Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the U.S. and Vietnam are at a point of “demarcation” in their relationship, and have evolved past the war that tore both countries apart decades ago.
“For many years I have looked forward to a period when people would hear the word ‘Vietnam’ and think of a country more than a conflict,” Kerry said on Tuesday as he accompanied President Obama on his three-day trip to Vietnam.
“I think it’s a demarcation point,” Kerry said. “The United States and Vietnam no longer define their relationship by the enmities of a bygone era.”
Kerry said lifting the lethal weapons embargo against Vietnam was the right move.
“It’s normal,” Kerry said. “We don’t have lethal weapons bans with countries” with which the U.S. has normalized relations, he said.
“It’s very important to allow Vietnam to stand up and defend itself,” Kerry said.
The relationship “is really nothing short of transformational, “said Kerry, a Vietnam War veteran.
Kerry on Tuesday wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, along with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Sen Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., praising the way both countries have transitioned from being enemies on the battlefield to partners on economics and security issues.
