US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, FranciscoSanchez has confirmed the growing importance of his country’s relationswith Vietnam , at a National Day event in Washington , DC .

“ Vietnam is one of the markets we most want to do business with,”Sanchez said. “It is becoming an increasingly important place to marketour goods and services.”

As a keynote speaker at thereception organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US inWashington D.C. in Sept. 1 evening to mark Vietnam 's 66th NationalDay (Sept. 2), the US Under Secretary highlighted Vietnam 's tremendouscontributions to the international community and the far-reachingachievements made by the United States and Vietnam since the twocountries established diplomatic relations in 1995.

"We share a common national interest in an ever-widening range ofregional and global issues, from security and economic development toclimate change, health and education,” Sanchez said.

“And economically, we’ve made incredible strides since launching theUS - Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement a decade ago.”

The US official noted that the two countries should continue toenhance their bilateral commercial relationship through such forums asAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

He expressed hope that with the help of Vietnam and otherTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiating partners, the US wouldlook forward to finalising a comprehensive agreement that willincorporate a forward-looking approach to doing business, one that canserve as the platform for further APEC integration into the worldeconomy.

Addressing the reception, Vietnam 'sAmbassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong highlighted the achievementsgained by the Vietnamese people over the past 66 years.

"From a country with a name hardly found in any world map, todayVietnam has been widely recognised as a proactive, responsible andreliable partner in the international community,” he said.

“ Vietnam today has been making tremendous progress in building arich people, a strong nation, and a just, democratic and advancedsociety.”

The Vietnamese diplomat said that sincethe establishment of diplomatic relations 16 years ago, Vietnam - USrelations had developed at an unprecedented pace.

"Our political, security and defence ties are growing on a solid basiswith regular senior level dialogues and exchanges,” he said.

“The United States is now Vietnam 's largest export market and oneof our biggest foreign direct investors, while US exports to Vietnamhave seen growth of 20-25 percent annually.

“Wehave grounds to believe that investment and trade ties will grow evenfaster in the years ahead, as we are seriously negotiating theTrans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

“Ourcooperation on science and technology, education, health, climatechange, non-proliferation and counterterrorism is expanding throughinstitutionalised mechanisms,” the ambassador said.

Vietnam topped ASEAN countries in sending students to the United States , with 13,000 students now studying there.

“Multilaterally, we share strategic interests in maintaining andconsolidating peace, stability and development in the region."

The Vietnamese Ambassador expressed hope that Vietnam and the USwould bring the two countries' bilateral relationship to "the nextlevel of engagement and partnership" as stated by President Barack Obamawhen the ambassador presented his credentials on July 7.

The National Day reception was attended by senior US officialsincluding Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy, Assistant Secretaryof State Kurt Campbell, Under Secretary of Defense Michael Vickers,ambassadors of other ASEAN, East Asia Summit (EAS) and TPP countries,American friends and representatives of the Vietnamese community in theUS.

Earlier, on August 31, Secretary of StateHillary Clinton sent her message of congratulations to the Vietnamesepeople, reaffirming that the U.S will continue to be Vietnam ’sfriend and partner./.