Strategic trust and prophecy about East-West relations
VGP - A famous prophecy in the 19th century by Rudyard Kipling about the East-West relations “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet” seems wrong when it comes to say about the Viet Nam-France age-old relationship.
The hundred year-long relations will continue its course, surely, and the fresh establishment of strategic partnership between the two countries during PM Dung’s official visit to France will be always recounted as a great, memorable milestone in history.
In a speech delivered at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) on September 24 during his visit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s descriptive words about the two countries’ past as having experienced ‘ups and downs’ through lots of ‘storms’ and ‘difficulties’ and even ‘grief’ are seen as open comments on the history of bilateral ties.
The difficulty-ridden, sad past could not last forever when the fruitful outcomes of the current bilateral relations are real, valuable and respectable. As PM Dung said, the relations between Viet Nam and France have become a symbol of courage to put behind and overcome the past and it came out to set an example of the East-West cooperation.
Accidentally, the bilateral relations have seen steps forward every two decades. Nearly 20 years after the Dien Bien Phu victory, the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973. President François Mitterrand visited Viet Nam in 1993. And, the two countries established their strategic partnership in 2013.
Also in the speech, PM Dung again laid stress on building strategic trust among partners, which he once underscored at the Shangri-La Dialogue in May, this year.
His clear statement about strategic trust, which was verified by the two countries’ establishment of strategic partnership, impressed IFRI Executive Director Dominique David.
It can be affirmed that trust has enabled both nations to ride through the storms and difficulties they encountered in the past. Notably, PM Dung, in the speech, placed trust before even historical, cultural and human values when naming the foundations needed for strategic partnership.
Strategic trust can help resolve all issues in international relations. Without it, Rudyard Kipling’s prophecy about human beings’ separation can haunt the world for a long, long time./.
By Vien Nhu
