Third Annual Dialogue: US, Southeast Asian Nations Heal Wounds of War

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Coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the upgraded US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership and in anticipation of the 30th anniversary of bilateral normalization in 2025, the US Institute of Peace (USIP) convened its third annual dialogue on October 11-12. The theme of this year's dialogue was war legacies and peace in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

This event comes on the heels of a recent bilateral meeting between Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joe Biden on September 25 at the United Nations General Assembly.

Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung delivers a speech at the one-year anniversary celebration of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership in New York last September. Photo: VNA

This year's dialogue focused on two key themes, assessing the first year of the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership and the release of USIP's report on US-Vietnam reconciliation.

Additionally, the event featured discussions on regional cooperation among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia with the US, the initiative to account for the missing and deceased from the Vietnam War, people-to-people diplomacy, support for the disabled and war survivors in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, cooperation on displaying war legacies at the War Remnants Museum, progress in bomb clearance and environmental remediation, Vietnamese Americans and the war legacy, transnational crime, human trafficking, and online fraud in Southeast Asia.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung highlighted the effective cooperation between the two countries, not only in addressing the aftermath of war but also in other areas since the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership. He expressed gratitude to the US for sharing documents to help find the remains of Vietnamese soldiers.

Both Ambassador Dung and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper emphasized that 2025 marks not only the 30th anniversary of the normalization of relations but also the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, making the achievements thus far all the more remarkable. The dialogue, which focused on assessing the first year of the Comprehensive Partnership and the release of USIP's report on US-Vietnam reconciliation, also included discussions on a wide range of issues related to regional cooperation, war legacies, and people-to-people exchanges.

Renowned author David Maraniss was a keynote speaker at the forum in Burlington. Photo: VNA

Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, announced that the committee has approved a bill providing US$73 million to support bomb clearance efforts in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

He affirmed the US Congress's commitment to assisting Vietnam in addressing the legacy of war, including bomb clearance, support for Agent Orange victims and disabled children, and the search for missing service members. This, he said, not only helps heal past wounds but also enables cooperation with Vietnamese partners on current and future challenges.

Meanwhile, Jed Royal, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, highlighted the deepening defense cooperation, and shared security interests between the two nations.

A crucial part of defense cooperation involves continuing to address the legacy of the Vietnam War, including searching for missing in action personnel, both American and Vietnamese, as well as dioxin remediation, unexploded ordnance clearance, and raising public awareness about the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

Compared to last year's USIP-organized workshop, this year's event attracted more attention, with attendees including members of Congress, state representatives, both the US and Vietnamese ambassadors, and representatives from various sectors and organizations. This demonstrates the high level of interest from both sides.

In addition, USIP organizes workshops and seminars on US-Vietnam relations, attracting significant attention from the American public and media. These events offer the best opportunity to showcase the progress in bilateral relations, particularly the implementation of specific commitments following the elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership.

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