Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung (center), representing Vietnam, speaks and discusses at the seminar. (Source: VNA)

On May 1, a seminar with the theme 'Celebrating 30 years of Vietnam-US relations: Former enemies become partners' took place in New York City (USA). The event was organized by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University.

This is an event in a series of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the war and the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations.

The seminar attracted the attention and participation of many officials, former diplomats, veterans, scholars, students of the two countries, representatives of the Vietnamese-American community as well as many international friends supporting the anti-war movement...

Representing Vietnam in speaking and discussing at the seminar were Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung, Ambassador-Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the United Nations Dang Hoang Giang and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the United Nations Dang Dinh Quy.

On the US side, there were former Ambassadors to Vietnam David Shear, Daniel Kritenbrink, Senior Advisor on Vietnam at Columbia University Thomas Vallely, along with a number of scholars and business representatives.

Through three discussion sessions on “Vietnam-US Relations: From Reconciliation to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” “The Future of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” and “A Reconciliation Model for the World,” speakers from different perspectives and experiences shared the same assessment that after 50 years of ending the war and 30 years of normalizing relations, Vietnam-US relations have made great strides, in line with the aspirations and interests of the people of the two countries, while actively contributing to peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region as well as in the world.

Head of the Vietnamese delegation to the United Nations, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang (center) speaks at the seminar. (Source: VNA)

Bilateral relations have achieved many remarkable achievements, especially in the fields of healing the wounds of war, economic cooperation, culture-education and people-to-people exchange.

Regarding the lessons learned from the process of normalizing relations and building the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, speakers and delegates participating in the discussion emphasized the key significance of the two processes of "reconciliation" and "trust building," in which, in addition to the policies and tireless efforts of the two states, there are also extremely important contributions from veterans and people who love peace and support the relationship between the two countries.

The opinions emphasized the importance of national unity and the indispensable role of the overseas Vietnamese community in general, and Vietnamese Americans in particular, for the future of the country as well as the Vietnam-US relationship.

The speakers and delegates spent a lot of time discussing, analyzing and especially appreciating the message of General Secretary To Lam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of national reunification, demonstrating the extremely correct and humane policy of the Party and State of Vietnam on healing the wounds of war, not forgetting but willing to put the past behind, looking towards the future, for the prosperity of the Vietnamese people as well as the common interests of the two countries Vietnam and the US.