Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received newly accredited US Ambassador Marc Knapper in Hanoi on March 30, reported VOV Wednesday.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives US Ambassador Marc Knapper in Hanoi. Photo: VNA

He reaffirmed that the US is one of Vietnam’s most important partners, noting two-way trade surpassed the US$ 100 billion mark last year hitting a record high of US$ 111 billion.

He thanked the US for rolling out tens of millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses and delivering other medical supplies to help Vietnam.

The PM hailed bilateral cooperation in addressing war aftermath as a bright spot in the Vietnam-US relationship, contributing to enhancing trust-building between the two peoples. At the same time, he said responding to climate change has become a strategic cooperation field between the two countries.

In addition, he said cooperation in other areas such as education and training, national security and defense also serves as important prerequisites to promote the two countries’ relations.

For his part, Ambassador Knapper vowed to work hard to ramp up bilateral cooperation in trade & investment, climate change adaptation, infrastructure construction, green and sustainable development, human resource training, and digital transformation among others.

The US will do all it can to support Vietnam, he said, expecting Vietnam’s rapid recovery and sustainable development programme will be a great success, contributing to elevating post-pandemic economic recovery and development in the region.

Knapper also reaffirmed the desire of the US to strengthen cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region as reflected in new strategies and initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

The two sides exchanged views on ASEAN’s positions on ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, known as the Bien Dong Sea in Vietnam, while peacefully settling sea related disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

At the event. Photo: US embassy in Hanoi

On the same day, leading Vietnamese policy makers, influencers, educators, and other key stakeholders working in the field of English language education gathered in Hanoi for a two-day conference on the future of English language teaching and learning in Vietnam.

Hosted by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) from March 30-31, the Vietnam English Language Teaching Forum aims to support Vietnamese educational institutions as they shape the way they teach English in a post-pandemic era.

Speaking at the Forum, US Ambassador to Vietnam Knapper observed, “English is now widely spoken by Vietnam’s large youth population. We can all see young Vietnamese people using English in just about every possible way – in the classroom, on the street, and online in conversations with people from other countries.”

In his opening remarks, the ambassador assured participants of the US Government’s continued support for English language education in Vietnam.

“We know that young people who speak foreign languages well are prepared for academic and professional success. We know that countries with higher levels of English attract more investment and tourism dollars. We see the ways that language can open a whole world of possibilities for future generations,” he said.

Sponsored by the US Embassy in Vietnam’s Regional English Language Office and organized by the VietTESOL Association, the National Foreign Languages Project, and the DAV, the Vietnam English Language Teaching Forum brings leading voices in the Vietnamese English language education community together to identify global, regional, and local trends in education and to discuss challenges and opportunities in English language learning and teaching going forward.

Participants at the conference include Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do, other representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training, the General Department of Vocational Training, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, Provincial Departments of Education and Training, leading universities and vocational training colleges, and influential leaders from the private sector.

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