Socialist Republic of Vietnam

By James Morrison,
The Washington Times, November 13, 2003

The U.S. secretary of veterans affairs joined the Vietnamese ambassador on Veterans Day to mark another landmark in the evolving relations between Washington and Hanoi, 30 years after the last American troops left Vietnam.

Anthony J. Principi, a combat-decorated Vietnam veteran, stood with Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien under a portrait of Ho Chi Minh at the ambassador's residence at a reception for Vietnam's defense minister, Gen. Phan Van Tra.

"This first visit by the Vietnamese defense minister to the United States is an event of historic importance in the relationship between Vietnam and the United States," Mr. Chien said.

"The visit marks the full normalization of the bilateral relationship after three decades since the end of the war. With efforts made by both countries, the diplomatic relations and relations in areas such as trade and investment, science and technology, education and training and defense have been restored and developed."

Gen. Tra visited Washington at the invitation of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld. He also met with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly.

Mr. Chien said, "The hope of the government and people of Vietnam, as repeatedly stressed by Gen. Tra at his meetings with high-ranking U.S. officials, is to establish a long-lasting and stable relationship between Vietnam and the United States [and] to make the younger generations in both countries better understand each other, not to repeat the past and to maintain peace and stability for join economic development and prosperity."