July 11 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Over the last quarter century, our two countries have built a partnership and friendship founded on shared interests, mutual respect, and people-to-people ties. Our everyday interactions are highlighted by increasing trade and investment ties, strategic cooperation, and collaboration on humanitarian and legacy of war issues, including the solemn duty of accounting for our wartime missing. In recent years, we have strengthened and expanded our Comprehensive Partnership, based on a shared vision of a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific region, as well as respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems. We commend Vietnam for its outstanding Chairmanship of ASEAN this year, especially in coordinating ASEAN's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and issues related to economic recovery.
The ties between the American and Vietnamese peoples grow deeper every year. America's vibrant and engaged Vietnamese-American community makes our country strong and prosperous. We value the cross-cultural role played by the nearly 30,000 Vietnamese students studying in the United States and more than 1,200 Americans studying in Vietnam annually. We look forward to Fulbright University Vietnam graduating its first class of undergraduates in 2023. We also look forward to the imminent conclusion of an agreement that will bring Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time ever, fostering stronger ties between our peoples.
The people of Vietnam have twice welcomed President Trump to Hanoi, and expressed their confidence in the President and the American people to work with our partners and allies to bring about a new era of prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. We are committed to that goal and to making the next 25 years of bilateral ties a model of international cooperation and partnership.
