Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The Vietnamese Embassy in the US on Feb. 9 held a get-together to celebrate the Vietnamese New Year Festival (Tet), which fell on Feb. 5 this year.

The function drew around 300 guests including representatives from the National Security Council, Mr. Kenneth Liberthal, Special Assistant and Senior Director for Asian Affairs; Departments of State, Mr. Stanley Roth, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Mr. Ralf Leo Boyce, Deputy Assistant of State; and Department of Defense, Gen. Bob John, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense on MIA-POW;Chiefs of Foreign Liaison Divisions of Navy and Air-forces; and ASEAN Ambassadors to the US; representatives of many NGOs; a number of American business people, many American friends and overseas Vietnamese in the US.

On the occasion, Ambassador Le Van Bang spoke highly of the socio-economic, political and cultural achievements recorded by the Vietnamese people in 1999. He said that the multi-facetted cooperation between the two countries Vietnam and the US has been steadily developing. In 1999, the two countries signed a number of agreements, including an agreement on banking cooperation and agreed in principal a bilateral trade agreement with the aim of creating a new basis for further development of the relationship between Viet Nam and the US.

Ambassador Le Van Bang expressed thanks to the US government for its pratical assistance to Viet Nam's central provinces which were hit hard by consecutive floods in November and December last year. He said he hoped that the two countries' cooperative ties would be constantly developed this year in the interest of the two peoples.

The Vietnamese Ambassador thanked the overseas Vietnamese in the US for their assistance to the homeland.