VietNamNet Bridge – This year Vietnam’s external relations activities will focus on promoting cooperation in multilateral mechanisms and deepening comprehensive and strategic partnerships with key partners.

Elevating Vietnam-US relations to a new level

Vietnam and the US have been focusing on 9 priority areas in the framework of their comprehensive partnership since 2013. 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of normalized Vietnam-US relations.

This year promises new breakthroughs in bilateral ties, particularly in economics, trade, and investment when the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, of which both Vietnam and the US are members, is signed. Bilateral trade is expected to surpass the 36 billion USD benchmark of 2014.

Vietnamese ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh said mutual political trust has never been as good as it is at present and the highlight of bilateral cooperation this year will be the exchange of delegations including high-level visits: “US Secretary of State John Kerry has conveyed an invitation from the US administration to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for a US visit in 2015 when we’re also looking forward to a possible visit to Vietnam by President Obama. Such visits, if they occur, will boost bilateral ties.”

Vietnam and the US have been boosting cooperation in education, culture, security, and national defense. The US has for the first time granted an aid package of 18 million USD to help Vietnam improve its naval capacity.

Improving ties with China

Vietnam and China mark 65 years of diplomatic ties in 2015, an important occasion to promote their traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Vietnam always considers China an important neighbor and partner.

Despite regional and global fluctuations and differences over a number of issues, Vietnam always deems it important to develop its comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China and hopes China will consider Vietnam’s stability, development, and prosperity an opportunity for itself. High-level visits and contacts will be the focal point this year with the purpose of keeping Vietnam-China relations on the right track of stable and transparent growth.

Vietnamese ambassador to China Nguyen Van Tho said that early this year Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation about plans to boost bilateral ties. Ambassador Tho said, “The two countries will increase high-level exchanges and seek solutions to pending issues, particularly the East Sea issue. While looking for a long-term solution to such issues, the two countries will try to maintain peace, stability and the status quo in the East Sea and implement the DOC toward adopting a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).”

Consolidating partnerships

This year, Vietnam also commemorates 65 years of diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic, which considers Vietnam one of its 12 leading trading partners. Vietnam considers the Czech Republic a gateway to the EU.

Vietnamese ambassador Truong Manh Son said the two countries are seeking to increase bilateral trade: “Trade and investment exchanges have not matched our countries’ potential. We will step up cooperation between the two countries’ relevant agencies to boost bilateral trade and investment cooperation.”

2015 is considered an important year for Vietnam’s international integration. In addition to making the most of the benefits of bilateral trade agreements, promoting cooperation with key partners will help Vietnam achieve its economic development targets and raise its international status.

VOV5