Marking 20 years of normalised Vietnam-US relations   (VOV) - A solemn February 11 ceremony in Washington DC has celebrated the 20th anniversary of normalizing Vietnam-US ties (1994–2014). Three hundred guests including senators, congresspersons, officials, diplomats, business leaders, non-governmental organisation representatives, and the US negotiation delegation for the Trans-Pacific Strategic Partnership Agreement (TPP) negotiations gathered to mark the occasion.  Former US President Bill Clinton, whose administration lifted the embargo against Vietnam in 1994, and former US State Secretary Hillary Clinton, sent letters and video greetings acknowledging the anniversary. They hope the US-Vietnamese relationship will continue to flourish and grow for the benefit and prosperity of both nations. In his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong recalled President Clinton’s February 3 announcement lifting the trade embargo, citing it as a significant landmark in the history of bilateral relations.   Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong and US politicians at the ceremony In a recent letter to former President Clinton, President Truong Tan Sang said the decision closed a difficult chapter in the two countries’ history and opened up a new era of mutually beneficial friendship contributing to peace and prosperity in the Asian Pacific region. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Senator John McCain, the two war veterans renowned for their tireless efforts to foster Vietnam-US relations, highlighted the historical significance of the trade embargo’s end. Representatives from General Electric (GE) Group and the US Chamber of Commerce described lifting the trade embargo as the essential initial step that made the two countries’ valuable present day relationship possible. Since establishing a comprehensive partnership framework in 2013, two-way trade turnover has grown to nearly US$30 billion, 130 times higher than turnover in 1994.   Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong presents insignia to an American friend Vietnam is currently the US’s 29th biggest trade partner. Bilateral trade grows at an annual 20 percent. US exporters ship approximately 1,800 containers of products to Vietnam every year. In 2013, a group of Vietnamese companies signed contracts to purchase US wind turbines worth US$2.6 billion, creating tens of thousands of US manufacturing jobs. US investment in Vietnam totalled US$11 billion last year and placed the US seventh on the list of the Southeast Asian nation’s foreign investors. VOV