Nguyen Dy Nien - Minister of Foreign Affairs S.R.V

(Article written for the Washington Times)

The Vietnamese people, generations after generations throughout their history have recorded great accomplishments in the national construction, development and security. Fifty-nine years ago, the August Revolution gave birth to the first democratic republic in Southeast Asia with the famous Declaration of Independence quoting from the 1776 Declaration of Independence of the United States of America an immortal statement which reads: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". From a country unknown in the world map, Viet Nam now joins the international community as a full-fledged member. Through the perseverant struggle for freedom, independence, development and integration, a new independent, free and democratic Viet Nam has emerged, dynamically and increasingly knitting itself into the region and the world.

Viet Nam's diplomacy always plays an active role in the national history. Characterized by peace, friendship and tolerance inherited from historical and diplomatic traditions and national cultural quintessence, it thrives on the age-old civilization imbued with the national identity, Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, the engenius foreign policy and the just cause of national development. And it takes pride in serving the goal of building a strong country with rich people, a just, democratic and advanced society, and with the wish to be a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the international community.

Though the 21^st century is still very young, the humankind has become more and more aware of old and new issues to be addressed, difficulties to be overcome, as well as opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the process of policy-making and implementation. In an increasingly globalized world, every nation must, by itself, seek an appropriate approach to development, security and international integration with a view to safeguarding its own interests. No single soul, however strong, will be able to row the boat across this increasingly interdependent world and by the same token, no-one, however weak, will be denied a place on that boat.

Viet Nam's diplomacy, a driving force and resource for national socio-economic development, serves as a bridge between a Viet Nam of peace and cooperation and the world. In the same vein, it is always in the forefront in the process of regional and international integration, thus actively and responsibly contributing to the common cause of development in the world. Historical and cultural traditions, the achievements of Doi Moi (Renovation) and enhanced international position represent the valuable assets and an important leverage for Viet Nam's diplomacy to advance in the 21^st century. The goals and orientation of Viet Nam's foreign policy as enshrined in the documents adopted at the 11^th National Assembly proceed from the right perception of the relations between Viet Nam and the world. Viet Nam is making pain-taking efforts to develop and integrate into the world, therefore making worthy contributions to global peace and cooperation in the process.

We are now in the fast lane of profound changes in the 21^st century. Peace can only be maintained and cooperation strengthened when all countries in the world community are engaged in constructive endeavors, when all legitimate interests of those concerned recognized and guaranteed, and when fundamental principles of international law respected. Only by so doing can we eliminate potential conflicts of interest, address differences and overcome the consequences of past wars and violence. Only by so doing again can mutual trust and confidence in a bright future be nurtured for us all.

The future of Viet Nam is in the hands of its people, which is inseparable from the common future of the humankind. With that conviction, Viet Nam is looking forward to the future, striving to develop and integrate into the world, wishing to become a friend and reliable partner in the international community, and has likewise truly become a friend and reliable partner of all countries, particularly with the United States. Relations between Viet Nam and the United States, between the two peoples, have dated back a long time and experienced numerous vicissitudes due to the twists of historical ups and downs. Since the normalization of diplomatic relations, Viet Nam and the United States have together made encouraging progress in improving and deepening the bilateral relations in the common interest of both countries. Such common interest is of long-term and strategic importance to both countries from all perspectives, not just in economic, trade and/or investment ones. What lies ahead in Viet Nam-US relations will be more potential and durable compared to what has been achieved over the last ten years. There remain numerous problems to solve, hurdles and obsessions to overcome and lots of opportunities to grasp. Consistent with its foreign policy, Viet Nam is ready to shelve the past and look forward to the future in its relations with the United States. We believe that many Americans wish to do so as well. We should let bygone be bygone as history cannot be re-written while the future definitely belongs to us./.