US-inspired Coalition Drums Up Support For Vietnam’s WTO Entry
The US-Vietnam WTO Coalition has appealed to US businesses and organizations to lobby for Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization and further improvements in bilateral relations.
The coalition has been initiated by the US-ASEAN Business Council and US-Vietnam Trade Council to improve US-Vietnam ties and facilitate Vietnam’s accession to the WTO.
It has called for support to Vietnam for US congressional passage of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to Vietnam, a key requirement for its WTO entry.
Membership of the coalition is free and open to any American company and organization interested in US – Vietnam relations.
It has so far attracted Boeing, Cargill, Citigroup, FedEx, Ford Motor, GE, JC Penny, New York Life, Nike, Time Warner, and the American Chamber of Commerce.
Its strong support to Vietnam has sent good signals to Vietnamese negotiators who are set to begin a fresh round of WTO talks in Washington next week.
The successful conclusion of the negotiations would pave the way for Vietnam’s PNTR vote to be introduced in the US Congress for passage before the August 2006 recess.
The coalition is a leading source of educational information about PNTR and the WTO accession process, the importance of US-Vietnam relations, and the benefits of Vietnam’s WTO membership for US industrial, service, and agricultural sectors as well as US consumers.
Source: Thanh Nien News - Reported by Xuan Danh
