VietNamNet Bridge – The U.S. is not a claimant in territorial disputes in the East Sea but will stand close with partners to ensure freedom of navigation (FON) and overflight in the region, U.S. President Barack Obama said.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech at the National Convention Center in Hanoi on May 24 - Photo: REUTERS

Delivering a speech on Vietnam-U.S. relations before 2,000 intellectuals, businesspeople and students in Hanoi on May 24, he confirmed the U.S. will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and will support the right of all countries to do the same.

With his visit, Obama said, both the U.S. and Vietnam agreed to elevate their security cooperation and build more trust. The U.S. will continue offering equipment and training for the Vietnam Coast Guard, help Vietnam enhance maritime capabilities and deliver humanitarian aid in disasters.

The U.S. President repeated his announcement made a day earlier that the U.S. has fully lifted the ban on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam, an indication that the U.S. is committed to fully normalizing relations with Vietnam.

“Vietnam will have greater access to the military equipment you need to ensure your security,” he told the audience at the event co-hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) at the Vietnam National Convention Center.

He said nations must abide by international order and regional security. “Nations are sovereign and no matter how large or small a nation may be its territory should be respected.”

He added that big nations should not bully smaller ones. “Disputes should be resolved peacefully.”

In the past two decades, Vietnam has recorded many considerable achievements in economic reforms and integrated with many economies. Many foreign investors have come to Vietnam, which has now become a middle-income economy.

Relations between the two countries have transformed. Both sides are working to find the missing, remove landmines and unexploded bombs, assist people with disabilities, including children, remove Agent Orange and dioxin, Obama said.

He said people of the two countries are closer than ever before, with bilateral trade surging, and Vietnamese and American students and scholars learning together.

“We welcome more Vietnamese students to America than any other countries in Southeast Asia,” he continued. Every year, Vietnam welcomes more and more American tourists, including young backpackers, to Hanoi, Hoi An and Hue.

As for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade accord, Obama said the deal will help Vietnam unlock the full potential of its economy. It will enable Vietnam to sell more products to the world and attract more investment, he noted.

However, the TPP also requires Vietnam’s reforms to protect workers and intellectual property rights, he stressed.

He noted the U.S. stands ready to assist Vietnam to fully implement its commitments. Vietnam will be less dependent on any one trading partner and enjoys broader ties with more partners, including the U.S.

According to Obama, a real economic partnership also involves investment in people, skills and talents, which the U.S. can offer.

The Peace Corps will come to Vietnam and focus on teaching English. A new generation of Americans will come to teach, build and deepen ties between the two countries, the President noted.

In addition, some American leading technology companies and academic institutions are working with Vietnamese universities to strengthen training in many fields like science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.

“Even if we keep welcoming more Vietnamese students to America, we also believe young people deserve a world-class education right here in Vietnam,” Obama said, referring to the forthcoming opening of Fulbright University Vietnam in HCMC.

Thuy Dung

SGT