On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the Vietnamese people on the occasion of Vietnam’s National Day on September 2. I was honored to visit Vietnam earlier this summer to mark the 15th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between our two countries, and to celebrate the great progress we have achieved in our bilateral relationship.
The United States is committed to enhancing our engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, and we recognize Vietnam’s important role in Southeast Asia. As Chair of ASEAN this year and as a key member of APEC, Vietnam has provided strong leadership on many of the region’s shared challenges. During my visit to Hanoi in July, I also had the opportunity to discuss several areas for increased bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and the United States, ranging from trade and investment to good governance, human rights, and security issues.
Vietnam’s dynamic population and impressive potential for further growth, and the budding spirit of cooperation between our nations, offer a strong foundation for the continued strengthening of our relationship. I look forward to representing the United States at the East Asia Summit this October and continuing our collaboration with Vietnam to address a wide range of regional and global challenges together.
On this festive occasion, I wish all Vietnamese people peace and prosperity in the coming year.
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