The Secretary of State of the United States congratulates the National Day of Vietnam on September 2

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulates National Day on September 2 in Vietnam and talks about peace for the “Indo-Pacific”.

The congratulatory message for Vietnam’s 75th National Day was sent on September 1 by US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo.

̣According to the Vietnamese version announced by the US embassy in Hanoi to the press, Pompeo went straight to the achievement of the bilateral relationship he said and “changed significantly” in 2020.

“In 2020, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam. Significant changes in our relationship in the fields of trade and investment and security cooperation, and the people-to-people exchange is a testimony of those who they strive to overcome the past and build a better future for both peoples. “

The Secretary of State of the United States gave a specific example:

“We are delighted that the two sides have recently signed an agreement to bring Peace Organization volunteers to Vietnam for the first time, an important and iconic milestone in this historic year for the two nation.”

For a long time after the US military withdrew from South Vietnam, and even when relations were established in 1995, the presence of the Peace Corps in reunified Vietnam was no-one.

It was not until 2016 that the Peace Corps officially returned to Vietnam after continued efforts by the United States. In the 1960s and 1970s, the media in countries that were not friends of the United States government had reported that Peace Corps volunteers were intelligence agents. During the Vietnam War, many young Americans signed up to be Peace Corps volunteers to avoid having to join the military and avoid fighting in South Vietnam.

The US Secretary of State also emphasized “Vietnam’s success in serving as ASEAN president in a challenging year like this, and appreciates Vietnam’s close coordination in the fight against COVID-19.” .

In particular, Mr. Pompeo sent his greetings to the Vietnamese people “in the context of our cooperation to build a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” according to the US Embassy. .

At the same time, the United States promotes quality improvement and deep relationships with Quad (Quad – US, Australia, Japan, and India) in its strategy to build the Indo-Pacific region. Yang to promote democracy, stop China.

The US government also issued six Security Assurances from the Ronald Reagan era and earlier with Taiwan, which some analysts say was essentially to send the message that Washington does not accept Taiwan’s reunification with China. .

Speaking Aug. 31 at the United States-India Strategic Partnership Forum, Deputy Foreign Minister Stephen Biegun bluntly said that if President Donald Trump was re-elected or replaced by another president, “it began with the Quartet, This will be what we deploy.

On the question of whether the United States wants to create a NATO for the Indo-Pacific, Biegun said he was “careful, not too ambitious” at this time.

However, the American diplomat repeated:

“Remember, even NATO started quite modestly, in terms of membership and in terms of expectations, and there are several countries in Europe after WWII that have chosen to remain neutral. Originally, the Ming Covenant North Atlantic had only 12 members, now that’s 27. So you can start small and expand the membership later. “

In particular, in his speech to senior Indian officials, Mr. Biegun mentioned Vietnam as a partner of the United States, along with representatives from Korea, New Zealand, and the Quartet in their efforts to combat Covid-19. .

Also related to regional geopolitics, a senior Vietnamese Defense Ministry official said on September 2 that the country resolutely “will not turn to one side to oppose the other.”

Senior Lieutenant General, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Nguyen Chi Vinh reiterated the “unchanging” line of Vietnam’s foreign relations from 1945 until now, according to him, “independence, autonomy and diversification, multilateralism.” goods in international relations “.

Recalling something like Ba Khong’s policy that has been published for a long time, Vietnam’s Deputy Defense Minister emphasized: “No one and no country can force Vietnam to choose a side.”