HO CHI MINH CITY: US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday urged Vietnam, where he served during the war, to deepen economic reforms and respect human rights as he began a trip aimed at shoring up Southeast Asian ties.
Kerry, whose experiences during the Vietnam War inspired his political activism, hailed the relationship between the former enemies as “stronger than ever” on his first official visit to the nation as the top US diplomat.
“I can’t think of two countries that have worked harder, done more and done better to try and bring themselves together to change history, and change the future,” Kerry told students, businesspeople and reporters at an event in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.
Washington is eager to underscore its commitment to Asia after its “pivot” policy was shaken earlier this year when the US government shutdown forced President Barack Obama to cancel a trip to the region.
Kerry is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi to discuss deepening trade and security ties as part of his three-day visit.
Yesterday, Kerry hailed Vietnam’s “extraordinary” economic transformation since ties were normalised two decades ago.
Vietnam is on the “doorstep of another great transformation,” he said, as negotiators inch closer towards signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership — a vast trade agreement currently under negotiation.
AFP
