Strategic Partnership

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, walked to a renowned jazz club on Trang Tien Street in Hanoi on the evening of April 15 after meetings with senior Vietnamese leaders. At the jazz club owned by musician Quyen Van Minh, Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, representing the Vietnam-US society, congratulated Mr. Blinken on his early birthday. Attending the reception were Mr. Vu Xuan Hong, former president of VUFO; Mr. Nguyen Hai Giang, editor-in-chief of Vietnam-US Magazine and vice president of the Vietnam-US Society; and many other Vietnamese and American guests.

Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh welcomed Mr. Blinken at the jazz club owned by musician Quyen Van Minh. Mr. Blinken has a passion for music and is an accomplished guitarist. Photo by Huyen Trang

The reception was held in an intimate and exclusive atmosphere. As soon as they entered the club, the Happy Birthday song started playing in celebration of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's birthday. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was born on April 16, 1962. The Foreign Minister of Vietnam, Bui Thanh Son, invited him to visit the country from April 14–16, which was also his 61st birthday.

Jazz artist Quyen Van Minh played the song "In the Mood." Earlier, as soon as they entered the club, the Happy Birthday song was played to celebrate Mr. Blinken's birthday.

The president of the Vietnam-US Society, Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, commented that Mr. Blinken had a strange predestined relationship with the mutual visits of Vietnamese and US senior leaders.

In his capacity as the first United States Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Blinken has witnessed many developments in bilateral relations. In mid-May 2015, Mr. Blinken visited Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City during a four-day trip.

Just under two months later, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited the US on official business at the invitation of former President Barack Obama. In May 2016, former President Obama made his first trip to vietnam after the head of the Vietnamese Communist Party's first visit to the United States.

Vietnamese and American officials, artists, and guests raised their glasses to celebrate the early birthday of Secretary Blinken - Photo by Huyen Trang

Arrangements and preparations for these visits were made by various departments of both countries, including diplomats like Mr. Vinh and Mr. Blinken.

"Whenever Mr. Blinken comes to Vietnam, there are strong expectations for high-level visits and the strengthening of bilateral relations." During his visit to Vietnam in 2015, he was possibly the first American to use the word 'historic' to describe the General Secretary's visit to the US that same year. That visit yielded numerous significant results for the two countries' relationship." Mr. Vinh spoke out.

Mr. Blinken's current visit, according to Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, is a significant step in the present context. After establishing a comprehensive partnership for ten years, bilateral trade has increased by more than tripled, reaching over $100 billion. Trade has grown more than 300 times since 1995, when the two countries normalized relations, and is expected to reach $138 billion in 2022.

Secretary Blinken, according to Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, is a visionary with a profound understanding of Vietnam-US relations and a driving force for the development of bilateral relations. "In the coming time, if both sides can prepare more substantive content for deeper interactions and high-level visits, Vietnam-US relations could witness new breakthroughs, creating momentum for further development," Mr. Vinh believed.

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