On January 10, the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam announced that Ambassador Marc Knapper will conclude his tenure as U.S Ambassador to Vietnam on January 18, 2026.
During Ambassador Marc Knapper’s four-year tenure, Vietnam and the United States upgraded their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023—an unprecedented dual upgrade that elevated bilateral ties to the highest level in Vietnam’s hierarchy of foreign relations.
Ambassador Knapper advanced cooperation across all key areas of the bilateral partnership, with benefits to both countries. These include greatly expanded cooperative efforts in high-tech trade, investment, and infrastructure; significantly deepened defense, law enforcement, and security ties; increased health, education, people-to-people exchanges and disaster relief cooperation.
The United States and Vietnam also continued their robust activities to address the legacies of war, including remediating dioxin contamination, disposing of unexploded ordnance, assisting people with disabilities, and accounting for missing Americans and Vietnamese service members.
Ambassador Knapper’s tenure also included events and activities across Vietnam in 2025 to celebrate the growth, progress, and future-oriented trajectory of U.S-Vietnam relations on the anniversary of 30 years of bilateral relations.
During his term, the United States broke ground on the new U.S. Embassy complex in Cau Giay District, Hanoi—a symbol of the growing relationship and the bright future of U.S–Vietnam relations.
Ambassador Marc Knapper shared: “It has been the honor of a lifetime to contribute to the development and advancement of our bilateral relationship, from my first posting in Hanoi from 2004 to 2007 to today as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Vietnam and meet not only government officials but also students, doctors, farmers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. And I am always impressed by Vietnam’s culture and dynamic vitality".
Expressing pride in the achievements of the U.S. diplomatic mission in advancing and strengthening U.S–Vietnam relations during his tenure, Ambassador Knapper affirmed: “This country will always be a very special place for me and my family".
Previously, in an interview with Public Security Newspaper, Ambassador Marc Knapper revealed that his family has a special connection with Vietnam. His grandmother lived in Saigon for several years, and his father also fought here during the same period. Later, he himself had the opportunity to work in Vietnam, and to this day, his son has also lived here. Thus, four generations of his family have lived in Vietnam.
Ambassador Knapper also shared: “I want to see this country grow and prosper, and I want to see Vietnam continue to reach further. I want to make sure that together we can build a strong foundation for future generations of Americans and Vietnamese".
Ambassador Marc Knapper graduated with honors from Princeton University and also studied at the University of Tokyo. He is fluent in Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese.
He is a senior career diplomat of the U.S Department of State with more than 30 years of diplomatic experience. He previously served in Vietnam as Political Counselor at the U.S Embassy from 2004 to 2007.
Ambassador Marc Knapper has received the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award—the highest diplomatic honor of the United States—along with the President’s Meritorious Service Award and the Department of State’s Linguist of the Year Award.
Minister To Lam receives US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper 
Marc Knapper upbeat about future of Vietnam – US strategic partnership 
