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Reception of U.S. delegation at Tien Sa port |
The United States delegation was led by Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink, Rear Adm. Stu Baker, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie Damour, and other officials from CSG 9 and the U.S. Mission in Vietnam.
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Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh, Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink at the press conference |
Mr. Ho Ky Minh, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee hosted the ceremony to welcome the U.S. Navy carrier group, which included representatives of Navy Zone 3, Military Region 5, Da Nang Border Guard, Department of Foreign Relations/Ministry of National Defense, Department of Military Medicine and General Department of Logistics, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Da Nang People’s Committee, and other Vietnamese government agencies.
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Representaitves of the two delegations posing for a joint photo |
After the welcome ceremony, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh co-chaired a press conference with Admiral John C. Aquilino.
Minh said local authorities and people warmly welcome the visit by the US naval ships, which is a practical activity to celebrate the 25-year diplomatic relations and promote the bilateral comprehensive partnership between the two countries.
Admiral John C.Aquilino expressed thanks to the city for the warm welcome, especially in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic spreading all over the world.
“This visit follows on the historic 2018 visit of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the first U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam in more than 40 years,” said U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink. “It also comes at an important time in our bilateral relationship. Just 25 years after the normalization of our diplomatic ties, our relationship is the strongest it has ever been.”
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The USS Theodore Roosevelt at Tien Sa port |
Theodore Roosevelt is America’s fourth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier with a crew of 5,000 sailors who support and conduct air operations at sea. The strike group is comprised of a total of 6,500 sailors, an aircraft carrier, an air wing, a cruiser, and six destroyers.
During the visit, which will last until March 9, the US delegation will participate in community activities such as cultural and sport exchanges, and share their expertise and experience in response to incidents, disasters and diseases. They will also visit popular tourism destinations in the city.
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The USS Bunker Hill at Tien Sa port |
The same day, the commanders of the US naval ships paid a courtesy visit to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Duc Tho.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is the second US Navy aircraft carrier to visit Da Nang over the past three years, after the USS Carl Vinson in March 2018.
Reported by Hoang Linh