STATEMENT FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS
BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, OF STATE RICHARD C. HOLBROOKE
JUNE 13, 1979
I welcome this opportunity to appear before the Sub- committee to discuss US-Vietnamese negotiations on normalization of relations as well as to provide you with an appraisal of the current situation in Indochina.
To begin with, Mr. Chairman, I believe that it would be useful to address briefly the various factors which originally led the Administration to seek improved relations with Vietnam. Soon after taking office, President Carter noted that it was his hope that the United States might eventually have normal diplomatic relations with all
countries. In a similar spirit, I believe, the Congress has also addressed the general desirability of diplomatic relations. Section 607 of the Foreign Relations Authoriza- tion Act, Fiscal Year 1979, states "The Congress finds that the conduct of diplomatic relations with a foreign government has as its principal purpose the discussion and negotiation with that government of outstanding issues and, like the recognition of a foreign government, does not in itself imply approval of that government or of the political-economic
system it represents." Hence, it seems clear that the
Congress and the Administration share the general view that diplomatic relations are a valuable tool for achieving our larger purposes, and that in the absence of overriding reasons
to the contrary, the United States should have relations with all countries.
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