you very much!

Lan Anh