Vietnam and the United States have recorded rapid progress in multifaceted cooperation over the past 20 years. The completion of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement is expected to substantially boost the trade and investment relations between Vietnam and the U.S. Regarding the cooperation relations between the two countries, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Ted Osius, US Ambassador to Vietnam. Nam Pham reports.
US - Vietnam relations have been remarkably improved over the past 20 years, can you brief highlights of the areas ripe for collaboration so far?
Starting with U.S. support for health, science and technology in Vietnam, and with joint efforts to locate and identify the remains of servicemen lost during the war, the U.S.-Vietnam relationship grew to encompass nine areas of bilateral cooperation under the framework of a Comprehensive Partnership announced by President Obama and President Sang in 2013. This year, the relationship expanded further to embrace regional and global collaboration, with an ambitious Joint Vision Statement released during General Nguyen Phu Trong’s July 2015 visit to the White House. U.S.-Vietnam cooperation now spans maritime security, trade and investment, climate change and environmental protection, peacekeeping, non-proliferation, combating infectious disease, educational exchange and promoting respect for rule of law and human rights. Pete Peterson, the first U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, said that in this relationship, "nothing is impossible." Twenty years of rapid progress have shown the truth of his statement.
Here are a few recent examples. In the realm of security, we have enjoyed historic visits by U.S. Secretary of Defence Ash Carter and then-Chief of the Joint Staff Martin Dempsey. In Danang, where Pacific Partnership 15 took place, American and Vietnamese medical and emergency personnel worked shoulder to shoulder to provide medical care, share expertise and practice with each other ways to respond to humanitarian or natural disaster crises. In the area of good governance and rule of law, the U.S. supports Vietnam's efforts to align its laws and regulations with the 2013 Constitution, as well as its international commitments.
Many high-level officials have exchanged visits in the past twelve months. Seven of Vietnam's 16 Politburo members visited the United States, while six members of President Obama's Cabinet and one Supreme Court Justice visited Vietnam. Vietnam took an active role at the COP 21 meetings in Paris and increasingly acknowledges its critical role in holding off and rolling back the effects of climate change. On the education front, the first American-style, not-for-profit, independent university, Fulbright University Vietnam, will open its doors in HCMC in 2016, paving the way for new options for Vietnamese in higher education. And a highlight of our recent collaboration is completion of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. TPP will hold all 12 member countries - including the United States and Vietnam - to the international gold standard of trade and economic opportunity. As Secretary of State John Kerry repeatedly emphasizes, “There are no two countries that have worked harder to overcome their past than the United States and Vietnam."
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How do you evaluate benefits from TPP for both the U.S and Vietnam?
In joining TPP, Vietnam’s leaders made a strategic decision to accelerate its international economic integration and improve the quality and competitiveness of its workforce. TPP will define the region’s trade and investment framework for decades to come and will act as a major catalyst in our bilateral relationship. Studies estimate that TPP will substantially increase Vietnam’s exports and additional FDI will strengthen Vietnam’s links to the global supply chain. While Vietnam is poised to be the biggest beneficiary of TPP, those benefits will not come without effort. Vietnam will change certain laws and regulations to bring them into compliance with TPP's high standards, and will need to ensure that the country’s infrastructure can keep pace with the influx of foreign direct investment. I believe that Vietnam is ready to face short-term challenges for greater long-term benefits, including diversifying its trading partners.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) projects under control of the U.S Embassy in Vietnam have seen remarkable successes in promoting State governance, the private sector, and community so far. What are USAID priorities for Vietnam in the coming time?
USAID supports Vietnam’s continued transformation into a responsible, more inclusive partner through initiatives that enhance governance for broader-based, sustainable growth. Working directly with the Government of Vietnam, in partnership with other stakeholders, USAID supports Vietnam’s transition to a market economy, private sector development and integration into international markets. USAID also works to advance more accountable, transparent and participatory policy and public administration processes, as well as to catalyse more inclusive economic opportunities, particularly for Vietnam’s most vulnerable and/or historically disadvantaged people. In the near future, USAID and other agencies will work to facilitate broader-based growth, with an emphasis on improving the regulatory environment, systems for accountability and inclusion. This will include supporting TPP implementation with technical assistance in a variety of areas, including labour, environment, customs, rules of origin, and support for small and medium enterprises. USAID also will be supporting the business-enabling environment through continued support for the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and related workshops to improve provincial competitiveness, micro-finance and land access rights for women.
What is the progress/solutions for advancing the two countries’ comprehensive partnership in the near future?
Building on the impressive achievements I have described, I can envision an even brighter future. Vietnam's leaders and people are committed to comprehensive international integration. As a friend and partner, the U.S. fully supports a strong, prosperous, and independent Vietnam that respects the rule of law and human rights. We will boost two-way trade and investment by implementing TPP. We are working together to establish direct flights between the U.S. and Vietnam which would expand people-to-people exchange in education, business, and tourism. Fulbright University Vietnam will soon help educate generations of Vietnamese citizens. The United States respects Vietnam's active and responsible role in international and regional forums, particularly ASEAN, especially because the resolution of many global problems begins with increased regional cooperation. After watching the development of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship for twenty years, I am more convinced than ever that Pete Peterson is right, and nothing is impossible.
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