According to the full text of President Joe Biden's speech at the United Nations General Assembly session posted on the White House website, President Joe Biden began by reviewing his long-standing political career, from his first election to the US Senate in 1972 - when the US was still fighting in Vietnam.
"I was 29 years old and we were living in a pivotal, tense and uncertain time. The world was divided by the Cold War and war was about to break out in the Middle East. America was fighting in Vietnam and this was the longest war in the country's history at that time" - President Joe Biden shared.
US President Joe Biden mentioned his visit to Vietnam in September 2023, when the two countries upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
"Last year in Hanoi, I met with Vietnam's leaders and we upgraded our partnership to the highest level. It is a testament to the resilience of human passion and the ability to reconcile after conflict. Today, the United States and Vietnam are friends and partners. It also proves that behind the horrors of war, there is still a way forward. Everything can be better" - President Joe Biden shared.
This is Mr. Joe Biden's final speech at the United Nations General Assembly as President of the United States, before the end of his term on January 20, 2025.
Previously, on September 19, 2023, in his speech at the high-level discussion of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA, President Joe Biden highlighted the Vietnam-US relationship, emphasizing that no one could imagine that one day the US President would stand next to the Vietnamese leader in Hanoi and declare his commitment to promoting cooperation at the highest level.
This is a testament to how countries can overcome the past, from adversaries to partners to jointly address challenges and heal wounds.
From this lesson, President Joe Biden affirmed that the US is ready to cooperate with countries to resolve disputes and the US is committed to promoting multilateralism to address global challenges.
