Hanoi(VNA) – US President Donald Trump’s decision to visitVietnam in November 2017 to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)Leaders Meeting marks a new milestone in bilateral relations since the normalisationof diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1995, according the website //asiaplomacy.com.

Inher article recently published by the website, Dr. Lisa Williams, former StaffDirector for the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Subcommittee onAsia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, said unlike any other USPresident since US troops withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, President Trump willvisit Vietnam in the first year of assuming the office of the Presidency.

Thisis an historic move that signals that the US-Vietnam relations are of highpriority, she stressed.

Thearticle said, in a letter sent to President Tran Dai Quang, President Trumpaffirmed his wishes to promote cooperation on economics, trade, regional andinternational issues with Vietnam. Leaders from both nations are keen to expandthe bilateral ties.
TheUS has wide-ranging reasons to deepen ties with Vietnam, and Vietnam has reasonsto reciprocate, the article added.

It noted that, according to the World Bank, Vietnam’sdevelopment record over the past 30 years has been highlighted as remarkable,with its GDP per capita growth rate being among the fastest in the world.

In Asia, Vietnam has advanced relations with India, Japan,the Republic of Korea, China, and other ASEAN member nations, and the country ischairing the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting 2017. |

USSecretary of State Rex Tillerson and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister andForeign Minister Pham Binh Minh have already met to advance the relationshipacross many sectors including security, proliferation, maritime disputes,infectious disease, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, law enforcementcapacity building programs, and people-to-people ties, among other initiatives.With the TPP off the table, continued talks also include trade – bilateral andregional.

Williams said 2017 marks the 50th foundinganniversary of ASEAN and the 40th celebration of the US-ASEAN relations. ASEANin general and Vietnam in particular, are suitable partners for the US to builda more meaningful and substantial relationship.

With respect toVietnam, it is time for the US to get real about addressing Agent Orangecontamination in Vietnam and promote defence cooperation with the SoutheastAsian nation, the article noted.-VNA