HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) held a gathering on July 9 to mark the 248th Independence Day of the US (July 4, 1776 - 2024).

HUFO Vice President Pham Xuan Hoang An said the celebration was meaningful to people of not only the US but also around the world who treasure the values of freedom, democracy, and independence.

This is a clear demonstration of the long-standing friendship and sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and the US, the official said.

The past years have witnessed many great strides and steady progress in bilateral relations, especially the recent elevation of their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which An described as a breakthrough opening up numerous opportunities for more intensive collaboration in various areas like trade, investment, science - technology, defence, security, and people-to-people diplomacy.

The new partnership emphasises both countries’ commitment to promoting stronger relations for the sake of the two peoples’ shared interests as well as regional and global peace and stability, he noted.

Basing on the countries’ sound relations, HCM City is proud of its close connections with its twin cities such as San Francisco and New York. Their cultural, economic, and educational exchanges have helped diversify the Vietnam - US ties and generated practical benefits for both, the HUFO official went on.

HCM City believes that the two sides will create more favourable conditions for cultural exchanges, helping deepen mutual understanding and all-round cooperation between the two countries, An added.

Applauding the strong advances in the US - Vietnam relations, Acting Deputy Consul General of the US in HCM City Christian Le said 2025 will mark the 30th year since the normalisation of the bilateral diplomatic relationship, and that their partnership has never been so good like at present. The countries have switched from a history of conflict and division to a comprehensive strategic partnership covering multiple fields, including politics, security, economy, education, and people-to-people links.

She noted some positive results of the cooperation in education, war aftermath settlement, trade, investment, and green economy development. A highlight of the partnership is people-to-people ties as seen in the creation of opportunities for each other’s students and the formation of safe supply chains for small enterprises of the countries.

🌳 The US wishes to work with the Vietnamese Government and people to seize this possibility in the coming years for the development of a strong, prosperous, independent, and resilient Vietnam, according to the diplomat./.