Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has recommended the United States recognize Vietnam’s market economy and grant the country access to its Generalized System of Preference during his five-day official visit to the US from February 7.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has recommended the United States recognize Vietnam’s market economy and grant the country access to its Generalized System of Preference during his five-day official visit to the US from February 7.
The Deputy PM headed a governmental delegation and met with senior US senators, US Secretary of Commerce John Bryson, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, World Bank (WB) President Robert Zoellick and Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Naoyuki Shinohara.
He stressed the need for the US to remove trade barriers imposed on key Vietnamese exports such as “tra” and “basa” fish, shrimp, honey and wind turbine towers. The Vietnamese delegation also suggested the US continue helping Vietnam deal with remaining war issues, especially projects to clean-up the environment and support Agent Orange victims.
The Vietnamese Deputy PM underlined Vietnam’s active international integration policies, saying the country would continue to negotiate positively with the US and other partners on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.
The US side said it would continue stepping up cooperation in trade, investment, science-technology, education and training, as well as working closely with Vietnam at multilateral and regional forums.
They also expressed hope that both parties would soon solve the outstanding difficulties with certain trade links and join in efforts to complete negotiations for the TPP.-