The Prime Minister thanks Mr. John McAuliff and friends for their efforts in people-to-people diplomacy with Vietnam over the past half century. Photo: VOV

At the meeting in New York city as part of his visit to the US and UN, PM Chinh said the war consequences still haunt Vietnam to this day. There are still three million people suffering from the impacts of Agent Orange, not to mention the risks of continuing diseases and deformities afflicting future generations, and millions of hectares of contaminated land, he said.

The PM expressed gratitude for McAuliff and American friends who have supported Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange and assisted Vietnam in handling war consequences.
The PM said he hopes the American friends to have more robust, effective measures and practical programs to address the most urgent issues in handling war legacies – including the decontamination of Bien Hoa airbase, livelihood support for the Agent Orange victims, and support for genetic analysis to identify martyrs.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with representatives of American friends supporting Agent Orange victims in Vietnam. Photo: VOV

Receiving leftist US friends, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Vietnam is steadfast in its goals of "rich people, strong country, fair society, democracy, and civilization; building the country on the basis of three pillars: a socialist rule of law state, socialist democracy, and a socialist-oriented market economy.

After more than 35 years of renewal, Vietnam has gained great historical achievements. Vietnam has become the fourth largest economy in ASEAN and one of the 20 economies with the largest commercial scale in the world. People's lives are constantly improving, people increasingly believe in the leadership of the Party, the management of the State, and in the increasingly developing future of the country. The Prime Minister suggested that the US friends continue to promote and contribute more to the development of the Vietnam-US relations on the basis of respect for each other's institutions, independence and sovereignty as what the US wishes Vietnam to be powerful, prosperous and independent.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also answered questions from US friends regarding world issues and bilateral relations. He affirmed that Vietnam respects the independence and sovereignty of other countries; expresses international solidarity for democracy, justice and social progress; for peace, security, safety and stability in the region and around the world.