US Secretary of State John Kerry said progress on human rights would lead to a closer relationship between the United States and Vietnam on Friday.
In a speech in Hanoi to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Mr Kerry said, “progress on human rights and the rule of law will provide the foundation for a deeper and more sustainable strategy and strategic partnership between the United States and Vietnam.”
“Only you can decide the pace and the direction of this process of building this partnership, but I’m sure you’ve noticed that America’s closest partnerships in the world are with countries that share a commitment to certain values,” he added.
The Secretary of State, a former US officer who served in Vietnam, also said the two countries have now reconciled. Trade between the two countries now reaches $36 billion, from $451 million some two decades ago, reports the New York Times.
However, Mr Kerry said more had to be done. “The United States recognizes that only the Vietnamese people can determine their political system,” he said. “But there are basic principles we will always defend: No one should be punished for speaking their mind so long as they are peaceful; and if trading goods flow freely between us, so should information and ideas.”
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, who addressed a joint press conference with Mr Kerry, said that human rights in Vietnam had to be viewed with a “cultural context”.
“We hope the United States will fully lift the embargo on lethal weapons,” he added.
Mr Kerry had said "with respect to the lethal weapons, any further steps obviously will be tied to political progress".