Mr. Chairman,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past ten years, since the formal normalization of relations between our two countries, we have witnessed improvements in Vietnam-U.S. relations as well as significant changes in Vietnam, a country that has been rising from poverty and devastation of the war. Today, visiting Vietnam, many foreigners feel the atmosphere of a beautiful and peaceful country that is changing with every single day in spite of facing many difficulties. These changes are the result of the course of reform and renewal that Vietnam has pursued over the past 17 years with the most significant achievement of attaining the annual average GDP growth of over 7% - a relatively high rate compared with other contries the region and the world in the recent years. The economic growth has enabled us to deal with social issues, gradually improve the population's living standard, efficiently implement the policy of hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, promote education, healthcare and maintain social security and stability for the socio-economic development.

In the process of reform and renewal, Vietnam has pursued the foreign policy of independence, sovereignty, diversification and multilateralization of relations and proactive international economic integration; Vietnam is willing to be a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the world community, striving for peace, independence and development. In that spirit, Vietnam's external relations have unceasingly been expanded and deepened, thus making practical contribution to peace, stability and development in the country as well as in Asia-Pacific. With its active involvement in the trend of international integration, Vietnam has become a dynamic member of ASEAN. It is also a member of APEC, ASEM and has actively been negotiating to join WTO at an earliest time possible. Vietnam is now seeking the support for a non-permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council for 2008-2009. Vietnam’s successful hosting of Francophonie Summit (1997), ASEAN Summit (1999), ASEM 5 (2004) and many other regional and international ministerial meetings as well as its preparation to hold the APEC Summit in 2006 testify to its worthy contribution to the work of the international community. This, at the same time, is the recognition of our country's increasing role and voice in international activities, including those in Asia-Pacific, which is in close connection with Vietnam.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Looking back the relations between Vietnam and the U.S., many of us will probably not take the normalization year of 1995 as the starting point, but perhaps, as former President Clinton mentioned during his visit to Vietnam in the year 2000, prefer to go back to 200 years ago, when Mr. Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Ambassador to France (and he later became the 3rd U.S. President), tried to find Vietnamese rice seeds to plant in his farm in Virginia. Probably, the two sides knew each other since then, and indeed, exchange of visits between the two countries’ trade missions took place in the subsequent years. However, throughout the long history since those days, many opportunities to establish and develop bilateral relations were missed. In the recent years, we have done a lot to overcome the syndrome of war, to narrow down the differences and to gradually build confidence to develop our bilateral relations for the broad benefits of the two peoples. Today, it can be said that the relations between Vietnam and the U.S. have fully been normalized, though in the real sense, I must say, they are yet complete. Ahead, there remains a lot to be done. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some thoughts on the prospect of Vietnam-U.S. relations.

First and foremost, I believe that the fundamental principle of all relations, including those between nations, is equality, mutual benefit, respect, understanding of each other's legitimate interests and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. In the relationship between such a power as the United States and a poor developing country as Vietnam, this principle is very important to build mutual trust between the two sides. I am strongly encouraged by important progress that we have made in the direction of building a stable and long-term bilateral relationship. The year 2003, marked by intense activities in the U.S.-Vietnam relations, has contributed to preparing foundation for the aforesaid trend.

These are the exchange of visits between delegations of Government, Congress, local authorities and mass organisations, which have helped to further enhance mutual understanding and to considerably deepen the substances of discussions at all levels. These visits will undoubtedly be continued in the time to come.

These are the impressive developments in the economic and trade ties attributed by the effective implementation of the Bilateral Trade Ageement (BTA). It is of practical significance that within just two years the two-way trade value surged from 700 million USD to approximately 6 billion USD. The increase of the two-way trade value benefits producers and consumers of both Vietnam and the US.

These are the effective meetings of the two countries' Joint Committees on Development of Economic and Trade Relations and on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and the rapid implementation of projects under the Fulbright Training Program and Vietnam Education Fund.

These are the programs of cooperation on combating terrorism, narcotics, and trafficking in women and children and other trans-national crimes. And in the military field, for the first time since 1975, the U.S. naval ships paid visits to Saigon port in Ho Chi Minh City in 2003 and Danang port in 2004, bringing the military relation between the two countries to a gradual normalization.

These are the humanitarian projects relating to health-care, HIV/AIDS prevention, education and child nutrition, cultural exchange, and tireless efforts in searching information and remains of Americans missing in action in Vietnam.

These are the more frequent and real coordination between the two sides on a number of international and regional issues, especially at the forums of UN, ARF, APEC and other international organizations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The relations of cooperation between Vietnam and the United States not only benifit our two nations, but also contribute to peace, stability, development and cooperation in Asia-Pacific. Vietnam desires to have a stable environment for economic development and this also meets the United States' strategic interest in the region. This is the convergence of interest of our two countries and, therefore, an improvement of Vietnam-U.S. relations will help realize this objective. Vietnam has increasingly become an integral part of peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific and with the current foreign policy of peace and openness, it will undoubtedly join endeavours with other regional countries, including the United States, to make active contributions to the struggle to remove terrorism from the human life. In this regard, I would like to share Ambassador M. Marine's remark when he spoke at the US Senate Committee on foreign relations on April 22, 2004 that "Clearly, a prosperous and vibrant Vietnam, one that assumes a leadership role in contributing to regional and stability, is very much in the interest of the United States and the American people".

However, we can not deny the fact that there remain differences between the two countries on a number of issues, from the concepts of democracy, human rights to trade disputes. Experiences in dealing with differences between our two countries as well as in the international life have shown that the best and most practical way to narrow down and to overcome differences as well as to settle disputes is to conduct constructive dialogues on the basis of equality, respect and understanding of each other’s interests with a broad vision of the two countries' relationship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The overseas Vietnamese Community, half of which resides in the U.S. territory, becomes an important bridge to link our two nations. I am happy to note that within just more than two decades, the overseas Vietnamese community has gained its foothold in the land of the United States, making active contribution to the economic and social development as well as the cultural diversity and richness of the United States, in general and of U.S. states, in particular. Furthermore, every year, hundreds of Vietnamese Americans return to Vietnam to visit their native land and relatives and to seek business opportunities. This is what few people could imagine 10 years ago. On its part, the Vietnamese State always considers the overseas Vietnamese as an inseperated component of the Vietnamese community. This is the principled policy of great national unity of the Vietnamese State. This policy will be the same forever. The Government of Vietnam has been consistant in pursuing a policy of encouraging overseas Vietnamese to visit their native land, to do business and to integrate into the changing life in Vietnam. Time will heal wounds of the past and take away all the hatreds. It is my belief that the Vietnamese community will become a positive factor, making contribution to take Vietnam-U.S. relationship forward. This will also mean that the Vietnamese residing in the United States will together with 80 million compatriots inside the country and the Vietnamese living in other countries be united to strive for a perpetuation and prosperity of the Vietnamese nation.

The government and people of our two countries are making great efforts to build a long-term and stable framework of relations for the future of our two countries. According to the result of the Zogby International poll conducted on January 7, 2004, 75 % of Americans agrees that it is necessary to put aside the differences in the relations with Vietnam in order to start a new era of cooperation between the two countries. On its part, Vietnam has closely been following the guideline, namely Vietnam is willing to be a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the world community, including the United States. This spirit has been manifested in the letter President Ho Chi Minh sent to the American people in January, 1962, in which he wrote: "There is no hatred between the American and Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese people hold you in high regard as you are the first country that raise the flag against colonialism and we wish to establish relations of friendship with you". The current state of relations between Vietnam and the U.S. has been evolving exactly as predicted by President Ho Chi Minh in the latter’s meeting with American journalists in 1967. I am optimistic and convinced that the increasingly strengthened relationship between our two countries is inevitable as it is a demand that serves the broad interests of our two peoples and also meets the present trend of cooperation and integration in the region as well as the world at large.

Thank you for attention and I wish to extend to you my best wishes./.