Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Former US President Bill Clinton returns to Hanoi | Look At Vietnam

Monday, November 15, 2010

Former US President Bill Clinton returns to Hanoi | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Mr. Bill Clinton returned to Hanoi on November 14 the second time as the President of Clinton Foundation, after his visit in 2006.

He met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and talked with nearly 600 students of the Hanoi Foreign Trade University and the Institute for International Relations the same day.

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his wife, also paid two visits to Vietnam in the last three months.

Fifteen years ago, Clinton made a historical decision to normalise the relations between Vietnam and the US and then lifted the trade? embargo on Vietnam.

At the talks with Vietnamese students, the former US President recalled his recent meetings with President Nguyen Minh Triet on the sideline of the US General Assembly meeting in New York, his meetings with PM Nguyen Tan Dung and many memories with Vietnam.

He said he was glad when he and his wife returned to Vietnam this year in various roles to promote the ties between Vietnam and the US.

In the last 15 years, Vietnam and the US exchanged five high-ranking visits. Clinton said that the year 2010 marked the 15^th anniversary of Vietnam-US relations, the 10^th anniversary of the Bilateral Trade Agreement and the fifth anniversary of the Clinton Foundation in Vietnam.

Clinton said that Vietnam and Vietnamese people secure a special position in his heart and as an “American citizen” he would try to promote the bilateral ties as he did as the US President in the past.

At the meeting with PM Nguyen Tan Dung, both sides discussed active developments in the Vietnam-US relationship after 15 years of normalization, prospects for the future and the Clinton Foundation activities in Vietnam related to HIV/AIDS prevention and climate change.

Clinton was impressed at the significant changes in Vietnam since his last visit to the country in 2005. He affirmed that the Clinton Foundation will continue to help Vietnam in HIV/AIDS prevention, expand cooperation in coping with climate change and manage water resources, especially in the Mekong region.

PM Dung also highlighted President Clinton’s support in normalizing and building Vietnam-US friendship partnership and thanked Mr. Clinton and his Foundation for their charitable activities in Vietnam.

PM Dung confirmed that Vietnam has always attached much importance to developing relations with the US and hopes to improve friendship and cooperation in all fields in the future. He also asked the US to continue to help Vietnam overcome the aftermath of war, including the consequences of Agent Orange.

Since 2005, the Clinton Foundation has directly helped Vietnam in perfecting its system for treating HIV/AIDS and improved health workers’ skills in diagnosing, taking care of and treating people living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. The Foundation has also implemented a climate change initiative to support the country’s two major cities Hanoi and HCM City.

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“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.