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A U.S. warship has docked in Vietnam�s largest city, becoming the first suchvessel to visit there since the end of the Vietnam War nearly three decadesago, RFA's Vietnamese service reports.
The USS Vandegrift sailed into port under scorching sun in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, as local onlookers watched.
"We are showing the world that former foes can be friends," U.S. Ambassadorto Vietnam Raymond Burghardt told journalists. "We had developed a goodcommercial relationship between our two countries, and it was time to putsome of the other pieces in place. In the future we will work out with theVietnamese government where we go from here, what the next steps are."
The American vessel flew both U.S. and Vietnamese flags, while ship Commander Richard Rogers and the U.S. Embassy Defence and Army Attache Stephen Ball witnessed a wreath-laying at a statue of Vietnam's first president, Ho Chi Minh.
"We are most privileged and honored to be accepting this invitation onbehalf of the United States Navy and the U.S. government," Rogers toldreporters on board the 4,100-ton vessel. "I think this ship visit, as allour ship visits that we do in the Pacific Rim, leads to the normalization of relations between two countries."
The warship belongs to the U.S. Seventh Fleet and sailed from Yokosuka, Japan in early November.
Its visit follows Vietnamese Defense Minister Pham Van Tra�s trip toWashington last week in a bid to revive bilateral military relations. It wasthe first such visit by a leader of the Vietnamese military since theVietnam War ended in U.S. withdrawal and defeat in 1975.#####