During the meeting, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen emphasized that Consul General Susan Burns had served a “historic” term, marked by numerous significant milestones in the Vietnam–US relationship. Throughout her three-year tenure, the two nations elevated their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023 and also celebrated 30 years of US-Vietnam diplomatic relations (1995-2025).
In addition, the US Consul General also witnessed several historic moments in Vietnam’s national development, including the country’s upcoming comprehensive administrative reform, set to take effect on July 1, and the anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the Reunification of the Nation (April 30, 1975–April 30, 2025). The remarkable progress in Vietnam–US relations in recent years owes much to the contributions of Consul General Susan Burns.
Mr. Nguyen Van Nen noted that during her tenure, Consul General Susan Burns had traveled to 22 provinces and cities across Vietnam to promote collaborative projects between the two sides in the fields of agriculture, security, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
On behalf of the leadership and people of Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Nguyen Van Nen expressed his gratitude for Consul General Burns’s dedication and support in fostering cooperation between the two nations across a wide range of sectors such as politics, economics, healthcare, education, science, and technology.
The Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee extended his best wishes for Consul General Susan Burns’s health and hoped that she would successfully fulfill all the responsibilities entrusted to her by the US government.
Ms. Susan Burns expressed her gratitude for the warm sentiments extended by the leadership and people of Ho Chi Minh City and recalled her first meeting with the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee in 2022, during which they discussed cooperation on healthcare and the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US Consul General noted these meetings have laid the foundation for bilateral cooperation between the United States and Vietnam.
Consul General Susan Burns expressed her delight at Vietnam’s economy that is getting stronger as well as the strong growth in economic cooperation between the United States and Vietnam, particularly following the elevation of their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The US Consul General praised Ho Chi Minh City’s dynamism and also conveyed her admiration for the city’s preparations for the 50th anniversary celebration of national reunification in the city.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Consul General Susan Burns stated that a friendship exchange program was held in Da Nang on June 22, which is scheduled to be held in Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho.
Vietnam and the US shared similarities in implementing administrative reform. She hoped that these efforts would further strengthen bilateral cooperation and believed that Vietnam would achieve significant developmental milestones in the coming time.
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