III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 607 

Recognizing that in the 25 years since normalizing diplomatic relations, the 

Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the United States of America have 

worked toward increased stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast 

Asia, and expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States 

will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the 

Southeast Asian region. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 4, 2020 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. MARKEY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing that in the 25 years since normalizing diplomatic 

relations, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the 

United States of America have worked toward increased 

stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia, and 

expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States 

will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active 

partner in the Southeast Asian region. 

Whereas cooperation between the Governments and people of 

the United States and Vietnam can help realize their 

common goals of a peaceful, prosperous, and open IndoPacific rooted in a rule-based order that promotes security, opportunity, and respect for sovereignty; 


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•SRES 607 IS 

Whereas Vietnam is serving as the 2020 Chair for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under the 

theme of ‘‘Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN’’, and will 

co-chair the U.S.–ASEAN Special Summit when it is rescheduled from the original planned March 14, 2020, 

date; 

Whereas Vietnam has demonstrated a willingness to stand up 

for freedom of navigation and international law in the 

South China Sea and opened a new chapter in bilateral 

cooperation on these shared goals; 

Whereas Vietnam deployed its first military officers to United 

Nations peacekeeping operations in 2014, and contributed a field hospital to United Nations peacekeeping operations in South Sudan in 2018; 

Whereas both countries have sought to assist each other in 

accounting for the over 1,200 Americans and as many as 

300,000 Vietnamese still missing from the Vietnam War; 

Whereas the United States Government has worked with the 

Government of Vietnam to remove unexploded ordnance 

and to treat victims maimed by it through funding under 

the Leahy War Victims Fund and the Department of 

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Act, 

2019 (division F of Public Law 116–6), including 

$15,000,000 for humanitarian demining operations as 

well as United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs; 

Whereas the United States Government has completed the 

cleanup of dioxin at Da Nang airport, and is working 

with the Government of Vietnam of the cleanup of Bien 

Hoa airport; 


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•SRES 607 IS 

Whereas the United States Government has assisted the Government of Vietnam in strengthening its maritime capabilities, including by providing coast guard vessels and 

assisting the Government of Vietnam in strengthening its 

maritime domain awareness; 

Whereas the United States Government remains committed 

to working with the Government of Vietnam on its compliance with international commitments and obligations 

to protect internationally recognized human rights and 

fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, expression, the press, and assembly, in order to advance the 

fundamental dignity of all people, a key to maintaining 

stability, promoting economic growth, and strengthening 

good governance; 

Whereas, in the 25 years since the United States and Vietnam normalized diplomatic relations, the people of Vietnam have benefited from greater prosperity and integration into the global economy; 

Whereas the United States and Vietnam signed a bilateral 

trade agreement in July 2000, and granted one another 

permanent normal trade relations in 2008, ushering in a 

more than tenfold increase in trade flows in both directions over the past 20 years, exceeding $77,000,000,000 

in 2019; 

Whereas the Governments of the United States and Vietnam 

cooperate on a range of public health issues, particularly 

combating HIV–AIDS under the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, and more broadly on health, governance, education, infrastructure, and environmental issues through 

the Lower Mekong Initiative; 


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•SRES 607 IS 

Whereas, in 2020, Vietnam celebrates 75 years since declaring independence; 

Whereas more than 1,800,000 Vietnamese-Americans have 

made contributions to the United States in a variety of 

fields ranging from law to science to defense and the 

arts; 

Whereas the United States hosts nearly 30,000 young Vietnamese students, the 6th largest group of international 

students studying at United States universities, contributing $1,000,000,000 annually to the United States 

economy; 

Whereas bilateral cooperation transformed debts of the 

former South Vietnamese government to the United 

States into Fulbright University Vietnam, Vietnam’s first 

independent, not-for-profit university; and 

Whereas sister city relationships link our citizens in— 

(1) Seattle, Washington and Haiphong; 

(2) Madison, Wisconsin and Bac Giang; 

(3) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Da Nang; 

(4) San Francisco, California and Ho Chi Minh 

City; 

(5) Oakland, California and Da Nang; 

(6) Angel Fire, New Mexico and Quang Tri Town; 

(7) New Haven, Connecticut and Hue; 

(8) Maryland State, Maryland and Ninh Thuan 

Province; and 

(9) Newport Beach, California and Vung Tau Province (Friendship City): Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms the importance of the United 

3 States-Vietnam comprehensive partnership, includVerDate Sep 11 2014 16:06 Jun 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR607.IS SR607

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•SRES 607 IS 

1 ing the full implementation of provisions of the Asia 

2 Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 

3 115–409) with regard to elevating the United States 

4 relationship with Vietnam; 

5 (2) welcomes Vietnam’s leadership in 2020 as 

6 ASEAN Chair in cooperation with its ASEAN part7 ners, especially as ASEAN and the People’s Repub8 lic of China negotiate a Code of Conduct; 

9 (3) welcomes Vietnam playing a productive role 

10 as a member of the United Nations Security Council 

11 during its 2020–2021 term; 

12 (4) reiterates Congress’ findings in section 401 

13 of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Pub14 lic Law 115–409; 132 Stat. 5407) that— 

15 (A) the promotion of human rights and re16 spect for democratic values in the Indo-Pacific 

17 region is in the United States national security 

18 interest; 

19 (B) continued support for human rights, 

20 democratic values, and good governance is crit21 ical to a successful United States diplomatic 

22 strategy in the Indo-Pacific; 

23 (C) strong support for human rights and 

24 democracy in the Indo-Pacific region is critical 

25 to efforts to reduce poverty, build rule of law, 


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•SRES 607 IS 

1 combat corruption, reduce the allure of extre2 mism, and promote economic growth; and 

3 (D) there are serious concerns with the 

4 rule of law and civil liberties in Vietnam, which 

5 has been identified by Freedom House as ‘‘Not 

6 Free’’; 

7 (5) reaffirms that it is important that Viet8 nam’s rights and interests under international law, 

9 regardless of size, power, and military capabilities, 

10 are respected; and 

11 (6) appreciates Vietnam’s ongoing cooperation 

12 to account for the 1,246 United States service mem13 bers who remain unaccounted for since the Vietnam 

14 War. 

Æ 


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