The US Secretary of State will be in Hanoi soon to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum. VietNamNet talked about the pending visit with Joe Yun, who oversees Vietnam affairs at the State Department.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be in Hanoi soon to participate in the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and some bilateral activities. VietNamNet talked about the pending visit with a senior American official two days before the two countries celebrated the 15^th anniversary of normalized relations on July 12.

US Secretary Hillary Clinton and Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem at the ARF 2009 in Phuket, Thailand. (photo: AP)

The senior official, Joe Yun, oversees Vietnam affairs at the State Department. He will accompany Ms. Clinton to Hanoi.

VietNamNet: Secretary Hillary Clinton is scheduled to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Hanoi beginning on July 19. What results can we expect from her visit that will consolidate Vietnam-US relations? What will be her message to Vietnam in particular and ASEAN in general?

Deputy Assistant Secretary Joe Yun: This will be Secretary Clinton’s fourth trip to East Asia in the past year. Her engagement in this region demonstrates the vital importance of the Asia-Pacific region, and especially Southeast Asia, to the future of the United States. In addition to her ASEAN and ARF schedules, Secretary Clinton will reaffirm U.S. commitment to promoting cooperation on issues of regional importance through the Lower Mekong Initiative. The Secretary’s visit will also underscore the importance of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship, as well as the United States’ support for Vietnam’s growing role in regional and global affairs. A number of bilateral meetings and public events will allow the Secretary to highlight the successes of our 15-year relationship, note some continued challenges, and express optimism about the future of U.S.-Vietnam relations.

VietNamNet: Vietnam is chairing ASEAN for this year. What does the US expect from Vietnam in regard with this organization? How should the two nations work together in this particular framework that is ASEAN-US relationship?

Yun: Vietnam has already set ambitious goals for advancing ASEAN’s regional integration objectives as ASEAN chair. We welcome Vietnam’s emergence as a strong voice on regional economic issues and open trade initiatives. At the same time, we also look to Vietnam as ASEAN’s Chair to exercise leadership, including in sensitive areas such as North Korea’s attack on the South Korean naval vessel, the Cheonan. We would like to see Vietnam exercise its influence to press for a genuine dialogue so that the people of Burma can work with the existing government to move forward, and to press Burma on the need to fully implement UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874. Burma ought to be transparent with the international community in its dealings with North Korea.

VietNamNet: What will the Vietnam-US relation look like in years to come?

Yun: We are increasing our engagement with Southeast Asia, so the United States will have more opportunities to work with Vietnam to address regional and global challenges. We have worked with Vietnam as the ASEAN chair this year on a wide range of regional and global issues. Naturally we look forward to Secretary Clinton’s involvement in the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference and ASEAN Regional Forum in Hanoi later this month. The Lower Mekong Initiative offers further opportunities to work with Vietnam bilaterally and multilaterally on trans-boundary challenges related to health, education, and the environment.

VietNamNet: Maritime and human security is a hot topic in South China Sea. Being a power interested in supporting regional peace and stability, what is the US view of this situation? What will the US do to guarantee maritime and human security in this region?

Yun: The United States does not take sides on the competing legal claims to territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea. We urge all claimants to conform their land and maritime claims to international law. We share the interests of the international community and other ARF members in promoting regional stability, freedom of navigation, and the ability of U.S. and other international businesses to enter into legitimate commercial agreements in the South China Sea without harassment or political interference.

Tension over maritime claims in the South China Sea is not just a regional concern. It is also an international concern that affects all maritime nations. That’s why the United States supports multilateral efforts such as the ASEAN-China Declaration of Conduct to reduce tensions and reach a solution in line with customary international law.

15 years of normalization

VietNamNet: In a banquet in his honour in 2000 in Hanoi, President Bill Clinton read an extract from the classic Vietnamese “Tale of Kieu” that suggested Vietnam-US relations were moving into spring with blooming flowers. Looking back into the 15 years of normalization that made enemies partners, what was the key factor that triggered such a vivid co-operation process?

In the early 1990s, progress in U.S.-Vietnam relations centered on refugee issues and efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for U.S. personnel missing in action, as well as increasing health and medical assistance. Early cooperation on these issues fostered goodwill between our governments and laid the foundation for the normalization of diplomatic relations.

Since then, we have broadened the scope of our cooperation. Now we work together on education, health, climate change and the environment, science and technology, and security. The fundamentals are in place to build an enduring, comprehensive partnership. The rapid expansion of our relationship in the last fifteen years is a testament to our shared concerns, and our potential to grow as partners. Although disagreement persists on areas such as human rights, we are now able to engage one another in open, respectful dialogue, united by the goal of fostering an open, prosperous, and secure Vietnam.

VietNamNet: The US-Vietnam relation has gone from diplomatic normalization to economic and trade co-operation. The bilateral trade agreement led to Vietnam’s entry into the WTO and now the two nations are expected to become partners in a Trans-Pacific Partnership framework. What’s likely when both countries extend their ambition to larger economic and trade arenas?

Yun: In the last decade, we have seen an astounding evolution of our trade relationship. Our cooperation has broadened to include Open Skies and nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. Every month there are more mutually beneficial commercial and trade opportunities. Continued success in the economic sphere strengthens our overall bilateral ties.

The United States has given high-level technical and legal support for Vietnam’s trade liberalization. We have been pleased to witness a tremendous economic transformation in Vietnam, and we are proud to have played a part in that. In 2009, the United States was the largest foreign investor in Vietnam and two-way trade reached $15.4 billion. U.S. exports to Vietnam increased in what was otherwise a very difficult year for international trade. With such a promising economic relationship, it is no wonder that the US has identified Vietnam as a key target country for the President’s National Export Initiative.

VietNamNet: Both sides are getting involved in defense and military co-operation. What role does Vietnam play in the American configuration of its Asia-Pacific policy? What is the meaning of the newly established Vietnam-US political-military dialogue?

Yun: For most of the past two decades, military-to-military cooperation has promoted friendship and mutual respect between the United States and Vietnam. Successful cooperation to recover missing U.S. military personnel underscores this point. Today, U.S.-Vietnam defense cooperation stems from our shared interest in ensuring a peaceful, stable, and secure Asia-Pacific region. WIn our various security dialogues we have addressed cooperation on international peacekeeping training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security, nonproliferation, military medicine, and military science and technology.

We are now working to expand security ties with a specific focus on building capabilities and new skills in specialized areas, such as peacekeeping, environmental security, multilateral search and rescue coordination, and regional disaster response. In the future, we hope to provide more opportunities for Vietnamese military officials to attend professional education courses at U.S. military staff colleges and military academies. We continue to exchange high-level visits, and we remain committed to increasing military-to-military understanding.

VietNamNet: Since normalization, Vietnam and the US have worked together on humanitarian affairs like the search for MIA and the Agent Orange. Vietnam has authorized the US to conduct MIA searches in its maritime zones. How does the US see this co-operation in the whole picture of bilateral relationship?

Yun: Humanitarian assistance is an important component of our bilateral relationship. We began with POW/MIA accounting, and we have since expanded this cooperation to include clearing unexploded bombs and shells and helping to remediate the environmental effects and respond to possible health impacts of Agent Orange.

While we continue to address the problems of the past, we are also building bridges into the future. For example, health diplomacy is central to U.S.-Vietnam relations, making up over 75 percent of U.S. assistance to Vietnam. The United States has provided over $400 million to fight HIV/AIDS, and another $50 million to support Vietnam’s response to pandemic influenza.

Pursuing these humanitarian goals, our governments maintain a remarkable level of cooperation. We ensure that all humanitarian activities align with Vietnam’s development goals. We also appreciate Vietnam’s reciprocal humanitarian activities. The Government of Vietnam has provided vital support to American efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for U.S. POW/MIAs. It was one of the first countries to offer assistance in the wake of the huge Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Xuan Linh