Vietnam to resume WTO talks with U.S. later this month
Later this month Oct. 26 to 28, Vietnam will resume bilateral trade negotiations with the U.S., which will take Vietnam a step closer to becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
By the end of this week, Vietnamese Deputy Trade Minister Luong Van Tu will fly to the American capital city, Washington DC, to carry out talks, according to the Trade Ministry.
“We have a great advantage after concluding talks with the European Union,” said Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, an economic expert at Vietnam’s Central Economic Management Institute. “Now many countries have a good understanding of Vietnam’s situation,” he said.
Other economists also said that concluding negotiations with the U.S. is a practical prospect.
However, a leading negotiator of Vietnam said it was still too soon to confirm anything, as “EU is EU, and the U.S. is the U.S.” “The negotiating processes between Vietnam and the two sides are very different,” he stressed.
A day before the talks begin, Dorothy Dwoskin, leading U.S. negotiator on a variety of trade policy issues in the WTO, and other high-ranking officials of the U.S. Trade Representatives will hear the opinions of Vietnam’s entry to the WTO from the Vietnam – U.S. Trade Council and the U.S. – ASEAN Trade Council.
The two agencies represent hundreds of leading businesses in the U.S.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Vietnam recently pledged to support the country’s entry to the WTO.
Vietnam hopes to join the global trade body in 2005.
Reported by Xuan Danh – Translated by Hieu Trung.
Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 20 October, 2004, 23:05:31 (GMT+7)
Copyright Thanh Nien News
