On Wednesday evening, the Consulate General
of the United States in Ho Chi Minh City hosted a reception to celebrate the
238th anniversary of American Independence Day (July 4, 1776-July 4, 2014).
The
event, held at the White Palace Convention Center in Phu Nhuan District, was
attended by U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam David Shear and Deputy Chairman of the
Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Manh Ha, along with the diplomatic corps,
the business community from both nations, and local media.
At the
beginning of the ceremony, many people were amazed and impressed by remarks
made in fluent Vietnamese by Consul General Rena Bitter.
In her
address at the event, Rena said there has been major progress in the
relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam over the last year. “As we celebrate
America’s independence tonight, we are also celebrating what we have achieved
together by building a closer relationship between our two countries with many
of you playing a role in making that happen,” she said.
David
Shear, who is expected to conclude his term soon after serving as the U.S.
president’s representative in Vietnam for three years, flew from Hanoi to
deliver his speech at the celebration.
The
U.S. ambassador highlighted the Comprehensive Partnership signed by Vietnamese
State President Truong Tan Sang and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama during
the former’s visit to the White House in Washington last July, saying it was a
sign of the great progress that has been made since the two countries
re-normalized relations in 1995.
According
to David Shear, the economic relationship between the two sides has grown
rapidly with trade growing from US$18 billion to $30 billion during his term
from 2011 to 2014.
The two
nations have also seen great progress in other fields such as education,
tourism, healthcare, and energy.
In the
education field, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung recently approved a
license for Fulbright University, which will be the first American-style
university in Vietnam.
Regarding
the consequences of war, the U.S. and Vietnam has been working together on
Agent Orange remediation at Da Nang International Airport, removing unexploded
ordnance in three provinces, and assisting persons with disabilities throughout
Vietnam.
“This
is the third time I’ve had the honor to host our July 4th celebration, and it
is likely my last, so I’d like to thank you all for your support and
cooperation,” Ambassador David Shear said during his address.
“As I
look out at the faces of the many friends I have worked with over these past
few years, I am optimistic about the prospects for our shared future,” he
elaborated.
For his
part, Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Manh Ha
hailed Ambassador Shear’s contribution to Vietnam-U.S. bilateral relations in
many aspects and wished him all the best for his future career.
The
deputy chairman highly appreciated the achievements, especially the
Comprehensive Partnership, reached by the two countries. He believes that a
bright future awaits the Vietnam – U.S. Comprehensive Partnership given their
joint efforts on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.
For Ho
Chi Minh City alone, Ha pointed out that the city has been a popular
destination for many American investors. As of May 31, 2014 the city is home to
285 American investment projects worth $524.65 million, putting the U.S. in
12th place of all foreign investors.
Quynh
Trung
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
No comments:
Post a Comment