(VOVworld) A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh visited the US last week, meeting with government leaders, Congressmen and businesses leaders to open up new cooperative opportunities between the two countries.
 |
| US businesspeople show interest in Vietnamese market. Photo: VGP |
Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said during the 4-day visit to Washington from February 8th to the 11th, the Vietnamese delegation carried a message to American politicians and businesspeople that Vietnam is continuing its comprehensive reforms, and proactively integrating into the world. The visit also indicates that Vietnam is pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-determination, multilateralization, and diversification of relations, and deepening its cooperative ties with other countries, including the US . From this year, Vietnam is commited to renewing its growth model and restructuring its economy. The delegation emphasized that in the context of global economic uncertainties, the US needs to work with Vietnam to remove trade barriers for Vietnamese exported goods such as fish, steel pipes and wind turbines. Deputy Foreign Minister Son told our Washington correspondent: “The Deputy Prime Minister’s message is clear. Going forward, Vietnam will continue its policy of curbing inflation, stabilizing macro-economic and ensuring social welfare. Vietnam ’s economy will be restructured and its growth model will be revised. The socio-economic development strategy until 2012 will create 3 breakthroughs: to improve the market mechanism, upgrade infrastructure, and boost human resource development for national industrialization and modernization”.
US politicians expressed their readiness to continue working with Vietnam in economics, trade, investment, science, technology, education, training and charitable activities. They also agreed to close coordination in multilateral and regional forums, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). The US proposed that both sides promptly resolve pending issues in trade relations, and complete negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. During a roundtable discussion on Vietnam-US economic ties with the CEOs of some major American corporations, Deputy Prime Minister Ninh pledged to create favorable conditions for foreign investors. About the prospects of bilateral ties, Deputy Minister Son said: “Both sides exchanged views on specific measures to boost bilateral relations, noting possible cooperative areas and obstacles. With goodwill and keen interest in Vietnam by the US administration and businesses, we believe that our relations with the US will be lifted to a new height in the time to come”
The Vietnamese diplomat added Deputy PM Ninh had met with President pro-tem of the Senate Daniel Inouye, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs Jim Webb, Secretary of Commerce John Bryson, Trade Representative Ron Kirk, World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Naoyuki Shinohara. Son said representatives from these international financial institutions were positive about Vietnam ’s current economic policies: “These organizations spoke highly of Vietnam ’s measures and said that, if the country goes ahead with them, it is likely to bring inflation down to single digits and maintain a reasonable economic growth rate. They agreed to support Vietnam in achieving these goals by sending consultants to the country".
VOV correspondent in the US