Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem has made a two-day visit to the US at the invitation of US Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton.

During his stay in the US, from October 1-2, Deputy PM Khiem held talks with Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke. He also met with Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Howard Berman and five senior senators of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

On the occasion, Deputy PM Khiem met with the US business circle, and exchanged views with a number of US scholars on the Obama administration’s foreign policy towards Asia-Pacific.

At the meetings, Deputy PM Khiem conveyed a message from the Vietnamese leaders to the US side that confirmed Vietnam’s wish to further develop a friendly and constructive partnership and multifaceted cooperation with the US.

He also proposed measures to strengthen the political and diplomatic ties and promote the economic and trade relations between the two countries.

Briefing the US side on Vietnam’s economic recovery, Khiem suggested that the US speed up the consideration to grant GSP to Vietnam and recognise Vietnam as a market economy.

He proposed the US remove tariff barriers against Vietnamese goods, and that the two sides set up an “early warning mechanism” to reduce trade disputes.

Khiem suggested that the US side actively engage in the implementation of projects to help Vietnam protect the environment and cope with climate change as well as those on education and health cooperation.

He requested the US to help Vietnam surmount consequences caused by the Agent Orange/dioxin.

Khiem also criticised actions against Vietnam by a number of US congressmen and anti-Vietnam groups in the US, and stated his nation’s viewpoints on development, democracy and human rights.

The US side affirmed its wishes to expand relations with Vietnam on the basis of mutual benefit, focusing on economic, trade and investment ties and supporting US companies to invest in the Southeast Asian country.

The US side also applauded the recovery of Vietnam’s economy, attributing this to the Vietnamese government’s economic development strategy.

They spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts to implement bilateral and multilateral commitments it has made in line with the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The US side confirmed its willingness to receive more Vietnamese students to study in the US, and pledged to step up cooperation with Vietnam to cope with climate change and rising sea levels.

The officials agreed to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian issues such as mine clearance, Agent Orange/dioxin issues, MIA issues and rescue activities. They also proposed closer cooperation in the fight against crime.

While informing his hosts that Vietnam will take over the ASEAN presidency in 2010, Khiem urged the US to coordinate with the bloc to organise the ASEAN-US summit and deploy cooperation agreements between the US and the Mekong sub-region’s nations.

US Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton said Southeast Asia is a region vital to global progress, prosperity, and peace, and the US wishes to cooperate closely with Vietnam when it assumes the ASEAN presidency next year.

US congressmen voiced their support for the consolidation of relations between the US and the ASEAN.
The US officials congratulated Vietnam on the fulfillment of its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and expressed hope that the two countries will continue coordination at the United Nations.

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Khiem invited Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to visit Vietnam in 2010. Clinton accepted the invitation./.