Socialist Republic of Vietnam

STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESMAN OF THE VIETNAMESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

On 15 July 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives approved several amendments to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of the 2004 – 2005 fiscal year, including one concerning Vietnam which imposes human rights conditions on and links them to non-humanitarian assistance to Vietnam.

Vietnam strongly protests and resolutely rejects this amendment. This is a serious infringement on fundamental principles of international law and relations between and among states. This act has also revived a dangerous and unacceptable precedence in international relations, which ties political conditions to economic, trade, cultural and educational relations. This amendment blatantly distorts the situation in Vietnam, hurting the self-respect of the Vietnamese people and grossly interfering into the internal affairs of Vietnam, a member of the United Nations and ASEAN and a partner of the U.S.

This amendment may adversely affect the currently growing cooperation between Vietnam and the U.S., even in such areas of concern to the U.S. as counter-terrorism, anti-transnational crimes, counter-narcotics, MIA accounting and other humanitarian issues.

This amendment is an attempt of some individuals to intentionally interfere into the domestic affairs of Vietnam, hindering the progress being made in the relationship between the two countries, counter-running the interests of the Vietnamese and American peoples, and will undoubtedly be condemned by the public, including the American people.

The relationship between Vietnam and the U.S. is established between two sovereign states, which can only grow on the basis of mutual respect for independence and sovereignty, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefits. In that spirit, we demand the U.S. Government take appropriate measures to prevent this negative trend and call upon the U.S. Senate not to adopt this wrongful amendment.

Hanoi, 16 July 2003