Former US President Bill Clinton returns to Hanoi

VietNamNet Bridge – Mr. Bill Clinton returned to Hanoi on November 14 the second time as the President ofClinton Foundation, after his visit in 2006.

He met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and talked with nearly 600 students of the Hanoi Foreign TradeUniversity and the Institute for International Relations the same day.

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his wife, also paid two visits to Vietnam in the last three months.

Fifteen years ago, Clinton made a historical decision to normalise the relations between Vietnam and the USand then lifted the trade? embargo on Vietnam.

At the talks with Vietnamese students, the former US President recalled his recent meetings with President Nguyen Minh Triet on the sideline of the US General Assembly meeting in New York, his meetings with PM Nguyen Tan Dung and many memories with Vietnam.

He said he was glad when he and his wife returned to Vietnam this year in various roles to promote the ties between Vietnam and the US.

In the last 15 years, Vietnam and the US exchanged five high-ranking visits. Clinton said that the year 2010 marked the 15^th anniversary of Vietnam-US relations, the 10^th anniversary of the Bilateral Trade Agreement and the fifth anniversary of the Clinton Foundation in Vietnam.

Clinton said that Vietnam and Vietnamese people secure a special position in his heart and as an “American citizen” he would try to promote the bilateral ties as he did as the US President in the past.

At the meeting with PM Nguyen Tan Dung, both sides discussed active developments in the Vietnam-US relationship after 15 years of normalization, prospects for the future and the Clinton Foundation activities inVietnam related to HIV/AIDS prevention and climate change.

Clinton was impressed at the significant changes in Vietnam since his last visit to the country in 2005. He affirmed that the Clinton Foundation will continue to help Vietnam in HIV/AIDS prevention, expand cooperation in coping with climate change and manage water resources, especially in the Mekong region.

PM Dung also highlighted President Clinton’s support in normalizing and building Vietnam-US friendship partnership and thanked Mr. Clinton and his Foundation for their charitable activities in Vietnam.

PM Dung confirmed that Vietnam has always attached much importance to developing relations with the US and hopes to improve friendship and cooperation in all fields in the future. He also asked the US to continue to helpVietnam overcome the aftermath of war, including the consequences of Agent Orange.

Since 2005, the Clinton Foundation has directly helped Vietnam in perfecting its system for treating HIV/AIDS and improved health workers’ skills in diagnosing, taking care of and treating people living with HIV/AIDS inVietnam. The Foundation has also implemented a climate change initiative to support the country’s two major cities Hanoi and HCM City.