PANO – On the sidelines of the bilateral conference “Vietnam-US relationship: For 20 more successful years” held on January 26th in Hanoi, Former US Ambassador to Vietnam Pete Peterson told the press, “Vietnam is not a war; it’s a country, and a very nice country!” On this important event marking 20years of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties, the People’s Army Newspaper Online would like to present an interview with former US Ambassador.
Former US Ambassador to Vietnam Pete Peterson
– Reporter: Can you please elaborate on the difficulties in the initial stage of the normalization?
– Ambassador Peterson: Vietnam and the United States held different views in various fields. Both sides found it difficult to lay the common ground for cooperation then. However, the two sides managed to overcome the obstacles and built up the firm relations that we see today.
– Reporter : As the first US ambassador to Vietnam since the normalization, what was the biggest obstacle to you?
– Ambassador Peterson: What I found most difficult was to get the leadership of Vietnam to recoginize that I was trustworthy, recognize my deep respect to the Vietnamese people, and my very strong desire to turn the two countries into good friends.
– Reporter: How is Vietnam important in US policies?- Ambassador Peterson: Vietnam is a key player in American foreign policies due to its strategic geopraphic position in South East Asia. In the future, Vietnam may play a key role in maintaining peace and sustainable development in the region. And that’s what we are looking for.
– Reporter: Do you agree that the United States should completely remove the ban on lethal weapon sales to Vietnam?- Ambassador Peterson: I actually do because I agreed with that many years ago. And even when I took office in Vietnam, I made that suggestion to my government. It just wasn’t the right time. Now, I am happy to see that part of the ban has been lifted. Let us hope that the ban will be completely lifted soon.
- Reporter: What are the feelings of the American people about Vietnam?- Ambassador Peterson: There have been a lot of Americans visiting Vietnam and finally the American people have come to the conclusion that “Vietnam is not a war; it’s a country, and a very nice country!”
- Reporter: Can you share your feelings coming to Vietnam on this occasion when both countries are preparing for the 20th anniversary of the normalization?- Ambassador Peterson: What we see today has been made possible by the great efforts of a lot of people in much difficult situations, which is so admirable. I am proud to be here today, for I was part of this relationship. And I still remain part of the relationship because I come back here about every two months. I walk on the streets with the people. I join charitable activities. I know Vietnam very well; and I see the progress. I am so proud of making my contribution to improving the relationship over the past 20 years.
- Reporter: Thank you very much!Interviewed by Ha Ngoc Rewritten by Huu Duong
Đăng ký: VietNam News
