US Ambassador Marc Knapper Awarded Việtnam’s Friendship Order
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: US Ambassador to Việtnam Marc Evans Knapper on Tuesday was awarded Việtnam’s Friendship Order in recognition of his contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the two countries during his tenure.
The honour was conferred by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung, on behalf of State President Lương Cường, at a ceremony held in Hànội.
The Friendship Order is a prestigious award of the Vietnamese State, bestowed on foreign individuals and collectives for outstanding contributions to fostering friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between Việtnam and other countries.
At a reception for the outgoing ambassador following the ceremony, Minister Trung praised Knapper’s significant role in advancing Việtnam–US relations, particularly the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023. He noted that the ambassador’s proactive engagement helped create strong momentum for cooperation across a wide range of areas, including politics and diplomacy, trade and economy, defence and security, education and training, science and technology, humanitarian cooperation, and post-war recovery efforts.
The minister reaffirmed that Việtnam places great importance on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the United States and called for continued close coordination to effectively implement high-level agreements, based on mutual respect for each country’s independence, sovereignty, and interests, for the sake of peace, cooperation, and development at both regional and global levels.
In his remarks, Ambassador Knapper thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant Vietnamese agencies for their close cooperation and support over the past four years. He expressed pride in having contributed to the strong development of bilateral relations and affirmed that, in any capacity, he would remain a friend of Việtnam and continue to support the growth of Việtnam–US ties.
